Wastewater reuse is being widely promulgated to help address the global freshwater resource crisis. It can assist in reducing extraction of freshwater from the environment, and reuse of wastewater lessens the need for environmental discharge, which is clearly beneficial to receiving waters. But the practice itself also has the potential to be detrimental to natural and human environments: soil structure can become degraded, aquifers may be polluted, and human health may be threatened. The challenge facing natural resource managers is to identify the potential benefits and risks, and to achieve an appropriate balance. This paper describes environmental benefits and threats concomitant with the reuse of wastewater. We frequently draw upon examples from China and Australia-two countries that face particularly daunting water resource
challenges-but the principles can be.extended far beyond these geographical bounds and are applicable to many parts of the world.
History
Journal
WSEAS transactions on environment and development
Volume
2
Pagination
117-129
Location
Athens, Greece
ISSN
1790-5079
Language
eng
Publication classification
C1.1 Refereed article in a scholarly journal
Issue
2
Publisher
World Scientific and Engineering Academy and Society (WSEAS)