Assessment of Wastewater Treatment and Water Reuse Practices in the Gulf Countries

A major challenge for the 21 st century will be the efficient use of all resources to minimize wastage. Lack of fresh water is becoming one of the largest and most universal of the resource problems that we face in the new century. This leads us to consider the options for turning wastewaters into useful resources, with recovery of the water for reuse. Therefore, wastewater has become an essential component in the water resources and environmental management framework . In the Gulf Corporation Council ( GCC ) countries , agriculture in competition with other sectors will soon face quantity and quality water problems due to limited conventional water resources and increasing water demands. Wastewater is actually considered an additional water resource and a potential source of fertilizing elements. Extensive treatment of wastewater has become necessary in order to reclaim good quality water for reuse and to protect the environment which has been adversely affected from continuous disposal of untreated or partially treated wastewaters into sensitive receiving bodies. Although substantial work on this subject has been conducted worldwide, the effectiveness of current wastewater treatment and water reuse practices in the GCC countries is yet to be assessed . The objective of this paper is to evaluate the present status of reclaimed wastewater reuse in the GCC countries . The paper will examine the wastewater treatment technologies currently in use and analyse the data obtained on treated effluent quality. In particular , the role of tertiary treatment in effluent quality improvement will be determined and prospects for the future will be discussed. The reclaimed wastewater reuse practices will be evaluated and the institutional., legal , and financial aspects of water reuse will be screened.