AWWA JAW70914

The gap between water supply and demand is growing worldwide, especially in nations such as China that are undergoing rapid economic development. Wastewater reuse offers a potential solution to help alleviate this crisis, essentially providing a "new" source, i.e., reclaimed water, for industrial production and agricultural and landscape irrigation while decreasing the pressure on high-quality supplies. A wastewater reclamation system was designed for the Taocheng District of Hengshui (TDH), China, which is suffering both a water crisis and financial limitations. The project incorporates a sewage treatment plant, natural waterways, and constructed wetlands. In addition to providing treated effluent for use as cooling water at a power station, the proposed system would help revitalize the existing wastewater treatment plant, enhance the local landscape with a wetland environment, and promote land values in the area. A cost-benefit analysis indicates the economic and noneconomic benefits of the project make it a viable and sustainable solution for TDH and other regions facing water shortages. Includes 25 references, tables, figures.