ABSTRACT
To increase the conveyance capacity to Western Singapore and to meet long-term water needs in a more cost-effective manner, four new transmission pipelines consisting of 2 numbers of 2200 mm diameter and 2 numbers of 1200mm diameter water pipes will be needed by 2024 to convey water from a Water Reclamation Plant to existing networks in the western region of Singapore. Out of the several possible routes studied, the most cost-effective and technically feasible route was selected by laying the proposed 1.6km-long pipelines that under crosses a channel via a 6m diameter subsea tunnel. This paper outlines the challenges the team faced throughout the project thus far. It also examines the difficulties such as the construction of a 56m-deep launching shaft near a highly sensitive 700mm diameter Gas Transmission Pipeline (GTP) and at a location with high groundwater;and manpower and supply disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic situation. © 2023 The Author(s).
ABSTRACT
Pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) were investigated in five wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs), groundwater, irrigated soils, and plants in Amman and Al-Balqa governorates in Jordan. PPCPs were extracted from water samples by solid-phase extraction (SPE) and analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC–MS/MS). Carbamazepine, ciprofloxacin, ceftiofur, diclofenac, erythromycin, lincomycin, ofloxacin, pyrimthamine, spiramycin, sulfamethoxazole, sulfapyridine, testosterone, trimethoprim, and thiamphenicol were detected in all raw wastewaters in μg/L, whereas 45 PPCPs were below the detection limits (<0.02 μg/L) in all samples. Na`ur and Abu Nuseir WWTPs showed high PPCPs removal efficiencies in comparison with AL-Baqa`a, Salt, and Fuhais-Mahis WWTPs. Boqorreya spring showed signs of contamination by Salt WWTP effluents as a result of mixing. Irrigation with effluents showed higher carbamazepine concentrations in soils at the top soil layers (0 to 20 cm) in all farms than its concentrations at the root zone (20 to 40 cm) by using drip irrigation system with various plants. In plants, carbamazepine concentration was only detected in high concentration level in mint leaves. In the same farm, diclofenac concentration was detected only in olives and not in twigs and leaves, indicating a high rate of plant uptake especially during the olive’s growth period. Furthermore, plant fruits, leaves, and stems left on the farm after harvesting are generally consumed by cattle, which means entering the food chain of humans.
ABSTRACT
The industrial reuse of existing municipal wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) effluent can play a major role in improving water security in urbanized regions facing scarcity. As the complexity of engineered direct water reuse is related to various economic, technical, legal, social, environmental, and public health aspects, multi-criteria analysis (MCA) is a feasible decision-making tool in this context. The present work aimed to establish the relevant key factors for the application of MCA, wherever plant planning, design, and construction did not previously consider reuse practices. The adopted methodology considers the proposition and valuation of key criteria, based on the existing literature, expert consultations, statistical analysis, and the application of MCA to a real municipal WWTP located in Campinas city (São Paulo State, Brazil). The 13 proposed criteria encompass multiple categories, and their relevance is demonstrated, given the high significance frequencies assigned. The best values are related to effluent quality, health risks, and treatment reliability, in addition to environmental costs and benefits. The application of those criteria in Cooperative Game Theory (CGT) and Compromise Programming (CP) methods is proved to be suitable, considering the characteristics of the studied area (i.e., highly urbanized with a history of water scarcity). Among nine surveyed end-users, the first position in the hierarchy corresponds to the largest industries with the shortest distance from the WWTP.