Continuous Performance Improvement Framework for Sustainable Wastewater Treatment Facilities in Arid Regions: Case of Wadi Rumah in Qassim, Saudi Arabia

Abstract

In arid regions such as Saudi Arabia, wastewater treatment (WWT) facilities (meeting promulgated standards) need to adapt their continuous performance improvement (CPI) for long-term sustainability. To achieve this, the facilities need to improve their performance to comply with more strict objectives for broader reuse applications of treated effluent. The present research proposes a CPI framework based on performance benchmarking process for the stepwise improvement of WWT facilities. A grey rational analysis water quality index (GWQI) based on exceedance probability was developed. For weights’ estimation of 11 physical, chemical, and biological water quality parameters, the entropy method effectively accommodated the changes in relative importance of the parameters with including additional future reuse applications. For existing effluent reuse scenarios of restricted and unrestricted irrigation, the GWQI values were found consistent with the modified version of the Canadian WQI (GWQI). The indices’ values (ranged between 0 and 100) greater than 80 showed the efficient operation of four WWT plants in the Qassim Region of Saudi Arabia. Two hypothetical CPI scenarios with future reuse applications (fish, livestock drinking, and recreation) showed an overall decline in the average (of four plants) values of the GWQI (97 to 78) and GWQI (85 to 60). GWQI predicted stricter results for the facilities with parameters’ concentrations exceeding the targets with larger margins and was found applicable for the CPI of WWT facilities in arid regions. For existing scenarios, the assessment results suggest the facilities to control and monitor the chlorination practice. For future targets, tertiary treatment needs to be enhanced for desired nutrients and total dissolved solids removal. The proposed CPI framework provides a platform to initiate the performance benchmarking process for WWT facilities at local or regional levels in Saudi Arabia and elsewhere.

A strategic approach to sustainable wastewater management and reuse in Saudi Arabia

“…The weighting scheme used for OPI estimation seems predisposed towards EQI due to its prominent contribution to the main objectives of STPs in the country-groundwater conservation and protection of surface water sources [2,3]. The framework proposed in this study provides a strategic approach for STPs in arid regions toward continuous improvement for wider reuse applications.…”

“…Receiving treated effluents from Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs), low-flow and dry rivers in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) serve various intended uses without continuous flows [2]. For developing effective circular economy-based water resources conservation strategies, wastewater reuse's socio-economic and environmental benefits establish the desired STPs' effluent quality in a city or a subregion [3]. An increasing gap between water availability and demand due to low groundwater recharge rate and increasing water demands has signified the environmental value of treated assessment framework appraising seasonal variations in effluent quality and various beneficial uses of dry rivers, (ii) identify the significant variables and corresponding weights for dry and wet periods using PCA, and (iii) develop EQI, SEI, and OPI for dry and wet periods using Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to the Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) to provide aggregated performance score for inter-city performance assessment of four STPs operating in Wadi Rumah catchment in Qassim Province of KSA.…”

Design and Evaluation of Solar Photocatalytic Reclamation for Purification of Agricultural Wastewater

“…According to the Australian wastewater quality management guidelines (2022), it is crucial to guarantee the quality of treated wastewater from photocatalytic purification processes before considering it safe for human reuse [24]. Specific standards must be met by treated agricultural wastewater to ensure safety and environmental sustainability, including parameters like chemical oxygen demand (COD), biological oxygen demand (BOD), total suspended solids (TSS), pH levels, and the absence of harmful pathogens [25].…”

“…Standards and guidelines for reuse of treated wastewater [25] A range of measurement devices is used to ensure that treated wastewater meets quality standards. These instruments include spectrophotometers, which chemical parameters like COD and BOD, turbidity meters for measuring TSS levels, and pH meters to monitor acidity or alkalinity [24,25]. Furthermore, microbial testing equipment, such as incubators and culture media, can be utilized to detect harmful pathogens.…”

Evaluation of Al-Thagher Wastewater Treatment Plant

“…Therefore, the CCME WQI has been widely applied to many surface and groundwater bodies in Iraq [20,21] and other countries [22][23][24][25][26][27]. Recently, the CCME WQI has been used to evaluate the quality of treated water [28][29][30][31][32][33][34]. Thus, WQI is also a helpful and useful tool for researchers and decision-makers to monitor and assess the treated wastewater quality for any purpose [33,34].…”