Water Recycling: Needs, Benefits and Uses

by | Apr 25, 2024

With the changes in modernization and the increase in the country’s overall population, the urgency of water supply is becoming clear. Is water recycling important in the country? The answer is yes, as recycled water positively impacts the environment and reduces dependence on freshwater supplies.

Bengaluru is on the brink of a water crisis as the city faces many water supply issues. This has set alarm bells ringing for the people living in Bengaluru. The ongoing water issues in Bengaluru have raised the need for sustainable water resource management and collaborative efforts to solve these issues.

Due to its decades-old drought, the city’s water-spread area has declined by 70%. To meet its needs, it has begun recycling its wastewater. 

Water recycling can be done naturally or through technology to speed up the process. Familiar recycled water sources include domestic sewage, industrial wastewater, and stormwater. To better understand it, let’s first discuss what water recycling is.

What is Water Recycling?

Treating wastewater makes it safe to use. This is called water recycling or reclamation. Reclaimed water is used for many good purposes. It can also be used for drinking. The treated water comes from different places. These include domestic sewage, industrial and stormwater runoff, and hydraulic fracturing.

Benefits of Recycled Water

Recycled water has several benefits that are as follows:

1)- Enhance Wetlands

 Wetlands are an essential part of our ecosystems. Recycled water enhances wetlands. It has many benefits. For example, it improves water and gives fish places to breed. The flow of water can improve aquatic and wildlife habitats. 

2)- Maintaining Sustainability

Industrial sustainability requires water recycling, which will help save future water resources. It is important to recycle water properly, if not treated will create lot of problems for environment and society. Recycled water provides different socio and economic benefits to the country. 

3)- Saves Energy

Recycled water production saves energy, which results in better air quality. It also cuts the energy needed to pump imported water. This means less fuel use and fewer greenhouse gases, significantly reducing carbon footprint.

4)- Maintaining Fresh Water Supply

Water recycling helps preserve the freshwater supply. Agriculture is a significant user of water. Using treated and recycled water reduces the stress on freshwater bodies. These include groundwater, lakes, rivers, and reservoirs.

5)- Reducing Risk of Pollution

A recycling system can reduce the risk of water pollution by properly reusing water. Dirty water destroys aquatic habits and contains harmful bacteria and viruses, which can cause diseases. 

Also Read: What is Carbon Footprint And Why Is It Important?

How Does the Water Recycling System Work?

Water recycling has physical, biological, and chemical processes. They remove contaminants and dirty particles from water. The use of the physical system to treat water is known as primary treatment. Different uses of biological processes are referred to as secondary treatment. Any additional purification is referred to as advanced treatment.

In primary treatment, raw sewage goes through bar screens. These remove large solids, like rags and plastic. 

As wastewater flows through the grit chambers, the stream fills with fine air bubbles. They help the grit particles settle. At this point, we digest biosolids and use them for good purposes. For example, we use them to condition soil or for composting.

During secondary treatment, the remaining contaminants are removed. The water flows into aeration basins. Oxygen is mixed in. Bacteria convert the solids, creating wastewater biosolids. 

The bugs work. Then, the water is filtered in chlorine contact chambers to kill germs. To protect the aquatic life, chlorine is removed using sulfur dioxide. In this process, filters are placed between the final clarifier and disinfection.

After 15 minutes of chlorination, the water is dechlorinated with sulfur dioxide. Then, it is fully recycled and ready to release into the environment. The process of releasing the water to a stream is known as outfall.

Different Technologies Used for Water Treatment

Various technologies use different kinds of water treatment. Some of them are as follows:

1)- Screens

 Screens are of two types: coarse screens and band screens. We use coarse screens to remove weeds and debris. Band screens remove small particles. Microstainers are also used as a pre-treatment to reduce solids loading.

2)- Gravel Filters

 Using gravel filters we can remove algae and turbidity. The inner channel lets water flow sideways through the tank during this process. The water encounters the finer gravel. The outer chamber then collects the water where the solids are completely removed.

3)- Membrane Processes

Water treatment facilities use them. They include reverse osmosis, ultrafiltration, nanofiltration, and microfiltration. During water production for industry, membranes remove harmful organisms. These include pathogenic bacteria, human viruses, Giardia, and bacteriophages. 

4)- Activated Carbon

One of the most common methods used is granular activated carbon. In this process, filter media is in filtered cartridges. A special filter is used to remove carbon fines from treated water.

Uses of Recycled Water

There are different purposes for using reclaimed water, which are as follows:

  • Recycled water can serve the industry. It can be used for plant washdown, processing, and cooling.
  • Augmentation of surface waters, which are used for drinking water supplies.
  • Wetland creation, enhancement, and restoration.
  • Irrigation of golf courses, parks, residential properties, and landscaped areas.
  • Urban purposes include flushing, dust control, and aesthetics. It recharges groundwater using absorption fields.
  • Recycled water is used for agriculture. It waters food crops like corn and soybeans, pasture lands, and nurseries.

Waste Water Plants in India

Some of the wastewater plants in India are as follows:

Thermax India

This wastewater plant, founded in 1980, has its headquarters in Pune. It provides services for industries and municipal corporations. Thermax also offers services to remove certain water chemicals that help control pollution.

Voltas Ltd.

Tata Enterprises owns this water plant. The company has 40 years of experience treating wastewater and uses advanced technologies such as Moving Bed Biofilm Reactors and Sequence Batch Reactors. It focuses on treating industrial wastewater.

Hindustan Dorr- Oliver Limited

Hindustan Dorr-Oliver Limited has seven decades of experience. The company has served both the private and public sectors using advanced technologies. These include Membrane bioreactors, Reverse Osmosis, and Volatile Organic Carbon treatment. They use them to treat wastewater.

Conclusion

With the increase in population, the demand for water supply and energy will increase, making recycling and conserving water even more essential. Today, most industries recycle wastewater. They also find new ways to meet environmental needs and get more benefits. Working together on water conservation and efficiency can ensure clean water. It will do so for everyone now and in the future.

Read More: How To Remove Hardness Of Water

Bhuwan Bhatia

Bhuwan Bhatia

Bhuwan Bhatia, an engineering graduate with a diverse background, has been passionate about entrepreneurship since age 13. Founder of edtech startup Technoshaala, Bhuwan now focuses on leading his innovative water management startup, FLOTAA, in Kanpur to create sustainable solutions.
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