Wastewater treatment and water reuse

Abstract To implement tariffs and regulations on sanitation and wastewater treatment, as well as for disposal or reuse of treated effluents, it is necessary to know the treatment technologies, which one would be best adapted to the present circumstances of any site and finally if the treated wastewater can be disposed of, legally or reused complying the rules and regulations, in a safe way. Wastewater treatment has been evolving at different pace along the history, according to the increasing concentration of people in towns and cities. With the increasing pressures on water resources, concerns on how to find new resources capable to help reaching equilibrium within demand and offer arise. In this context, one of the main possibilities to cope with water scarcity is wastewater reclamation and reuse. The main features of wastewater treatment and several of the characteristics of reclamation and reuse are developed in this chapter.