Renat avloppsvatten som råvattenkälla / Wastewater reclamation for potable use
Ground water shortage is an increasing problem, and for communities where the raw water consist of ground water, droughts can cause severe problems. One approach to solve the decreased groundwater resources is to utilize the potential in the sewage water. One village which has faced problems in the drinking water production in the past years is Hurva, outside of Eslöv in Scania. Groundwater is used in the drinking water production and in recent years there have not always been enough. VA SYD, municipal authority in Hurva, wanted to examine the possibilities of implementing a circular water system treating wastewater into drinking water quality. This has been examined in a master thesis, focusing on the process technical aspect. In the first part of this article, methodology and results from the design of water plants are presented. In the second part, some possibilities and challenges with wastewater reclamation for po- table use are discussed. The discussion is based on the author’s thoughts during the project and should not be interpreted as VA SYD´s opinions. VA SYD are interested in investigating new solutions, and it is important to remember that circular systems are only one of many possible approaches to solve water scarcity problems.