STUDY OF GREYWATER REUSE IN RURAL RESIDENCES

Abstract

The lack of water and basic sanitation is a global problem with significant impacts on health, the economy, and the environment. Global water demand has been increasing over the past decades due to population growth, urbanization, and economic development. Currently, about 1.6 billion people face water scarcity, and 2.3 billion people do not have access to adequate basic sanitation. One of the alternatives to address water scarcity and its impacts is the reuse of gray water, which is water from relatively clean domestic activities, such as laundry and showers. However, this practice still faces challenges such as lack of regulation, technical knowledge, investments, and awareness. In the study, we employed a residential project with a built area of 246.42 m² and a total daily consumption of 1,200 liters in the residence. This study incorporated information on reusable effluents and the demand for non-potable water for toilet flushing and garden taps. To evaluate the economic feasibility, two hydraulic and sanitary projects were developed: one conventional and the other with a gray water reuse system. The QiBuilder software was used to generate material lists and calculate implementation costs.