Study of Reclaimed Water Reuse Standards and Prospects in Irrigation in Egypt

Abstract

The subjects of wastewater treatment and the reuse of reclaimed water are of excessive significance, especially in the regions where the lack of conventional resources is an essential problem as the situation in Egypt. This paper examines the present status for the reuse of reclaimed water in Egypt and future national water plan for reclaimed water reuse. In addition, to review the reclaimed water reuse standards for indirect irrigation in Egypt, organizations (World Health Organization (WHO) and United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA)) and countries (Spain, Italy and Cyprus) that have been modified reclaimed water reuse standards. In addition, the study proposing standards for reclaimed water reuse in irrigation purposes aimed to maximize environmental outcomes. The proposed standards were in terms of salinity, nutrients, turbidity, total suspended solids (TSS), pathogens, trace elements, biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) and chemical oxygen demand (COD). The proposed turbidity in (NTU) for cooking vegetables up to 10, (TSS) for cooking vegetables ≤10 mg/L and for cooking crops for human consumption ≤35 mg/L. (BOD) concentration for cooking crops for human consumption and for cooking vegetables were ≤35 and ≤15 mg/L respectively. (COD) concentration ≤ 35 mg/L. The proposed standards concentrations for Aluminium (Al), Cobalt (Co), Beryllium (Be), Lithium (Li) and Vanadium (V) that not detected in the Egyptian local Decree 92/2013 were added as 0.5, 0.05, 0.02, 0.5 and 0.05 mg/L respectively. Egyptian local Decree put high levels of Molybdenum (Mb) (0.07 mg/L) and the study proposes a concentration of 0.01 mg/L. Finally, (USEPA) standards for pathogens were proposed in this study. This study is expected to encourage reclaimed water reuse in Egypt in irrigation practices.