RECLAIM WATER - Water reclamation technologies for safe artificial groundwater recharge

The project RECLAIM WATER provided effective technologies to monitor and mitigate emerging risks posed by chemical contaminants and pathogens in reclaimed wastewater streams used for groundwater recharge. It integrated technological water reclamation solutions with natural attenuation processes occurring in the subsurface to achieve upgraded water quality assessed on the basis of key contaminants. The project related the knowledge obtained on new treatment processes and contaminant behaviour to the question of risk associated to the indicated use. The risk studies covered water intake, treatment, storage and distribution steps, analytical tools, monitoring and control systems, and operational procedures as well as communication procedures.

A coherent application of these elements in a number of case studies, that cover important reuse practices, resulted in recommendations all the way down to the end-user level, where risk management has to be practiced on a day-to-day basis. The project outcome will contribute to the 'best available technologies' for wastewater reclamation and reuse applications.