Comprehensive Study of Water Reuse Role in Integrated Water Resources Management—Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Water reclamation and reuse is an important worldwide integrated water resources planning and management topic as the limitations of freshwater resources have come into sharp focus. In the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), potable water is produced from either non- or very slowly renewable water resources such as groundwater, or capital- and energy-intensive seawater desalination. The KSA also lacks sufficient water and wastewater treatment capacity to meet future demands. In response, the KSA is developing reclaimed water sources to help meet future demands. Key public and private KSA organizations are working in partnership to expand the application of reclaimed water. Among these are the National Water Company (NWC), the Ministry of Water and Electricity (MOWE), and the King Abdullah University for Science and Technology (KAUST) Industry Collaboration Program (KICP). These organizations have been responsible for actions to promote reuse in the KSA and will oversee and promote the implementation process to meet the aggressive new goals. The KSA has embraced a goal to significantly expand the availability of reuse quality treated sewage effluent (RQTSE) for a wide variety of uses and KAUST has published a comprehensive study of water reuse's role in integrated water resources management to identify technology and data gaps that need to be addressed to support successful reclamation and reuse, as well as business opportunities where reuse would support sustainable and integrated water management objectives. Implementing beneficial reuse opportunities is critical to meet future water demand, but must be cost-effective for users and profitable for providers. The study finds that capturing these business opportunities and supporting overall resource sustainability goals depends on the following actions: ≤ Instituting rational tariff structures for first use water and RQTSE that support significant capital and operational investments. ≤ Recognizing social and cultural differences in the ability and willingness to pay. ≤ Adopting regulations to support an integrated water resources planning approach. ≤ Increasing public awareness of the need for RQTSE and gaining acceptance for its use. ≤ Instituting a system (a proposed National Water Data Center) that supports collaborative planning by documenting: water demands; wastewater treated volumes; RQTSE used; and water quality, monitoring, and enforcement data. ≤ Coordinating specific actions and milestones, including strengthened regulations, to meet local, regional, and national goals are met. This comprehensive study confirms that financially sound, practical, and environmentally sustainable opportunities to expand water reuse and integrated water management exist in all regions and in all sectors of the KSA. Recommendations of the study are focused to protect investments, ensure cost-effectiveness, and facilitate coordination across sectors, provinces, regions, cities, and agencies.