Overview of Reuse of Treated Waste Water

Abstract

Purpose: The study sought to identify obstacles to implementing the practice of reusing treated wastewater.
 
 Method: A bibliographic survey was carried out searching for keywords such as: “wastewater reuse”, “wastewater treatment”, “guidelines or laws for wastewater reuse”. After reading the selected articles, their content was analyzed.
 
 Results and conclusion: It was observed that there are several obstacles, highlighting public rejection, costs, the establishment of a competitive price and the absence of legislation. To strengthen reuse, therefore, integrated management of the water sector is necessary, strengthening cooperation between interested parties, establishing economic instruments to finance projects, building trust and credibility and establishing clear criteria on when to reuse and what quality standards must be followed.
 
 Originality/value: The research innovates by carrying out a bibliographical review on the perspectives of reusing treated wastewater, presenting the current reuse percentages and identifying the reasons why this practice still has low rates, presenting the indicators of a possible methodological guide for support the decision for reuse.
 
 Research implications: The work brought subsidies to researchers and public agents for the development of a methodological guide to support the decision to reuse treated wastewater, including indicators, in order to present an indicative picture of the technical, social, environmental and economic viability of the reuse in a city, presenting itself as a very valuable tool to help strengthen the use of this alternative source of water.