238
10 Recycled Water Use Management
present, the treatment is not as deep or advanced as those in California, Singapore,
and Australia which are for the purpose of the drinking water.
In terms of the recycled water sources, the industrial wastewater containing toxic
heavy metals; hazardous organic materials; exceeding-standard pathogenic microorganisms; and radioactivity from electroplating, chemical, printing and dyeing, metallurgy, and other industries and hospitals and labs are forbidden to use as the source
of the recycled water. In the treatment process, the recycled water treatment facility
is required to develop a linkage with the wastewater treatment plant if using its
outflow as the source, in order to guarantee water quality safety and quantity stability.
Regarding the user, the water quality of the recycled water shall meet the requirements
of the users, as well as national and sectoral standards.
As for the purposes, besides the standards, the protection of the water function
zone is considered. The irrigation of the recycled water shall meet the requirements
of agricultural product quality and soil protection and not be used in centralized water
sources protection zones, spring areas, and those areas with groundwater levels less
than 1 m from the surface and frequent waterlogging. Food-processing, medical and
medicine processes, and intimate contact with human body are not appropriate. The
use of groundwater recharge shall be done cautiously, which could be compared to
that in Southern California where widely applies.
Additionally, risk control to the recycled water use is emphasized. From the
perspectives of hygiene, ecology, and safety, the risk from the recycled water use
on human health and the ecological environment, equipment, and products shall
be assessed. In the application of urban eco-environment, the assessment shall be
conducted on human body contact health, water body eutrophication, and aquatic
ecosystems. The risk of the production equipment, product quality, and worker health
shall be assessed in the industrial use. More importantly, when used in agricultural
irrigation, the impacts on agricultural product, soil, and groundwater shall be fully
assessed.
10.5.3 Economic Feasibility
The economic feasibility refers to the cost and benefit of the recycled water use.
It has two aspects: macro and micro. The macro-aspect refers to that, in a broad
view, the recycled water use is economic feasibility. The macro-feasibility could
use a macro-cost benefit analysis to compare social, economic, and environmental
benefits to those costs. Generally, with the increasing cost to find new sources and
reductions in the pollutant, economic feasibility in macro-aspect is always positive,
or the direct or indirect benefits from the recycled water use is larger than those
related costs. That is the reason why the governmental policy promotes the use of
recycled water.
The micro-aspect of the economic feasibility refers to the producer and user. This
is the key factor to promote the sector’s sustainable development and operation. In
the production aspect, with some financial supports, such as taxation exemption and
10 Recycled Water Use Management
present, the treatment is not as deep or advanced as those in California, Singapore,
and Australia which are for the purpose of the drinking water.
In terms of the recycled water sources, the industrial wastewater containing toxic
heavy metals; hazardous organic materials; exceeding-standard pathogenic microorganisms; and radioactivity from electroplating, chemical, printing and dyeing, metallurgy, and other industries and hospitals and labs are forbidden to use as the source
of the recycled water. In the treatment process, the recycled water treatment facility
is required to develop a linkage with the wastewater treatment plant if using its
outflow as the source, in order to guarantee water quality safety and quantity stability.
Regarding the user, the water quality of the recycled water shall meet the requirements
of the users, as well as national and sectoral standards.
As for the purposes, besides the standards, the protection of the water function
zone is considered. The irrigation of the recycled water shall meet the requirements
of agricultural product quality and soil protection and not be used in centralized water
sources protection zones, spring areas, and those areas with groundwater levels less
than 1 m from the surface and frequent waterlogging. Food-processing, medical and
medicine processes, and intimate contact with human body are not appropriate. The
use of groundwater recharge shall be done cautiously, which could be compared to
that in Southern California where widely applies.
Additionally, risk control to the recycled water use is emphasized. From the
perspectives of hygiene, ecology, and safety, the risk from the recycled water use
on human health and the ecological environment, equipment, and products shall
be assessed. In the application of urban eco-environment, the assessment shall be
conducted on human body contact health, water body eutrophication, and aquatic
ecosystems. The risk of the production equipment, product quality, and worker health
shall be assessed in the industrial use. More importantly, when used in agricultural
irrigation, the impacts on agricultural product, soil, and groundwater shall be fully
assessed.
10.5.3 Economic Feasibility
The economic feasibility refers to the cost and benefit of the recycled water use.
It has two aspects: macro and micro. The macro-aspect refers to that, in a broad
view, the recycled water use is economic feasibility. The macro-feasibility could
use a macro-cost benefit analysis to compare social, economic, and environmental
benefits to those costs. Generally, with the increasing cost to find new sources and
reductions in the pollutant, economic feasibility in macro-aspect is always positive,
or the direct or indirect benefits from the recycled water use is larger than those
related costs. That is the reason why the governmental policy promotes the use of
recycled water.
The micro-aspect of the economic feasibility refers to the producer and user. This
is the key factor to promote the sector’s sustainable development and operation. In
the production aspect, with some financial supports, such as taxation exemption and