水资源短缺,气候变化加剧了,正在构成重大的全球挑战,特别是对农业部门的影响。对再生废水(RWW)作为替代灌溉源的兴趣日益浓厚,能够通过施肥实践也利用营养成分。然而,目前缺少选择最合适的废水处理厂(WWTP)以实施直接RWW再利用的优先排序方法。这样的优先次序将有利于水务公司,经常管理几个污水处理厂,和政策制定者优化经济资产配置。在这项工作中,考虑到WWTP和周围地区的特征,提出了一个优先级框架来评估WWTP对实施直接RWW重用的适用性。该过程包括四个关键步骤。首先,建立了技术经济模型,其中水和养分的每月质量平衡通过匹配作物需求来解决,降雨条件,和废水特性。考虑到淡水资源节约带来的经济效益,对经济适用性进行了量化,矿物肥料和避免温室气体排放,但由于RWW盐度含量,作物产量也会损失。其次,对分类程序进行了编码,以在一组WWTP中选择代表性的WWTP,根据它们的大小,存在养分去除过程,以及周围作物的类型。然后将技术经济模型应用于这些选定的污水处理厂。第三,对输入参数\'在确定WWTP是否适合RWW重用方面的相关性进行了排名。最后,进行了情景分析,以研究降雨模式和养分处理去除对RWW再利用可行性的影响。污水处理厂周围的作物类型和RWW盐度含量是确定污水处理厂是否适合RWW重复使用实施的关键因素。拟议的方法被证明是政策制定者和水务公司评估直接RWW再利用的技术经济可行性的有效支持工具,将结果推广到污水处理厂和作物的几种组合。
Water shortages, exacerbated by climate change, are posing a major global challenge, particularly impacting the agricultural sector. A growing interest is raised towards reclaimed wastewater (RWW) as an alternative irrigation source, capable of exploiting also the nutrient content through the fertigation practice. However, a prioritization methodology for selecting the most appropriate wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) for implementing direct RWW reuse is currently missing. Such prioritization would benefit water utilities, often managing several WWTPs, and policymakers in optimizing economic asset allocation. In this work, a prioritization framework is proposed to evaluate WWTPs\' suitability for implementing direct RWW reuse considering both WWTP and surrounding territory characteristics. This procedure consists of four key steps. Firstly, a techno-economic model was developed, in which monthly mass balances on water and nutrients are solved by matching crop requirements, rainfall conditions, and effluent characteristics. Economic suitability was quantified considering economic benefits due to savings in freshwater resource, mineral fertilizers and avoided greenhouse gases emissions, but also losses in crop yield due to RWW salinity content. Secondly, a classification procedure was coded to select representative WWTPs among a set of WWTPs, based on their size, presence of nutrient removal processes, and type of crops in their surroundings. The techno-economic model was then applied to these selected WWTPs. Thirdly, input parameters\' relevance in determining WWTP suitability for RWW reuse was ranked. Finally, scenario analyses were conducted to study the influence of rainfall patterns and nutrient treatment removal on the RWW reuse feasibility. The type of crops surrounding the WWTPs and RWW salinity content resulted to be crucial elements in determining WWTPs suitability for RWW reuse implementation. The proposed methodology proved to be an effective support tool for policymakers and water utilities to assess the techno-economic feasibility of direct RWW reuse, generalizing results to several combinations of WWTPs and crops.