A Pilot Study for the Treatment and Reuse of Drainage Water in Residential Areas of Kuwait

استهدف البحث دراسة تقييم الجدوى الفنية والاقتصادية للاستفادة من المياه المستخرجة وتخفيض ملوحتها وملوثاتها عن طريق استخدام تقنية التناضح العكسي في المواقع المستقبلية للآبار، واستخدام المياه المعالجة للتخضير وبالتالي المحافظة على موارد المياه الصليبية الجوفية. تستخدم تقنية التناضح العكسي في تحلية أنواع مختلفة من مياه التغذية الا ان هذه التقنية لم يتم اختبارها في تحلية المياه تحت السطحية المستخرجة من المناطق السكنية نظرا لكونها ملوثة جزئياً، إضافة الى ان استخدام تقنية التناضح العكسي في معالجة هذه النوعية من المياه يعتبر تطبيقاً جديداً لم تتم دراسته تحت الظروف البيوكيميائية الخاصة بهذه المياه قبل تعميم هذه التقنية على جميع مواقع الآبار في المناطق السكنية في دولة الكويت. وقد تم بنجاح إتمام كافة المهام وتحقيق الأهداف المحددة.

An earlier Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research (KISR) study on subsurface water rise problems in residential areas of Kuwait recommended drainage by deep wells to lower and maintain the subsurface water at a desired level. A large quantity of water needs to be perrnanently pumped for this purpose. The quality of the pumped water is likely to prohibit any direct use. Disposing of the water as waste is a loss that Kuwait cannot afford in view of its meager, over—stressed and practically nonrenewable natural groundwater resource.
In order to salvage the drainage water, it is proposed to reduce its salt content using small reverse osmosis (RO) units installed at future well sites. The water can then be used for greenery; thus saving on the use of brackish groundwater supplied from other sources. RO is being used for desalting a variety of feedwater, but its use with urban drainage water has not been investigated heretofore. This water is different from natural groundwater in that it is partially contaminated.
Before a large—scale implementation of desalination for drainage water can be recommended, it is essential to evaluate the performance of RO with the special biochemical characteristics of drainage water; hence, this pilot study.
K ISR has completed the construction of a pilot drainage project by installing six wells (which have been in operation since July 1995) . This provides a unique opportunity to carry out a pilot study on the reuse of drainage water. It is proposed that a 30, 000 IGPD RO unit be installed at one of these well sites and operated for 27 mo to evaluate technical and economic feasibility of desalination of urban drainage water and make recommendation for future large—scale application of such a venture.
The proposed study`s duration is 36 mo from the starting date and shall cost KD 121,960.