27

Desalination,73
(1989)27-36
Elsevier Science Publishers B.V., Amsterdam

TREATED

WASTEWATERS

AS A GROWING

Printed

in The Netherlands

WATER RESOURCE'

FOR AGRICULTURE

USE

Al-Mutaz

I.S.

Chemical Engineering Department,

Riyadh 11421, Saudi Arabia.

King Saud University,

P.O.Box

800,

ABSTRACT
About

72% of

purposes.

the 1985

Wastewater

By the year

Saudi

treatment

2000, wastewater

Arabia

water

consumption

was

for agriculture

supply only 5% of the 1985 Saudi water

would account

balance.

for over than 20% of the total water

supply.
This

paper

important

will

water

investigated.
the country

discuss

resource
A breif

the contribution

for agriculture
description

of

uses.

the treated

The Saudi

of the major

wastewater

wastewater

Arabian

as an

case will be

treatment

plant

in

made

in

will be presented.

INTRODUCTION
The
Paris

initial

attempts

in 1970.

Not

were available.
programs
receive
common

in
much

for

The United Kingdom

In

1880-1890.
attention

practice

in USA only

source

of water.

started

United

in 1945(I).

Figure

Health
treatment

Low-cost

An economical

its earlier

wastewaters

of wastewaters

wastewater

wastewater

States,

was

treatment

processes

reclaimation

treatment

There were about 5786 wastewater

Great

are

wastewater

of commercial

attention

did

for

is the oldest

irrigation

is not strictly

for irrigation

treatment

reuse of water.

for irrigation

minimal

not

became

has been paid to this growing

1 shows the intentional

consideration

using treated wastewater

municipal

By 1933, the reuse of wastewater

up to 1886.

The reuse of municipal

Advance

the

of

hundreds

all over the world.

plants

reuse.

treatment

till 1875 when

required.

of

and largest

non-food

crops.

The advantages

of

are(21:

source of water.
way

to dispose

of wastewater

to prevent

pollution

and sani-

tary problem.
-

An effective

Providing

use of plant nutrients

additional

treatment

contained

before

reservoir.
OOll-9164/89/$03,50OElsevier
SciencePublishersB.V.

being

in wastewater.
recharged

to the ground

water

Figure

1: Possible

Municipal

Wastewater

Reuse

6000

ng?Y

5000

_,

1000

d
E 3000
5
CT

YVA

kl 2000
e
1000

_//---zc

a
1975

7-----1

1980

-----r-------

1985

1990

1995

YecJr
Figure 2: Municipal

and Agriculture

in Saudi Arabia.

Water Demand Model

2000

29

In the

following

Saudi Arabia

sections,

for agricultural

SAUDI WATER DEMAND

million

water

m3/day

demand

in Saudi Arabia

in 2000.

consumption.

m3/day

Agriculture

Agriculture

in 1980 to 7430 million

model

for municipal

Saudi projected

of reusing

is 5724 million
accounts

consumption
m3/day

and agriculture

water

rose

in 1985.

from

in Saudi Arabia
m3/year)
1990

2000

3450

3450

3450

3450

Renewable

1145

1145

1145

1145

63

605

794

1199

_-

140

335

730

502

828

1211

2279

27

28

31

38

1832

1873

2345

3220

2247

2611

2137

986

4658

5340

5724

6523

4658

5340

5724

6523

in accordance

with

Utilization

Rural and Livestock

Irrigated

agriculture

Surplus
Total

Resources

Total Utilization
demand

in major

growth

of water

central

non-renewable

and

supply

Saudi

the

cities

in the country

part

of Saudi
water

of

industrial

is underground

Replenishable

has a volume of more

subsurface

is growing

implementation

and non-replenishable.

age of 10 years

ago.

lists the total

Non-renewable

Urban and Industry

years

1 below

1985

replenished

of the

2000 million

1980

Urban Waste

in the

than

80%

Water Balance

Desalination

source

less

in 1990 and

than

Resourcs

Water

in

2 shows the Saudi demand

Table

(Million

Water

m3/day

for more

Figure

sectors while

Table

population

wastewater

balance.

Projected

Water

treated

will be discussed.

SUPPLY

The project water

6523

the benefits

purposes

Arabia.

water.

A proven

m3.

reserve

which

may

the vast
The

with

an average

It is mainly

of 338 billion
be

major

It has two types,

ground water

than 200 million

is estimated

projects.

formed

some

found
m3 of
20,000

30

Desalination
in

Saudi

Arabia

major

This

the other

The

is 1.82 million

(81.14 mgd).
water

is considered
cities.

present

m3/day

only

(480.5

accounts

alternative

capacity
mgd)

is presented

Table

The growing
attention

exported
141,732

increase.
eggplant,
total

This
wastewater
from

54

33

1980

205

120

80

1985

270

180

100

1990

315

210

130

2000

420

280

170

SOLUTION

agriculture

water

and

nearby

wheat,

to 7,105,632

different

Saudi

is now treated

other

onions

Oonums

Arabia

agriculture

The

is

in Riyadh,

products

like

products.
shown

in

wheat

barlely,

was 3,080,428

requirements

3.

production

was

squash,
.The

in Saudi Arabia.
Donums

can be obtained
The expected

Table

wheat being

tomatoes,

an increase

and Madina.

Saudi Arabia

Surplus

tons in 1985, about 1350%

were planted

crops

Jeddah

activities.

annual

to 2,048,OOO

in 1985 representing

water

is due to the recent

wheat production.

and cucumber

for non-food
cities

in Saudi

countries.

increased

of the winter

vast agriculture
specially

of national

It was

areas

demand

has paid toward

okra, carrets,

cultivated

increased

waters

I47

Besides

The

m3/year)

1975

Europe

demand.

Saudi Cities

Mekkah

sulf-sufficiency

to

m3/day

in Table 2 below.

Jeddah

tons in 1980.

in Saudi

of 307,400

Riyadh

the government

now attains

an addition

Year

TREATMENT

fresh water

seawater

Demand of Major
(Thousand

THE WASTEWATER

with

for supplying
desalted

for some 11% of the total water

demand for major Saudi cities

Water

of

in 1982 which

rate of 131%.
from the treated

municipal

Small

wastewaters

fraction

of

these

31
Table
Available

Wastewaters
(Thousand

City

2000

Riyadh

292

456

Jeddah

271

441

Mecca

112

184

Madina

61

101

Taif

51

75

Dammam

65

122

270

583

1123

1962

Total

wastewater

the country
which
1982.
due

plant

growth

capacity

for a 40,000 m3/day

m3/day

of the city.

in operation

capacity

Riyadh

m3/day.

This

population

and expected

in

on average

in 1980 and then to 200,000

is 370,000

one million

plant

m3/day

in

rapid expansion

is

was

about

to be about

665,000

in

two millions

in

2000.

These
housing

fast

is the first large

It was designed

Now it approaches

the year

plant

later on to 80,000

The maximum

to the

1974.

treatment

since 1972.

expanded

in Saudi Arabia

m3/day)

1990

Other cities

Riyadh

are
areas

complexes.

other

small

solely

These

wastewater

for

includes

of Foreign

landscape

Ministry

Diplomatic

Kharj Road sewage treatment

King Saud University

of Riyadh

quality

an important

Affairs

Housing

Quarter with a capacity

The quality

in Riyadh

purposes

inside

Housing

in

certain

the

housing

is displayed
quality

selection

treatment

of 1,135 m3/day.

of 9,000 m3/day.

with an ultimate

wastewaters

role in process

(MFA) with a capacity

plant with an initial

and the required

3 shows the possible

plants

the following:

raw water

treatment
irregation

capacity

capacity

of 10,000 m3/day.

on Table

of the produced

and in combination

processes

of 172,800m3/day

4.

Generally,

treated

water

of processes.

for each wastewater

contamanents.

the
play

Figure

Figure 3: Typical

Wastewater

Treatment

Processes

33

Table
Typical

Composition

of Riyadh Wastewater,

mg/L

Constituent

Concentration
Influent

Total

dissolved

Suspended

solids

250

35

ND

BOD5, 200C

200

30

COD

450

90

25

25

Ammonia

solids

(mL/l)

- nitrogen

Nitrates

-1

as nitrogen

Phosphates

10

10

Chlorides

190

210

Alkalinity

200

190

Grease

100

10

29

27

Temperature,

oC

Free available

chlorine

0.8

Total chlorine

residual

"4.0

Dissolved

sulfonates

Historically,

Riyadh

the Riyadh

for hose station

balance

was

oil refinery

water,

decided
small

secondary

Riyadh
and

(3)

treatment

with

three

feedwater,

available

near

plant

grades

(2) process

boiler

to be made
villages

Dirab and 70,400 m3/day

The

wastewater

and fire fighting,

cooling

Dariyah,

5
-5

was

essentially

of waters;

water

crude

About

92,000

built

to

(1) utility water

oil desalting

the highest

for agricultural

Riyadh.

mL

50-lOO/lOO

Millions/mL

Total coliforn

and

0
12-20

oxygen

Alkyl benzene

satisfy

7.4

7.3

PH

and

1100

1300

solids

Settleable

cess

Effluent

grade

irrigation
m3/day

pro-

water.

are

The

at Dirab
pumped

to

to Dariyadh.

wastewater
chlorination

treatment
treatment.

system with random fill plastic

media,

plant

It

incorporates
has

followed

a high

preliminary,
rate

by two aerated

trickling
lagoons

primary,
filter
and

Sludge

chlorination.
sand drying
secondary

beds.

treatment

denitrification

the

be mentioned

tion

of the

be

and

The

nitrification

of

sand

filtration

of the treated wastewater

The proposed

and USA

chemical

Saudi

EPA quality

characteristics

standards

for

quidlelines

of

for unristricted

the effluent

analysis

of Table

treatment

of the recent

K. Al-Dhowalia

However,

plant

et al(4)

for

Riyadh

treated

irrigation.

4 was before

expa"sion.

had found

these constituents

from sanitary
with

viewpoint

treated

high

are essential

It

the opera-

With

regard

to

concentrations
plant nutrients

farm.

In Dariyah

no crops which come in contact

wastewater.

that do not have skin to be removed

on a sewage

plant.

the FAO

by drying on

treatment.

to plant growth.

irrigate

vegetable

system with
consists

required

and phosphate,

Finally,

sludge

treatment

the standards

that

of these components.

should

as

physical

tertiary

and contribute

treatment

followed

are shown in Table 5(S).

are within

must

tertiary

as well

irrigation

Generally,
wastewater

nitrates

sewage

effluents

unrestricted

The

digesters

will has tertiary

Table 4 also shows the composition

from Riyadh

wastewater

is by anaerobic
plant expansion

is done by an activated

process.

and chlorination.
effluent

treatment

The latest

Also

no crops

before

eating

are allowed

and Dirab,

wheat,

fodder,

with sewage

that eaten

date

raw or

to be cultivated
palms

and some

are grown.

CONCLUSIONS
Saudi
in

major

Arabia
cities.

biological
solely

These

systems

and

Water

demand

If

facilities

in irrigation

in water demand would

essential

use

equipments.

in Saudi

satisfied

tertiary
The

Arabia

treatment
processes

treated

water

accounts

by the treated

be accomplished.

irrigiation

plant nutrients.

mainly

wastewater

facilities
that

have

wastewaters

are

purposes.

this partially

vide both suitable

for establishing

disinfection

used for irrigation

demand.
saving

is planning

for 80% of the total

wastewater,

Wastewater

and safe environment

a considerable

treatment
as well

plants

pro-

as supplying

35

Table 5
Water Quality

Standards

for Unrestricted

Maximum
Parameter

Proposed
Saudi

contaminant

Irrigation

level

EPA

FAO

(MCL), mg/L

Agricultural

Landscaping

Standards
BOD

10

TSS

10

20
15

Aluminium

5.0

5.0

5.0

Arsenic

0.1

0.1

0.1

0.1

Beryllium

0.1

0.1

0.1

0.1

Boron

0.7

0.75

Cadmium

0.01

0.01

0.01

0.01

Chromium

0.1

0.1

0.1

0.1

Cobalt

0.05

0.05

0.05

0.05

Copper

0.4

0.2

0.2

0.2

Cyanide

0.05

Fluoride

2.0

1.0

1.0

2.0

Iron

5.0

5.0

5.0

5.0

Lead

0.1

5.0

5.0

5.0

Lithium

2.5

2.5

2.5

2.5

Manganese

0.2

0.2

0.2

0.2

Mercury

0.001

Molybdenum

0.01

0.01

0.01

0.01

Nickel

0.2

0.2

0.2

0.2

Selenium

0.02

0.02

0.02

0.02

Vanadium

0.1

0.2

0.1

0.1

Zinc

4.0

2.0

2.0

pH in units

6.0-8.4

Oil and Grease

Absent

Phenol

MPN 2.2/10OmL

Turbidity

50
MPN 1000/100mL

MPN 2.2/100mL

2.2 NTU

Chloride

280

100-200
200-400

Sulfate
Nitrogen
Sodium

Nil

0.002

Fecal coliform

2.0
6.0-9.0

adsorption

10
ratio

8-18

36

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1.

G.

2.
3.

H.I.

Shammas,
in

Human

4.

and A.M.

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Health

October,

Wastewater",

October,

Engineering:

The

and Reuse",

El-Rehaili,
Symposium

and Agriculture

Treatment,

Disposal,

Reuse",

1984.
Academic

"Tertiary

Press,

Filtration

New York, 1977.

of Wastewater

on the

Effect

of Water

in The G.C.C.

States

Al-Khobar,

Quality

for

on the

Saudi Arabia,

1986.

K. Al-Dhowalin,

Health

New Delhi,

"Water Renovation

Shuval,

N.K.
Use

"Wastewater

Tchobanoglous,

Tata McGraw-Hill,

and

D.R. Rowe and A. Whitehead,

The

symposium

Agriculture

1986.

in

on
The

the

Effect

G.C.C.

"Utilization
of Water

States,

of Riyadh

Quality

Al-Khobar,

on

Treated

the

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Human

Arabia,