Greywater reuse: an assessment of the Jordanian experience in rural communities

Abstract

Water conservation is a critical issue particularly in arid countries and countries which suffer lack of natural water resources. Jordan is one of the most water-scarce countries in the world; this fact has forced the search for alternative sustainable solutions. With the support of several regional and international organizations, tens of projects were implemented across the country over the last thirty years that aimed to reusing the greywater in rural communities. The current review provides a wide overview of Jordan's experience in greywater treatment and its reuse for non-potable purposes in rural areas. To the best knowledge of the authors, the present review is the first to assess the Jordanian experience in this field. Many governmental authorities and non-governmental organizations had been employed in the Jordan's experience. The greywater reuse systems were established to achieve advantageous environmental and socio-economic consequences on the rural communities. The strategy of greywater treatment was based on a local on-site greywater treatment system in households or the so called ‘autonomous water management’. The applied greywater treatment technologies in households were found efficient in rendering greywater adequate for agricultural uses. However, further improvements and territorial expansion of the experiment are needed.

An overview of atmospheric water harvesting methods, the inevitable path of the future in water supply

“…This water is known as “black water”. 14 Gray water can be used for things like irrigating green spaces or providing moisture to greenhouses. 15 Gray water usually contains some human waste and is therefore not free of pathogens.…”

Appraisal of community awareness of water conservation and the importance of greywater as one of the solutions to reduce water wastage in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

“…4 Greywater reuse was studied by various groups recently in different localities. [5][6][7] Alghamdi AA. Appraisal of community awareness of water conservation and the importance of greywater as one of the solutions to reduce water wastage in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.…”

The Impact of the Environment and People’s Attitudes on Greywater Management in Slum Coastal Settlements

“…The treatment of greywater converts it into a source of clean water for secondary purposes, such as washing and watering latrines, plants, and other plants. Greywater reuse systems are designed to achieve favourable environmental and socioeconomic consequences for rural communities [26].…”

“…Several studies on the processing and utilization of greywater address filtration techniques regulated by gravity and disinfection for household use [20] and double filtration greywater processing in slum areas [21] research on greywater content includes greywater content in households [22,23], characterization and pollutant loads of Greywater in urban slums [24], specification and treatment of domestic wastewater [17], and greywater treatment strategy based on a local on-site greywater treatment system in households or the so-called 'autonomous water management [25]. The applied greywater treatment technologies in households efficiently render Greywater for agricultural uses in adequate volumes [26]. Additionally, there are studies concerned with greywater compromising the biological quality of soil and vegetable crops [27], public health [28], the physical and mechanical properties of soil [29], and the impact of powder detergent water on shrinkage cracks of soil due to drying [30].…”