Ameliorating water crises through sustainable wastewater reuse in Hengshui, China

摘要

The gap between water supply and demand is growing worldwide, especially in nations such as China that are undergoing rapid economic development. Wastewa-ter 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.rnA wastewater reclamation system was designed for the Taocheng District of Hengshui (TDH), China, which is suffering both a water crisis and financialrnlimitations. 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.