Moving Toward Sustainability: Perfecting Wastewater Pretreatment For Direct Potable Reuse

Water scarcity and source water contamination concerns are fueling ever-increasing interest in the practice of direct potable reuse (DPR) systems. DPR uses many of the same wastewater and drinking water treatment systems currently in place. DPR water treatment consists of many stages, including primary, secondary, and sometimes tertiary wastewater treatment. The treated wastewater is then prepared for storage in anticipation of being withdrawn by the WTP (water treatment plant) and treated to drinking water standards. Pre-treatment occurs between these key stages and consists of two direct actions: turbidity reduction and disinfection. The pre-treatment process must be properly designed to ensure the water will be effectively treated by the WTP. This article will explain why pre-treatment is so important to the overall DPR process and the most important aspects of pre-treatment design.