Infrastructure configurations for wastewater treatment and reuse: A simulation based study of membrane bioreactors

Recent research on advanced wastewater treatment methods and techniques has generated a new set of technologies developed for use at anything from the household to the city scale. However, one of the central issues in the app lication of new technologies is the relevant scale at which to design and i mplement physical systems. This contribution reports the design and use of a demand based simulation model to study issues of appropriate scale and co nnectivity for a wastewater reuse system. The particular case of membrane b ioreactors as treatment units to supply sub-potable demand is considered in detail. Results identify optimum levels of system connectivity and size wi th regard to both the cost of distributing recycled water and savings in po table quality resources. (C) 1998 IAWQ. Published by Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.