Wastewater reuse in Jubail, Saudi Arabia

With the industrial development and urban construction in Madinat Al-Jubail Alsinaiya in Saudi Arabia, which has mostly arid regions and due to limited water resources depends on diminishing ground water and costly desalinated seawater, wastewater reuse is pursued using reclaimed municipal and industrial wastewater through treatment plants. This paper is an actual case study discussing the features of reuse, the processes used and the standards adopted. The effect of reuse upon the local environment is commented upon. This study also emphasizes the cost-competitiveness of wastewater reuse for irrigation in Saudi Arabia. Design data and operational results for the 19 MGD municipal wastewater water treatment plant and the 11 MGD industrial wastewater treatment plant will be discussed. Both plants utilize biological treatment followed by pressure filtration to meet the stringent standards governing the use of effluent in landscape irrigation. The effluent TDS, TSS, BOD5 and SAR are valued 936, 4.4, 2.7, and 7.4, respectively, for the municipal wastewater treatment plant and 762, 2.1, 2.4 and 10.5, respectively, for the industrial wastewater treatment plant.