INTEGRATED CONCEPTS FOR REUSE OF UPGRADED WASTEWATER - ROLE OF MEMBRANES IN WATER RECYCLING

摘要

The AQUAREC project on "Integrated Concepts for Reuse of Upgraded Wastewater" is funded by the European Commission within the 5th Framework Programme as well as in Australia by the Commonwealth Department of Education, Science and Training. The project is coordinated by RWTH Aachen University. The general objective of the AQUAREC project is to provide knowledge to support rational strategies for municipal wastewater reclamation and reuse as a major component of sustainable water management practices. The project commenced in March 2003 and will be completed in February 2006. Treatment technology for water recycling encompasses a vast number of options and membrane processes are regarded as key elements of advanced wastewater reclamation and reuse schemes and are included in a number of prominent schemes world-wide, e.g. for artificial groundwater recharge, indirect potable reuse as well as for industrial process water production. Membrane bioreactors (MBRs) are a promising process combination of activated sludge treatment and membrane filtration for biomass retention. The paper will briefly describe the AQUAREC project and depict the particular role of membrane processes in wastewater reclamation and reuse.