Considerations for recycling sewage effluent in the UK

Technical, environmental, legislative and institutional considerations in r elation to effluent re-use are described, with specific reference to experi ences gained through the development of a scheme to augment Essex and Suffo lk Water's Hanningfield reservoir with effluent from Chelmsford sewage-trea tment works. Effluent standards are driven by a number of EU directives ass ociated with protection of fisheries, recreational water quality; eutrophic ation and nitrate control for designated sensitive areas, and surface-water abstraction. The selection of the most appropriate strategy for re-use nee ds to consider public perception issues, in addition to technical feasibili ty and environmental concerns.