#13 | Uses of reused water from wastewater treatment plants

By Eva Mena Gil (EMUASA)

The reuse of treated water is a sustainable and alternative wayof using this resource for other required purposes, these being mainly urban, agricultural and leisure uses. In addition, this activity causes the need to release water of the highest quality, being able to use it directly for its new purpose.

In regions vulnerable to drought and water scarcity, such as Murcia, the use of reclaimed water has increased in recent years, making it necessary to use new treatments to improve its quality. For this reason, Aguas de Murcia (EMUASA) takes advantage of this reused water and uses it directly for urban, sports and agricultural purposes.

To obtain water suitable for reuse, Murcia has twelve water regeneration stations, managed by EMUASA: Baños y Mendigo, Mosa Trajectum, El Escobar, Los Cañares, Hacienda Riquelme, El Valle, Barqueros, Nueva Corvera, Los Martinez del Port, Sucina 2, Casas Blancas and Trampoline. All of them are equipped with advanced treatment systems, and EMUASA makes a constant effort to increase the volume of reusable water and ensures that it returns to the natural environment in the best conditions for its new destination. The data provided by EMUASA during the year 2021 reflects that the average annual supply of reused water in the 12 mentioned municipalities reached the value of 243 liters per inhabitant each day . Below, the most notable treatment plants are shown based on the use of reused water, being able to demonstrate that 100% of the water produced is reused in the uses mentioned.

On the other hand, Sucina 2 complies with the quality limits for agricultural uses, named  “Quality 2.3 A: Crop irrigation”. Its volume of purified water is 132,357 m3/year, of which 118,456 m3/year is used for agricultural use. Part of the water reused from this treatment plant is also used for sports uses, specifically 13,901 m3/year. Its average annual endowment of reused water was 119 liters per inhabitant each day.

In the case of water for sports uses, called “Quality 4.1: Irrigation of golf courses”, Hacienda Riquelme stood out for registering a reclaimed water flow of 78,082 m3/d. Its average annual endowment of reused water was 465 liters per inhabitant each day.

The population of these 12 municipalities has a notable seasonal variation, which is affected mainly in the summer months. The Region of Murcia closed June 2021 with a population of 1,516,055 people, which represents an increase of 6,843 inhabitants in the last year, of which 8,019 inhabitants occupy the mentioned municipalities, according to the INE annual report for the year 2021.

The total annual volume of water reused directly in 2021 was 694,438 m3, equivalent to 100% of the effluent treated at the mentioned stations. Wastewater regeneration rate reached 100% of the effluent purified in all water regeneration stations. In addition, all the water used satisfies the quality limits for all the aforementioned destinations established in RD 1620/2007.

The reuse of water in the treatment plants managed by EMUASA shows the efficiency of water supply management and the implementation of good environmental management, demonstrating once again the degree of social, economic and environmental commitment of the company, evolving towards development of technologies that allow a more sustainable management of its activity.