Klingbeil, R. & El Khawand, M., 2014. Treated Wastewater as an Unconventional Water Resource: Examples from MENA Region. Presentation at the International Seminar “Use of Unconventional Water in Urban Water Management”, Ministry of Regional Municipalities and Water Resources (MRMWR), Oman, UNESCO Regional Centre on Urban on Water Management (RCUWM), Muscat, Oman, 24-26 Feb 2014.

1. Treated Wastewater as an
Unconventional Water Resource:
Examples from MENA Region
Muscat, Oman
February 2014
Ralf Klingbeil
Myriam El Khawand

2. Outline
• UN ESCWA
• Wastewater Treatment and Reuse
• Examples from MENA Region:
– “Reduce” Demand for Centrally Treated Wastewater
Using Reed Bed Treatment - United Arab Emirates
– “Reuse” Treated Wastewater at Large Consuming
Facilities - Morocco, Jordan
– “Recycle” Treated Wastewater by Reintroducing it into the
Hydrologic Cycle (Managed Aquifer Recharge) - Tunisia,
Oman
• Conclusions and Outlook
February 2014
www.escwa.un.org
2

3. UN ESCWA
United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia
• Located in Beirut
since 1997
• 17 Member States
February 2014
www.escwa.un.org
3

4. Organizational Chart
Sustainable Development Policies
Division SDPD
Energy Section
EnS
Economic Development and Globalization
Division EDGD
U N
E S C W A
Social Development Division SDD
Information Communication and
Technology Division ICTD
Statistics Division SD
Emerging Conflicts and Related Issues
ECRI
Food and
Environmental
Policies
Section FEPS
Water
Resources
Section WRS
ESCWA Centre for Women ECW
Administrative Services Division ASD
February 2014
www.escwa.un.org
4

5. Al Baz I. 2011.
Wastewater Treatment and Reuse
February 2014
www.escwa.un.org
5

6. Wastewater Treatment and Reuse
MENA Region
Volume of WW (109 m3 / yr)
10.88
6.47
4.36
Choukr-Allah R. 2012.
Reused
Untreated
Treated
Total
produced
2.18
Wastewater Reuse Index
(WRI*)
February 2014
www.escwa.un.org
6

7. Wastewater Treatment and Reuse
“3R” Approach from Solid Waste Management
Applied to Wastewater Treatment and Reuse
Reduce
Reuse
Recycle
February 2014
www.escwa.un.org
7

8. Domestic Reuse: “Grey Water”
Drinking
10%
Cleaning
5%
Surendran S. 1998, Jefferson B et al., 2004, http://guelph.ca
Reduce
Green Buildings: “Grey Water”
Bath
35%
Laundry
20%
Toilet
30%
February 2014
www.escwa.un.org
8

9. Reduce
Marsh
Plants
Pump
February 2014
Drainage pipe
www.escwa.un.org
Reed Bed Treatment:
• WW passing through
soil filter planted with
wetlands vegetation
• WW undergoes
chemical, physical
and biological
treatments
• Treated WW is
collected in tanks via
drainage pipes
• Treated WW can
be directly reused
9
Sustainable Sanitation Alliance. 2009.
Reed Bed Treatment and Reuse, UAE

10. • Set up locally / “reduce” demand for centrally treated WW
• Reduce costs for operation of large WW collection systems
• Reduce environmental risks associated with leaking or
overloaded pipes
• Treated WW reused for car washing, fish ponds and
irrigation of palm trees and gardens
• Reed plants can be harvested and used in production of
bioenergy and biomaterials - paper and reed concrete
(not yet in UAE)
February 2014
www.escwa.un.org
10
Sustainable Sanitation Alliance. 2009. Sievert W. 2010
Reduce
Reed Bed Treatments and Reuse, UAE

11. Reuse
• 33 million m3 of TWW / year
• 3 Treatments
• Sludge treatment
Sludge disposal site
Wastewater Treatment Plant
February 2014
www.escwa.un.org
11
Choukr-Allah R. 2010. Project Design Document
Marrakesh Wastewater Treatment Plant &
Reuse Project, Morocco

12. Marrakesh Wastewater Treatment Plant &
Reuse Project, Morocco
WWTP
PS2
Reuse
PS2
PS3
• 60 km of pipes
• 4 pumping stations
• Irrigation of golf courses (24
million m3 / year required)
• “ Green “ Morocco
• Anaerobic treatment of
sludge generates methane,
covers 33% of WWTP energy
requirement
Choukr-Allah R. 2010.
PS4
February 2014
www.escwa.un.org
12

13. Reuse
Aqaba Water, Jordan
Aqaba treatment plant:
• Network coverage:
97% of urban Aqaba
• TWW: 4.5 million m3/y
• 25 % of total water
supply
February 2014
www.escwa.un.org
Aqaba Water. 2014.
Natural treatment plant (1987):
• 40% of Aqaba WW
Mechanical treatment plant (2005):
• 60% of Aqaba WW
13

14. Reclaimed Wastewater Usage:
• Aqaba treatment plant greening project
• Palm tree forest project
• Aqaba city greening project
• Pioneering project
• Alsalam forest project
• Al-Haq farms project
• Phosphate Mining Company - industrial complexes
Aqaba Water. 2014.
Reuse
Aqaba Water, Jordan
February 2014
www.escwa.un.org
14

15. Korba aquifer:
• 90% of the region’s groundwater
• Used mainly for irrigation
• Prior to recharge, contaminated with seawater intrusion,
nitrate and bacterial pollutants
• TWW “recycled” into the aquifer via infiltration basins
February 2014
El Ayni F. et al., 2011, Chaieb H. 2011.
Recycle
Korba Aquifer Recharge, Tunisia
www.escwa.un.org
15

16. Korba Aquifer Recharge:
• Hydraulic barrier against seawater intrusion
• Treated WW better suited for irrigation,
due to reduced need for fertilizers
Groundwater Simulation
Salinity of groundwater
prior to recharge
February 2014
www.escwa.un.org
Cherif S. et al., 2013
Recycle
Korba Aquifer Recharge, Tunisia
Salinity of groundwater
after 3 years of recharge
16

17. Salalah Aquifer Recharge, Oman
Recycle
Groundwater Levels
Salinity Levels
February 2014
Shammas MI. 2007, 2008.
Salalah
Aquifer Recharge:
• Halts aquifer
depletion
• Halts water
salinisation
www.escwa.un.org
17

18. Conclusions & Outlook 1/2
Wastewater treatment & reuse:
• Preserve natural water resources
• Supply water scarce region with “new water”
• Reduce pollution and cross-contamination
• Prevent seawater intrusion
• Promote safe agricultural practices
• Increase green spaces in cities
Reduce
Reuse
Recycle
February 2014
www.escwa.un.org
18

19. Conclusions & Outlook 2/2
Outlook:
• High level of political and public commitment, stakeholder
participation
• Recognize all the involved institutions to improve
accountability
• Qualified independent regulator to improve compliance
with standards and transparency
• Ensure quality of TWW complies with national quality
standards - which may vary depending on intended reuse
• High quality sewage treatment facilities, networks and
infrastructure
February 2014
www.escwa.un.org
19

20. Treated Wastewater as an
Unconventional Water Resource:
Examples from MENA Region
Muscat, Oman
February 2014
Ralf Klingbeil
Myriam El Khawand