Innovative water reuse for urban irrigation with reclaimed water on the scale of an entire city.
Following the successful completion of the Nutzwasser project, the next phase of research into sustainable water reuse is starting in Schweinfurt. The aim is to develop an innovative irrigation solution for urban green spaces and implement it on a large scale for the first time in Bavaria.
The existing pilot plant in Schweinfurt will be expanded to a capacity of up to 10 m³/h. In addition, a 3.5 km long transport pipeline is being built within the existing canal system as well as an underground storage tank with a capacity of 1,500 m³. A cloud-based sensor system optimizes water usage by controlling it according to demand.
A UV disinfection system and new dosing stations will be installed to ensure the microbiological water quality. The aim is to ensure that the reused water can be used without risk to soil, groundwater and plants.
The research priorities of the TZW build on the open questions of the previous project. The focus is on investigating the persistence, spread and effect of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in biofilms, irrigation water, plants and soils over longer periods of time. Research is also being conducted into whether reused water influences the microbial community and its development of resistance. Another key aspect is the impact of water storage on water hygiene and which treatment measures are required to ensure safe water quality even after prolonged storage.
The project is being implemented in close cooperation with the Schweinfurt Municipal Wastewater Management (Stadtentwässerung Schweinfurt), the Technical University of Munich and other partners. The new infrastructure is set to go into operation as early as the 2025 irrigation season and will serve as a model for other cities and sewage treatment plants in Bavaria.
With this project, the project is making an important contribution to sustainable water use and is helping to make cities more climate-resilient.
Publication:
Johannes Ho, Javad Ahmadi, Carolin Schweikart, Uwe Hübner, Christoph Schwaller, Andreas Tiehm, Jörg E. Drewes, Assuring reclaimed water quality using a multi-barrier treatment train according to the new EU non-potable water reuse regulation, Water Research, Volume 267, 2024, 122429, ISSN 0043-1354, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.watres.2024.122429.
