What happens to wastewater? A waste or a resource?
Description
Humanity is heading for a triple global crisis: climate change, loss of biodiversity and widespread pollution. This crisis is undermining nature's ability to provide ecosystem services, which in turn support human well-being and society. Population growth and urbanization are also exerting considerable pressure on limited water resources, to the extent that a third of the world's population lives in regions where water is scarce, while its needs are set to intensify.
At a time when 80% of the world's wastewater is discharged without adequate treatment, recycling wastewater is a priority in the fight against the pollution it generates, while at the same time exploiting its largely under-utilized potential.
WHAT IS WASTEWATER?
Wastewater refers to all water directly or indirectly contaminated by human activity, in the context of family or socio-economic use (industrial, craft, agricultural, public services...) and also as a result of rainwater run-off from buildings and roads. In practice, wastewater is made up of one or more effluents, whether domestic: black water (excrement, urine and faecal sludge) and grey water (toilet, kitchen and bath wastewater), produced by organizations such as industrial and commercial establishments and hospitals, or resulting from runoff from roofs and roads (particularly in urban areas), and from agricultural, horticultural and aquacultural operations.
TURNING PROBLEMS INTO SOLUTIONS
In just a few decades, overconsumption, pollution and inadequate treatment of the world's water resources have led to a global water crisis, aggravated by climate change, population growth and increasing urbanization. In figures, the problem can be summed up as follows: two billion people have no access to drinking water, and almost half the world's population suffers water shortages for at least one month of the year.
Wastewater volumes continue to rise and, despite some progress in treatment and reuse in recent years, untreated wastewater represents a real challenge for mankind, especially as 80% of the world's wastewater still ends up in the environment without adequate treatment, and only 11% of treated wastewater is reused (in France, it's less than 1%).
Sustainable water management is therefore essential, and must include optimizing withdrawals and stepping up treatment and recycling after use.
For more information: https://hommesetsciences.fr/que-deviennent-les-eaux-usees-un-dechet-ou-une-ressource/
Source : Hommes et Sciences
