|
1. Definition
| Name |
WASTEWATER
RECYCLING |
| Brief definition |
Total volume
of water recycled or re-used annually by each sector (domestic,
commercial, industrial, rural) in relation to the total annual
water use of each sector. |
| Unit of measure |
Volume of water
recycled or reused expressed in cm/year |
| Spatial scale |
|
| Temporal scale |
|
2. Position
within the logical framework DPSIR
| Type of Indicator |
Response |
3. Target and
political pertinence
| Objective |
The
indicator provides informations about the water system management
and its sustainability. Re-using and recycling water is a response
to the cost and potential scarcity of water supplies, caused
by increasing total water consumption. Water is a precious,
limited and highly compromised asset in terms of quality and
availability. The critical state of this resource is due to
the practice of using larger quantities than required and to
the habit of transforming them to such an extent that they become
unusable. An effective water recycling system, thus, means an
efficient use of natural resources and a decrease in pressures
to the environment. |
| Importance
with respect to desertification |
Increasing
the volume of water recycled and re-used reduces the amount
of new water required from streams for water supply purposes.
In addition, if water consumption continues to increase, re-use
and recycling postpones the need for new water resource developments
such as dams. Water re-use and recycling is also a means of
reducing the amount of nutrients and other pollutants that could
otherwise enter streams and estuaries. This explains why water
saving has a direct and indirect effect in the hydrogeological
balance and in land degradation processes. |
| International
Conventions and agreements |
The Water Framework
Directive (WFD) (CEC 2000) encourages systems for saving water;
EU legislation includes uniform requirements for the installation
of waste-water treatment plants (Directive 91/271/EEC on Urban
waste water treatment and Directive 96/61/EC on Integrated pollution
prevention control). Agenda 21, Chapter 18: Protection Of The
Quality And Supply Of Freshwater Resources: Application Of Integrated
Approaches To The Development, Management And Use Of Water Resources |
| Secondary objectives
of the indicator |
The indicator
measures also the capacity of each sector and the ability of
the local water authority to adopt integrated approaches to
manage and use water resources. |
4. Methodological
description and basic definitions
| Definitions
and basic concepts |
The
indicator represents the ratio between the annual total volume
of recycled or re-used water by each sector (domestic, commercial,
industrial, rural) and the total annual water use of each sector.
The indicator, thus, reflects the effectiveness of the water
saving measures in general and also the contribution of each
sector to the water recycling system. |
| Benchmarks
Indication of the values/ranges of value |
|
| Methods of
measurement |
For each sector
(domestic, commercial, industrial, rural) the total volume of
water recycled or re-used annually is related to the total annual
water use. |
| Limits
of the indicator |
Comparisons
and interpretations of statistics on recycled or re-used water
should be made with caution because the re-use of treated wastewater
in Europe does not have widespread acceptability and it is not
always clear how countries define the technologies used in wastewater
treatment. As an example, Article 12 of the urban wastewater
treatment directive indicates that "treated wastewater
should be reused whenever appropriate", but the last part
of the article states that "whenever appropriate"
needs further development (e.g. definitions, standards and guidelines).
|
| Linkages with
other indicators |
Water
consumption by sector; Water
scarcity; River
Basin Management Plan |
5. Evaluation
of data needs and availability
| Data
required to calculate the indicator |
Total
volume of water recycled or re-used annually by each sector
(domestic, commercial, industrial, rural) expressed in cm/year;
total annual water use of each sector expressed in cm/year. |
| Data sources |
Regional and
Local authorities with jurisdiction on water matters. |
| Availability
of data from national and international sources |
The data are
generally available at local level, but are not always collected
by sector, moreover comparisons and interpretations of statistics
on water recycled or re-used in different countries could be
problematic (see Limits of the indicator). |
6. Institutions
that have participated in developing the indicator
| Main
institutions responsible |
University
of Basilicata |
| Other contributing
organizations |
Universities
of Lisbon, Murcia, Athens |
7. Additional
information
| Bibliography
|
European
Commission (1998). Towards sustainable water resources management
: a strategic approach. (Guidelines for water resources development
co-operation). Luxembourg, Luxembourg: Office for Official Publications
of the European Communities. http://europa.eu.int/comm/development/body/publications/water/en/tableofcontents_en.htm
|
| Other
references |
SALGOT, M. Y ANGELAKIS,
A. (2001). Guidelines and regulations on wastewater reuse.
Cap 23 en: Lens, P., Zeeman, G., Lettinga, G. (eds.). Decentralised
sanitation and reuse: concepts, systems and implementation.
IWA Publishing, London.
http://www.worldwater.org
|
| Contacts Name
and address |
Prof. Giovanni
Quaranta
Dipartimento Tecnico-Economico per la Gestione del Territorio
Agricolo-Forestale
Università della Basilicata
Via Macchia Romana
85100 Potenza
Italia
quaranta@unibas.it |
|
