Journal of Geographical Research | Vol.3, Iss.2 April 2020

Editor-in-Chief
Dr. Jose Navarro Pedreño
University Miguel Hernández of Elche, Spain
Editorial Board Members
Peace Nwaerema, Nigeria
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Gengzhi Huang, China
Fei Li, China
Antonio E. Ughi, Venezuela
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Meifang Chen, United States
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Milan Kubiatko, Slovakia
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Dr. Jose Navarro Pedreño
Editor-in-Chief
Journal of
Geographical Research
Volume 3 Issue 2 · April 2020 · ISSN 2630-5070 (Online)

Socio-Economic and Environmental Impacts Assessment of Using Different Rainwater
Harvesting Techniques in Sarida Catchment, West Bank, Palestine
Marwan Ghaleb Ghanem Wasim Ahmed Sameer Shadeed Michel Riksen
Prediction of Dissolved Oxygen and Study of Engineered Nanoparticles to Improve Water
Quality
Kelly Chee Richard Kyung
Gray Water Measurement and Feasibility of Retrieval Using Innovative Technology and
Application in Water Resources Management in Isfahan-Iran
Safieh Javadinejad Rebwar Dara Forough Jafary
Analysis of Gray Water Recycling by Reuse of Industrial Waste Water for Agricultural and
Irrigation Purposes
Safieh Javadinejad Rebwar Dara Masoud Hussein Hamed Mariwan Akram Hamah
Saeed Forough Jafary
Soil Health and Sustainable Land Resource Management Practices at Municipal Level: A
Case from Bheri Nagarpalika (Municipality), Jajorkot District, Nepal
Kabi Prasad Pokhrel
Volume 3 | Issue 2 | April 2020 | Page 1-33
Journal of Geographical Research
Article
Contents
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Journal of Geographical Research | Volume 03 | Issue 02 | April 2020
Distributed under creative commons license 4.0 DOI: https://doi.org/10.30564/jgr.v3i2.1974
https://ojs.bilpublishing.com/index.php/jgr
ARTICLE
Socio-Economic and Environmental Impacts Assessment of Using
Different Rainwater Harvesting Techniques in Sarida Catchment,
West Bank, Palestine
Marwan Ghaleb Ghanem1*
Wasim Ahmed2
Sameer Shadeed3
Michel Riksen4
1. Birzeit University, Palestinian
2. Ministry of Health, Ramallah, Palestinian
3. An-Najah National University, Nablus, Palestinian
4. Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, Netherlands
ARTICLE INFO ABSTRACT
Article history
Received: 10 June 2020
Accepted: 17 June 2020
Published Online: 30 June 2020
A statistically representative questionnaire targeted people using rainwater
harvesting (RWH) techniques in rural communities of Sarida catchment,
West Bank, Palestine was distributed and analyzed. The main objective of
this study is to assess the social, economic, and environmental impacts of
adopting RWH techniques (e.g. cisterns, concrete and clay ponds, Wadi
ponds, earth dams, and stone terraces) in different uses to increase water
availability. The results showed a simple sharing of the female component
among beneficiaries, while concrete ponds and cisterns were the most used
techniques. Actually, social impacts were noticeable by sharing the same
RWH structure and reflected to responsibility skills and role exchange in-
creases. On the other hand, RWH techniques showed a significant econom-
ic impact for end users represented by enhancing domestic, agricultural,
and recreational activities leading to good profit increase. In addition to
food security as output, the most important environmental impact was wa-
ter wasting prevention, which in turn could be linked to sustainable water
management and considered as universal challenge for future generations.
Keywords:
Rainwater harvesting
Social
Economic
Environment
Food security
Sarida
West Bank
Palestine
*Corresponding Author:
Marwan Ghaleb Ghanem,
Birzeit University, Palestinian;
Email: marwan.ghanem2012@gmail.com
1. Introduction
F
rom the fact that water forms about 70 percent of
earth surface, only 1 percent of all water portion is
suitable for dinking [1]
. However, people have the
right to have access to water with enough quantity and
good quality regardless of their social and economic con-
ditions [2]
. Palestinians have limited access to fresh water,
where groundwater is considered to be the main resource
for different purposes. Hence, Palestinians have to look
into new and sustainable water resources (e.g. RWH).
Rainwater could be harvested and used for domestic (in-
cluding drinking) and agricultural purposes without any
additional treatment ([3-5]
). During time, public health was
enhanced to higher standards and therefore higher quality
needed for harvested potable water. Despite this, RWH
techniques are still used all over the world even in devel-
oped countries such as Japan and Germany ([4,6]
).
Many used RWH techniques have been reported and
could be summarized by cisterns, concrete and clay ponds,

2
Distributed under creative commons license 4.0
Wadi ponds, earth dams, eyebrow and bench terraces. A
study by LRC [7]
showed that the most suitable water har-
vesting techniques that could installed in the study area
are contour ridges, semi-circular bunds, small pits, small
basins and runoff strips. Another water quality assessment
study of cisterns had been conducted for Yatta town on
the West Bank showing that physicochemical parameter
are within the allowable limits of WHO guidelines and
Palestinian standards institute (PSI). On the other hand,
all of tested cisterns were microbiologically contaminated,
which can cause water-borne diseases such as vomiting,
eyes diseases, and diarrhea [8]
.
Moreover, a regional study evaluated the water harvest-
ing potential in the semi-arid regions and concluded that
the flashflood prone area in the Wadi Watier - South Sinai
in Egypt can provide a conventional water resource to
the nearby locations [9]
. Rimfors and Velichkin [10]
showed
by hydrological modeling that earth dams in this case
are able to hold three times of today’s available water. At
the same time Abu Hammad and Børresen [11]
showed a
higher net profit in the areas that adopted terrace conser-
vation practices than in areas that had not. The efficiency
of a certain RWH technique in a specific location can be
defined as the resulted impacts on social, economic, and
environmental levels. These impacts needs to be assessed
to evaluation the selected RWH technique in order to con-
vince stakeholders to apply these techniques.
This research is an example for such assessment which
depends on random household questionnaires in the study
area. The obtained results will help decision makers to
adopt RWH as a reliable and sustainable option to satisfy
water needs and accordingly to enhance social, economic,
and environmental level in Palestine.
2. Materials and Methods
2.1 Study Area
For this study the Sarida catchment was selected. It is lo-
cated in West Bank and particularly along three main gov-
ernorates; Ramallah and Al-Bireh from the south, Salfit
from the north and Nablus from the northwest (Figure 1).
Figure 1. West Bank including Study area (Sarida Catch-
ment)
Based on the study of Shadeed et al. [4]
about 22% of
the catchment area is under high domestic water poverty,
yet highly suitability for domestic RWH. Whereas, 47%
of the catchment area is subject to high agricultural water
poverty yet highly suitability for domestic RWH [5]
. While
the climate in general is Mediterranean and characterized
as semi-arid and dry sub-humid, moreover, the rainfall
season is short and wet with 42 days of rain yearly [12]
.
The existence of Sarida catchment in the northern part
of the West Bank affects its climate. In January, the cold-
est month of the year; the temperature average is (30.1
°C) maximum and (6.2 °C) as minimum. August heats up
to higher rates and considered as the highest temperature
average with (39.1°C) and the minimum temperature
average is (19.5 °C) [13]
. These values can be affected by
many conditions like the elevation form the sea level, the
distance from the coast and the environment of the sample
location [14]
.
Geologically, the study area is located on the west-
ern aquifer, which in turn is considered as Cennoma-
nian-Turonian limestone aquifer which in turn is karstic
due to the dissolution process of the limestone system [15]
.
2.2 Methodology
A designed questionnaire study had been conducted in the
catchment in order to assess the socio-economic and envi-
ronmental impacts of adopting different RWH techniques.
The targeted people sample was statistically representative
and random; where the samples were from 25 Palestinian
communities distributed through the Sarida catchment.
The questionnaire covered questions regarding general in-
formation, the used RWH technique; cisterns, cement and
clay ponds, Wadi ponds, earth dams and stone terraces.
SPSS software package was used to analyze the collected
questionnaires and to assess relationships between the dif-
ferent variables.
3. Results and Discussion
A presentation of data analysis and testing of hypotheses
of the study through reviewing of the main results of the
questionnaire. The total targeted communities accord-
ing to the study area are 25 communities and the results
consists of four sections: personal and the selected RWH
technique; cisterns, cement and clay ponds, Wadi ponds,
earth dams and stone terraces as follow.
3.1 Personal Characterization
Although Palestinian women play an important role in
the management of their household water resources, only
21.4% of the respondents were females. Most of the sam-
DOI: https://doi.org/10.30564/jgr.v3i2.1974

3
ples represented the lower classes of education where
about 32% are uneducated and about 65% are under
secondary education stage. In addition, about 32% of the
respondents are farmers and 73% are married;
This is evidence that water harvesting activities could
be a good alternative solution to compensate unemploy-
ment and create new job opportunities to support family
members.
3.1 RWH Techniques
Related to the chosen RWH techniques, about 50% of the
respondents used concrete and clay ponds to harvest rain-
water, 44% of the respondents used cisterns to collect rain
water, 26% of the respondents have stone terraces and
18% of the respondents make use of Wadi ponds. The re-
sults showed absence of earth dams due to lack of authori-
ty and Israeli restrictions, low flow rates of water and high
maintenance costs. About 40% of the respondents selected
the option of the availability of construction materials as
reason for choosing a specific RWH technique while 37%
selected the efficiency as reason why they choose a RWH
technique.
3.2 Cisterns
People prefer using the pear-shaped underground cistern
due to its large capacity which doesn’t exploit much land
spaces unlike building concrete tanks. Regarding the
plastic tanks, people don’t prefer such an option due to
its smaller capacity and the negative impact of plastic to
health. It is common to use cisterns water for drinking in
the Palestinian rural communities despite of its low quali-
ty according to local standards. About 76% of the respon-
dents with a cistern are collecting rainwater from roofs
which is cleaner than water collected on the house yards
used by 16% and streets (4%) (Figure 2).
Figure 2. Surfaces of collecting rainwater percentages
In the Middle East, it is common to build the cistern as
private property which was reflected in the results with
64% of the total, while 36% are sharing a cistern with
other families (Figure 3). The positive impact of sharing
the same cistern is clear according to the respondents who
emphasized the importance of social impact on people re-
lationships.
Figure 3. Percentages of cisterns sharing with other fami-
lies
In rural areas of the study area, it is common to use the
cistern water for domestic purposes. In fact, 72% of the
respondents stated that cisterns have positive financial
impact this. Related to environmental impacts, about 96%
of cistern users think that presence of cisterns increases
the food security in one way or another and that RWH
contributes to nature resource preservation. From the
previous and despite the behavior of using cisterns for do-
mestic uses, there was a significant environmental impact.
3.3 Concrete and Clay Ponds
This RWH technique is commonly linked with springs
existence, where the ponds are made to collect and store
spring water during dry season. However, these ponds are
usually public, which is emphasized in the results, where
71% of the respondents who are making use of water from
concrete or clay ponds are using public ponds and only
28% have their own ponds. The water quality in the ponds
is in general too low for domestic use and forms also a
limitation for economic purposes. This is emphasized by
the results in which 60% of the respondents indicated to
use pond water for agricultural practices followed by live-
stock production (35%) (Figure 4).
Figure 4. Percentages of concrete ponds purposes
Biodiversity increase, aesthetic view, prevention of
water losses and vegetation increase are in general en-
vironmental impacts related to ponds. About 65% of the
beneficiaries think that the most important impact is the
prevention of water losses, which is seen as very import-
ant in semi-arid regions where water scarcity is one of the
main issues (Figure 5).

4
Figure 5. Environmental impacts of concrete ponds by
percentages
3.4 Wadi Ponds or (Wadi-bed Systems)
The results show that ponds have positive social impacts
especially for shared ponds; this fact is confirmed by the
results showing that all of beneficiaries think that by shar-
ing the maintenance and preservation of Wadi ponds, the
increased water quality may result in an increased individ-
ual responsibility toward others.
Again and similar to concrete ponds results, people use
Wadi ponds for economic purposes. 68% of the beneficia-
ries are using the ponds for agricultural practices followed
by recreational activities (18%). All of them agreed with
the statement that the ponds have a significant impact on
their profit from their economic activities.
Regarding food security, all of the beneficiaries think
that Wadi ponds help in sustaining food security in a one
way or another. Water is one of important elements of
environment which must be preserved and sustained, thus
harvesting Wadi water is leading to the same purpose
which is revealed by the beneficiaries in the results, as
related, 62% of them think that Wadi ponds significantly
help in water preservation (Figure 6).
Figure 6. Impact magnitude of Wadi ponds on water pres-
ervation by percentages
3.5 Stone Terraces
The high social impact of stone terraces was clarified in
the results especially when it regards the construction
stage; about 60% of people reported that they accom-
plished terraces building with families which is more so-
cial than individually with proportion only of 13%. While
working with others outside the family has deeper effect
for 26% of them. An evidence of such an impact, about
94% of beneficiaries clarified that it increased the cooper-
ation attitude between them (Figure 7).
Figure 7. Percentages of who are involved in the stone
terraces construction
The best advantage for stone terraces as WH technique
according to users with 60% of them is the abundance
of raw material in which they can build the terraces, fol-
lowed by the lower costs compared with other techniques,
ending with its efficiency with only 6%. The beneficiaries
with proportion of 94% confirmed the scientific fact that
stone terraces may act like wall holding water around the
tree for as long as possible (Figure 8).
Figure 8. Percentages of stone terraces choosing reasons
In general, there are many environmental impacts for
stone terraces technique and the beneficiaries showed
variations for their choices whereas 40% of them think
the terraces decrease the soil erosion, about 46% of them
choose maintaining soil moisture, 7% of them tend for
soil micro-organisms enrichment, and 7% think this could
increase vegetation. Reusing environmental elements is
the main principle for sustainable development; this could
be applied for reusing available stones to build the terrac-
es according to all the respondents with stone terraces.
4. Conclusions
This socio-environmental-economic study was conducted
through statistically representative questionnaire targeted
people using RWH techniques in the rural communities

5
of Sarida catchment. The study aimed to assess the social,
environmental and economic impacts of using RWH tech-
niques, which in turn are limited to cisterns, concrete and
clay ponds, Wadi ponds, earth dams, and stone terraces.
Although the simple sharing of the female component
with 21% share, it is relatively considered a good future
indictor especially in the eastern culture. Water harvesting
techniques usages were distributed between the benefi-
ciaries as follow; about 50% of them are using concrete
and clay ponds, about 44% are using cisterns, while 26%
for stone terraces ending of Wadi ponds with only 18%
of them. Absence of earth dams was expected due to Is-
raeli restriction. It was easy to notice the rural manner of
people in the results especially with cisterns which are
until now used for drinking water with ancient under-
ground pear-shaped and mainly harvested from houses
roofs compared to other surfaces. The criteria in which
people chosen their RWH technique was related mainly
to the efficiency of the technique followed by availability
and low materials costs. Despite the private ownership
of the cisterns, people confirmed the responsibility skills
increase as result of sharing the same cistern. On the con-
trary, the majority of concrete and Wadi ponds are public,
thus, it was clear this increased the social relationships
and the maintenance role exchange of the pond between
people. Social impact while building stone terraces with
family was represented by 60% of them as increase of co-
operation attitude between them. In addition to domestic
uses, most cisterns water is used for agricultural practices
compared to animal production this is what applies to oth-
er techniques. However, cisterns economic impacts were
moderate compared to concrete and Wadi ponds which
in turn had significant effect and reflected as financial in-
come. Using stone terraces had the least economic effect
but the easiest to construct, raw materials availability and
lowest construction costs. The main environmental im-
pacts of the RWH techniques were biodiversity increase,
aesthetic view, wasting water prevention and vegetation
increase. Majority of the beneficiaries thought that the
most important impact is water wasting prevention, which
in turn is reflecting the fact of water scarcity of semi-arid
regions. Sustainability of using RWH techniques was rep-
resented by food security increase as indirect result and
was verified by the beneficiaries.
References
[1] MPhil, J.. Risk Assessment of Rooftop collected Rain-
water for Individual Household and Community Use in
Central Kerala, India. National Environmental Health
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[2] Sarikonda, S.. Analysis And Quality Of Roof-Harvested
Rainwater: Potable Water Supply In Developing Areas,
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ronmental Engineering, Southern University,2010.
[3] Rahman, S., Khan, M., Akib, Sh., Din, N., Biswas,
S.,Shirazi. S.M.. Sustainability of Rainwater Harvest-
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and Trchnology, Jessore 7408, Bangladesh, 2014.
[4] Shadeed, S.; Judeh, T., Almasri, M.. Developing GIS-
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[5] Shadeed, S.. Developing a GIS-based suitability map
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November 2011, 13: 2011.
[6] Lim, K-Y, Jiang, S.C.. Reevaluation of health risk
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[7] Land Research Center - LRC. Water Harvesting Tech-
niques for Wadi Abu Hindi Watershed / East Jerusalem,
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[8] Tamimi L.. Rainwater Harvesting System: Quality And
Impacts On Public Health, Faculty of Graduate Studies,
Birzeit University, 2016.
[9] Al Zayed, I. S., Ribbe L., Al Salhi A.. Water Harvesting
and Flashflood Mitigation-Wadi Watier Case Study
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sources and Arid Environments, 2013, 102-109.
[10] Rimfors O., Velichkin V.. Hydrological Modeling of
Al Auja earth dam in the lower Jordan Valley, Royal
Institute of Technology (KTH), TRITA-LWR Degree
Project, 2015.
[11] Abu Hammad A., Borressen T.. Socioeconomic Factors
Affecting Farmers’ Perceptions of Land Degradation
and Stone wall Terraces in Central Palestine, Environ-
mental Management, 2006, 37(3): 380-94.
[12] Khatib, R.. The impact of Israeli settlements on ruban
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ernorate. An-Najah National University, Unpublished
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[13] Abu Sa’deh, M.. Hazard, Vulnerability, and Risk Map-
ping for Yatta Municipality. Rep. Ramallah: Hydro En-
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[14] Ghanem, M.. Hydrology and Hydrochemistry of the
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[15] Issar, A. S.. Water - The Past is the Key to the Future,
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6
ARTICLE
Prediction of Dissolved Oxygen and Study of Engineered Nanoparticles
to Improve Water Quality
Kelly Chee Richard Kyung*
RISE-CRG Research Group, United States
Article history
The lack of fresh water is one of the greatest challenges of our time. In-
creasing population and arid regions due to the temperature change limit
the use of clean water. In this paper, Streeter-Phelps equation was used to
find the levels of DO(Dissolved Oxygen) and the oxygen deficit which are
the main criteria for the water body quality. Reaeration constants and de-
oxygenation coefficients were used to find how the DO and BOD(Biolog-
ical Oxygen Demand) of the water bodies converge to equilibrium. Some
pollutants cannot be removed from water efficiently via traditional water
treatment. EDTA derivatives, owing to their engineered chemical proper-
ties, are also studied to be the potential metal ion chelator for enhancement
of water quality. These molecules were tested for their thermodynamic
stabilities, reactivities, and polarizations, and these characteristics are found
to be important factors in selecting the most suitable chelator for metal ion
chelation which is used for water quality control.
Keywords:
DO (Dissolved Oxygen)
BOD (Biological Oxygen Demand)
Aeration rate
Nanoparticles
EDTA
Chelates
Richard Kyung,
RISE-CRG Research Group, United States;
Email: info@choicerg.com
1. Introduction
I
n the static and dynamic environment of the aquatic
system, the main variables affecting aquatic condi-
tions are BOD(Biological Oxygen Demand), DO(Dis-
solved Oxygen), pH, and so on. Thus, the overall condi-
tion of the aquatic system including water quality can be
assessed by measuring those factors by experimental or
theoretical methods [1]
.
Among those factors, the DO is the most important
factor that determines the quality of a body of water. A
stream is considered healthy if the DO exceeds 5 mg/L
and most fish do not survive if the DO is below 5 mg/L [2]
.
Organic matter in water with the exception of patho-
gens is considered a pollutant even though it is generally
not harmful. Oxygen is used up in the bacterial decompo-
sition process.
The equation below shows L0, or the resulting BOD
of the river/wastewater mixture. “Q” represents flow and
“L” represents the BOD of “r”, the river water, or “w”, the
waste water.
Where :

7
Figure 1. The DO and BOD of the river, wastewater and
mixture
In the beginning, when the wastewater is first added to
the river, there is some level of initial oxygen deficit in the
wastewater. This results in a DO deficient in the stream.
To determine this initial DO value, or DO0, the L0 formu-
la can be used. Subtracting initial DO (DO0) from DOsat
gives us D0. This equation is shown below [3]
.
D0 = DOsat - DO0
Now, when considering the downstream river and its
DO, the following equation is examined. Here the rate of
deficit increase is the difference of the rate of deoxygen-
ation and the rate of reaeration.
At this point, the Streeter-Phelps curve formula can be
derived :
where, the kd is rate of deoxygenation and kr is rate of
reaeration [4]
.
A graph of DO and distance downstream can be devel-
oped using computation. At each point, the D is subtracted
from Do and the result is plotted on the graph.
Further examining the DO curve and oxygen deficien-
cy, DO is initially consumed at a faster rate than it oxygen
is reaerated from the atmosphere. The net DO of water is
still dropping, which is why the curve also drops at this
point. However, the system becomes more stable as time
passes, as BOD decreases and the deoxygenation rate
also decreases to roughly equal the reaeration rate. At this
critical point, the DO reaches the minimum point and it
increases downstream of the critical point.
2. Effect of Reaeration Constant of the Body
of Water on the Dissolved Oxygen
Assume the sewage flown into a water body from the
38,000 people in a city is 50 cubic feet per second. The
DO of the water body is 5.0mg/L and the BOD of the
water body is 17.0 mg/L. They flow into a flowing water
body that has a flow rate of 100 cfs and a flow speed of 1.0
ft/s. And other factors are:
(1) BOD in the creek upstream of the release point:
2.0mg/L
(2) DO in the creek upstream of the release point: 7.0
mg/L.
(3) The saturation value of DO: 9.0 mg/L.
(4) The deoxygenation coefficient k1: 0.6/day
(5) The reaeration coefficient k2: 0.3/day.
From the data above, we are finding:
(1) The initial oxygen deficit, BOD just downstream of
the outfall
(2) The time and distance to reach the minimum DO
(3) The DO that could be expected 150 miles(or 150
days) downstream
Table 1. BOD, DO and other variables
Q (waste) 50 cfs Q (river) 100 cfs DO sat 9 mg/L
BOD (waste) 17 mg/L BOD (river) 2 mg/L k1 0.6 1/day
DO (waste) 5 mg/L DO (river) 7 mg/L k2 0.3 1/day
Equations for calculating DO and BOD at mixture: [5]
Streeter-Phelps Equation:
Let’s see how the reaeration constant of the body of
water influences the dissolved oxygen, DO.
Figure 2. Changes of the DO and oxygen deficit for
k1=0.6 and k2=0.3
Figure 2 displays a water system undergoing recovery

8
from organic pollution. The initial CDO at 6.2 mg/L, far ex-
ceeds the healthy level at which fish live. Over the course
of 20 days, CBOD drops significantly. CDO drops over the
first 20 days under the circumstances that degradation
exceeds reaeration. After the 20 days, reaeration exceeds
degradation, causing CDO to gradually return to the healthy
level.
Figure 3. Changes of the DO and oxygen deficit for
k1=0.6 and k2=0.8
Figure 3 displays the DO curve with k1=0.6 and k2=0.8.
Over the course of 15 days, CDO drops significantly over
the first day under the circumstances that degradation
exceeds reaeration. After the 15 days, reaeration exceeds
degradation, causing CDO to gradually return to the healthy
level.
3. Classifications of Streams
Table 2. Reaeration constants kr (Source: Peavy, Rowe
and Tchobanoglous, 1985)
Water body
Ranges of kr at
20°C,(base e)
Small ponds and backwaters 0.1-0.23
Sluggish streams and large lakes 0.23-0.35
Large streams of low velocity 0.35-0.46
Large streams of normal velocity 0.46-0.69
Swift streams 0.69-1.15
Rapids and waterfalls Greater than 1.15
Reaeration constant, kr (O’Connor Equation)
V = mean stream velocity (m/sec)
H = average depth of river (m)
T = Temperature in C
4. Nanoparticles to Improve Water Quality
Macro pollutants and micropollutants such as heavy met-
als and microcystins could not be
removed from traditional treatment methods. For the
macromolecules and heavy metals, dissolved in water
body, to be a valid candidate for chelation with EDTA [8-
9]
, the molecule must be thermodynamically stable (mod-
erately small optimized energy) and have high reactivity
(high dipole moment along with multicolored electrostatic
map) [6-7]
. Figure 4 shows an optimized EDTA molecule
and its electrostatic potential map obtained using a com-
putational program.
Figure 4. EDTA molecule and its electrostatic potential
map
Among the chelates bonded with macromolecules an-
alyzed in this study, magnesium EDTA is the ideal mol-
ecule with the lowest optimization representing stability,
but Sulfur EDTA has the highest dipole moment represen-
tin reactivity. This variation represents that there is a trade
off phenomenon for the molecules.
Table 3. Chemical information on the macromolecule
EDTA metal chelators
Compounds
Opt. Energy
(kJ/mol)
Dipole
Moments
(Debye)
Chemical
Formula
Molecular
Weight (g/
mol)
EDTA (a,
control)
188.432 2.541 C10H16N2O8 292.24
Mg-EDTA
(c)
664.237 20.520
C10H12Mg-
N2O8
312.516
S-EDTA (d) 875.054 30.419 C10H16N2O8S 320.276
K-EDTA (e) 731.409 20.344 C10H12KN2O8 327.309
Ca-EDTA (b) 736.047 20.104
C10H12Ca-
N2O8
328.289
Macromolecules were attached with EDTA chelates
then analyzed their optimized energy, dipole moments,
and mapped out the optimized shape and electrostatic po-
tential map. Partial chelates analyzed using computational
simulations are attached with the macromolecules shown
in Table 3.

9
Figure 5. Molecular weights of different metal chelators
Figure 6. Optimized energy of the different metal chela-
tors
Figure 7. Dipole moments of different metal chelators
Figure 5, 6 and 7 above show the data displaying
the optimized energies, dipole moments, and molecular
weights of different metal chelators. Again, sulfur EDTA
was overall higher in both optimization energy and dipole
moments. The optimization energy of magnesium EDTA
was overall lowest among other metal chelates, but ex-
cluding sulfur EDTA, magnesium had the highest dipole
moment among all metals. There seems to be no relation-
ship with the increasing molecular weight and optimiza-
tion energy and dipole moment.
5. Discussions and Conclusions
Water quality in the water body system undergoes recov-
ery from organic pollution. Even though the initial con-
traction of DO exceeds a certain level, over the course of
time, the contraction of BOD drops significantly. After
days, it was found that the reaeration exceeds degradation,
causing the contraction of DO to gradually return to the
healthy level.
Also we aimed to model several metal chelators
through computer software and performed the optimal
analysis for such chelators that can be utilized to improve
water quality. In this project, various chemical molecules
have been studied to be the potential metal ion chelator,
where the candidates include a variety of molecules,
including EDTA, M-EDTA and other metal-EDTA com-
plexes. These molecules were tested for their thermody-
namic stabilities, reactivities, and polarizations, and these
characteristics are important factors in selecting the most
suitable chelator for metal ion chelation. The three factors
such as optimized energies, dipole moments, and electro-
static maps were checked. Stereochemical aspects were
also investigated via molecular geometry.
Among the Macromolecules With EDTA chelates, cop-
per EDTA molecules must be thermodynamically stable
(moderately low optimization energy), and the chlorine
EDTA has a high reactivity (high dipole moment, and
saturated electrostatic map). Though in this computational
experiment, there seems to be an unusual phenomenon.
Boron had the lowest dipole moment compared to other
chelators, but had the multi-color electrostatic potential
map. This phenomenon can be because of extremely high
optimization energy, which means that the molecule is a
highly unstable molecule, and thus unlikely that it will ex-
ist in nature [6,7]
.
To summarize, the molecules were assessed for ther-
modynamic stability, reactivity/conductivity, and polariza-
tion. Thermodynamic stability could be measured through
the optimized energy, and the smaller the optimized ener-
gy, the more thermodynamically stable the molecule was.
Reactivity/conductivity was measured through the dipole
moments and could speak on the level of activity the mol-
ecule could have with another nearby molecule, in this
case, plant root.
In this paper, chelates with high dipole moments and

10
low optimized energies are found and they are supposed
to be better candidates to keep better water quality.
References
[1] https://www.usgs.gov/special-topic/water-sci-
ence-school/science/biological-oxygen-de-
mand-bod-and-water?qt-science_center_ob-
jects=0#qt-science_center_objects
[2] Environmental Dissolved Oxygen Values Above
100% Air Saturation (PDF). IOOS Website. YSI En-
vironmental. Retrieved 29 July 2015.
[3] Weiss, R.. The solubility of nitrogen, oxygen, and ar-
gon in water and seawater. Deep-Sea Res., 1970, 17:
721–35.
DOI: 10.1016/0011-7471(70)90037-9
[4] In-Situ® Optical RDO® Methods for Dissolved Ox-
ygen Measurements Outperform Traditional Meth-
ods (pdf) (Press release). In-Situ Inc. Retrieved 9
July 2014.
[5] Comparison of Dissolved Oxygen (DO) Test Meth-
ods (PDF) (Press release). Thermo Scientific. 13 No-
vember 2008. Retrieved 9 July 2014.
[6] Blaber, M.. Dipole moments, 2020. Retrieved Janu-
ary 7, 2020, from:
https://chem.libretexts.org/Bookshelves/Physical_
and_Theoretical_Chemistry_Textbook_Maps/Sup-
plemental_Modules_(Physical_and_Theoretical_
Chemistry)/Physical_Properties_of_Matter/Atomic_
and_Molecular_Properties/Dipole_Moments
[7] Bottyan, T.. Electrostatic potential maps, 2020. Re-
trieved December 26, 2020, from:
https://chem.libretexts.org/Bookshelves/Physical_
and_Theoretical_Chemistry_Textbook_Maps/Sup-
plemental_Modules_(Physical_and_Theoretical_
Chemistry)/Chemical_Bonding/Fundamentals_of_
Chemical_Bonding/Electrostatic_Potential_maps
[8] Bright Agrotech.. Iron in aquaponics - part 2, 2013
(how much do i need?) [Video file]. Retrieved from:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qczagOJG5mI
[9] Chelated iron. (n.d.). Retrieved May 4, 2020, from:
https://www.aquagardening.com.au/learn/chelat-
ed-iron-for-aquaponics/

11
ARTICLE
Gray Water Measurement and Feasibility of Retrieval Using Innova-
tive Technology and Application in Water Resources Management in
Isfahan-Iran
Safieh Javadinejad1*
Rebwar Dara2
Forough Jafary3
1. Isfahan University of Technology, Isfahan Province, Khomeyni Shahr, Daneshgah e Sanati Hwy, Iran
2. University of Salahaddin, Erbil, Iraq
3. University of Birmingham, Edgbaston St., B152TT, UK
Article history
Reuse of wastewater for agriculture and green spaces purposes is signifi-
cant. A mean yearly precipitation in Esfahan is 150 mm. The drinking water
and agriculture usually used underground resources in the city. Gray water
recycling is known as a suitable option today. Delivering all the water re-
quirements of a home from refined water rises the cost of water. Whereas
the essential water quality for garden, toilet and irrigation is less than drink-
ing water. Therefore, the aim of this study is to analyze the evaluation of
gray water and estimate the amount of recycle gray water which can use for
drinking water with innovation method in Esfahan region in Iran. Previous
studies did not measure the value of recycling gray water with new method
of waste water treatment that can use for drinking purpose. In this study,
gray water in Esfahan city is measured and technical aspects of its recycling
is examined. Because of the lack of referable guidelines and official tech-
nical reports, studies from other similar countries applied in this study and
on the basis of which the amount of recoverable gray water was calculated.
Evaluations indicates that the overall recovery of gray water in Esfahan
saves nine million cubic meters of water. The price of the rial of this value
established on water is 190 billion Rials. Given the lack of water sources
in Esfahan, the recycle of gray water seems to be a good option, however
more research is required to select a recovery strategy.
Keywords:
Gray water
Sustainable water management
New technology
Reuse of gray water
Safieh Javadinejad,
Isfahan University of Technology, Isfahan Province, Khomeyni Shahr, Daneshgah e Sanati Hwy, Iran;
Email: Javadinejad.safieh@pd.iut.ac.ir
1. Introduction
G
ray water refers to water used at home other than
toilet waste [1]
. Recovery and reuse of gray wa-
ter, for non-drinking purposes, have a major role
in reducing the consumption of purified water in urban
areas [2]
. This issue is described as one of the objectives
of the green building and sustainable urban development
[3]
. Sewage pollution from laundry, bath and shower is
less than black wastewater from toilets [4]
. Therefore, by
collecting gray wastewater at one or more residential
units and treating them in situ, it can be used as a suitable
source of water for use. Indirect household use such as
irrigation and toilet siphon [5]
. But it should be noted that
gray water is not completely safe[6]
.
Wastewater recycling use in all of the world for dif-

12
ferent purposes includes increasing water availability,
decreasing water scarcity and drought and increasing the
sustainability of the environment and safety of public
health [7]
. Due to the continuous increase in the world's
population, the water demand is increased and wastewater
production is raised as well [8]
and [9]
. Therefore if waste-
water can recycle, it can be a significant water supply
especially for the regions that have scarcity in freshwater
supply [10]
.
Although recycling of wastewater can use for environ-
mental and urban reuse, recreational and industrial pur-
poses, it has a very important role in agricultural irrigation
[11]
.The possible resources for urban wastewater reuse are
sewage, grey water (especially domestic wastewater ex-
cluding toilet flush) and rain water harvesting [12]
.
Sometimes from the domestic section of the urban area,
the rainwater and grey waters can mix and with recycle
of these wastewaters it can use for the bathroom [13]
. The
advantage of recycling grey water is that it is significant
source with a low organic content. The gray water in-
cludes up to 65% of total utilized water however contains
only 30% of the organic and from 8 to 21% of the nutri-
ents. By recycling gray water in domestic section the great
value of water can use for toilet flushing and outdoor uses
like garden watering and car washing [14]
.
For instance in the UK, about 44% of water from show-
er, bath, hand basin, laundry and dishwasher contain gray
water which can recycle. Also in larger scale it uses for
irrigation of golf courses, parks, school yards, fire guard
and air conditioning deliberated
Treatment Technologies for Greywater Recycling
Assessment of the treatment and recycling of grey water
started since the 1970’s [15]
. The first technology which
used for physical treatment included coarse filtration (sand
filter) or membranes often combined with disinfection
[16]
and [17]
. After that chemical treatments like electroco-
agulation, conventional coagulation and photo-catalysis
developed. The last technology based on biological meth-
od like rotating biological contactor, biological aerated
filters [18]
and [19]
. In addition, innovative methods such as
MBRs, reed beds and ponds have improved. Most of the
methods use a screening or sedimentation stage before
or after a disinfection stage (UV, chlorine). For example
treatment of grey water can be done by using a rotating
biological contactor headed through a sedimentation tank
and tracked by UV disinfection.
Selecting a method with low cost and low maintenance
especially for developing countries is very important. For
example in Costa Rica and Jordan a low cost, low pres-
ervation system established and activated carbon, sand
filtration and disinfection for the treatment of water in a
mosque is surveyed.
The quality of treated effluent for reuse for each region
is different. Many countries have their own structures and
controls based on controlling risk to human health, and
establish the standards for microbial content like suspend-
ed solids (SS), biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), and
turbidity [20]
and [21]
. Also, the aesthetics of the water that
need to recycle play an important role [22]
. If water reuse
add in the regulations of water, it can effect on water qual-
ity parameters. Usually the mixture of biological systems
and physical system is more convenience [23]
.
The city of Isfahan has an estimated 4 million people
in Iran in 2016. With a growth factor, the population of
the city is currently estimated at 4.5 million. Water from
Isfahan is provided through 150 deep wells. The city's
water consumption is currently 75 thousand cubic meters
per day. And in 2020, the amount of water consumed by
the city will reach 150 thousand cubic meters. Therefore,
the recovery of gray water can play an important role in
protecting water resources.
One of the most significant alternative water supplies to
manage with water shortage in Iran is treatment and reuse
of domestic wastewater. Greywater(GW) contains approx-
imately 60-70% of the total domestic wastewater created
in houses in Isfahan in Iran. GW is a part of domestic
wastewater, containing wastes of showers, baths, wash ba-
sins, laundry, and kitchen sinks. Consequently, with suit-
able reuse of GW, domestic potable water consumption
would be declined. Treatment and reuse of GW approved
through various countries because of its safety, health, and
economic cost. Furthermore, GW has fewer pollution con-
trasted to the municipal wastewater and is therefore suit-
able for reuse .With appropriate treatment of this water,
effluent may be applied for irrigation, flash tanks at toilets,
and other consumptions. Since that Iran is an arid country
with a rising population and limited water supplies, appro-
priate strategies should be taken into account for efficient
use of supplies. Consequently, treatment and reuse of
GW can recompense a part of water scarcity. Currently,
various physical, chemical, and biological methods ex-
amined for GW treatment. Studies displayed that physical
treatment systems for instance multimedia filtration and
membrane procedures have good productivity in removal
of solids, however do not have a decent productivity in
removal of organic compounds. Suitable alternative to
membrane procedures for instance Micro Filtration (MF),
Ultra Filtration (UF), Nano Filtration (NF), and Reserve
Osmosis(RO) is applying these procedures as a post treat-
ment opportunity for GW treatment. Chemical procedures
have suitable productivity in removal of organic matter,

13
suspended solids, and surfactants in GW; nevertheless,
information on chemical treatment systems is very re-
stricted; it is just recognized that these systems have very
small hydraulic retention time their cost is too great. Thus,
chemical biological or chemical-physical mixture tech-
niques can be applied for GW treatment to decline the
chemical techniques' costs. Biological treatment systems
commonly have good productivity for removal of organic
combinations in wastewater treatment. Integrated Fixed-
film Activated Sludge (IFAS) as a biological treatment
system is a combined procedure containing microorgan-
isms with suspended and attached enlargement. This sys-
tem has higher resistance to organic and hydraulic loading
shock than conventional activated sludge. In this study,
IFAS is discovered for GW treatment in 107 days.
The method that used in this study is combined method
of physical, chemical and biological. So at first all these
methods are explained in below:
2.1 Simple Treatment Systems
Simple technologies applied for grey water recycling are
usually two-stage systems established on a coarse filtra-
tion or sedimentation stage to remove the larger solids
followed by disinfection.
For example, in Western Australia [24]
applied simple
systems beside a coarse filter or a sedimentation tank. In
Australia the regulation allows users to reuse gray water
and apply simple treatment and then use the water for ir-
rigation. There is a limitation to use the simple treatment
technique regards to the value of organics and solids. So,
this system is suitable for small scale like domestic pur-
poses and it is a great remover for micro-organisms. With
disinfection phase, the coliforms residuals can decrease to
50 cfu.100mL-1 in the treated sewages. The ability of this
system to treat complicated wastewater of bath, shower
and hand basin is low. In previous researches, there is lim-
ited information about the hydraulic implementation and
hydraulic retention time (HRT). Only [25]
considered an
HRT of 38 hours for a large scale system (the room of one
hotel in Spain). The simple treatment systems need very
low operational cost. Therefore, in UK this system with a
sedimentation tank, disinfection with sodium hypochlorite
and two 300 μm nylon filters is using because the cost is
only £50/year.
2.2 Chemical Treatment Systems
There are three methods for chemical treatment systems.
Generally the system based on coagulation with alumi-
num. The first method is a mixture of sand filter, granular
activated carbon (GAC) and coagulation for the treatment.
The second method is a combination of electro-coagula-
tion with disinfection for the treatment of a slight strength
grey water. The third method can treat the grey water with
BOD and suspended solids residuals of 9-23 mg.L-1, a
turbidity residual of 4 NTU and invisible levels of E. Coli.
Nonetheless, the source must have a really low organic
power with a BOD concentration of 25 mg.L-1 in the raw
grey water. Moreover, the hydraulic retention times in this
system is around 20 and 40 minutes. The third method
established on photo-catalytic oxidation with titanium di-
oxide and UV that can treat the wastewater in short time.
Actually, with an HRT of 30 minutes, it can remove 90%
of the organics and 6 log removal of the whole coliforms.
The cost of this system is around £0.04/m3.
2.3 Physical Treatment Systems
Physical systems include sand filters and membranes.
Sand filters can use alone or in combination with disin-
fection or with activated carbon and disinfection. In this
system, sand filters create a coarse filtration of the grey
water. Sand filters can provide the limited treatment of the
various fractions present in the grey water.
[26]
examined the treatment of kitchen sink water
through a soil filter. The research reported that 68% re-
move for the BOD and 79% for suspended solids and
residual concentrations was 166 mg.L-1.When the filter
method mix with a disinfection phase, the removal of mi-
croorganisms will increase.
[27]
analyzed the treatment of bath and laundry grey wa-
ter through filter and chlorine disinfection and 47% of the
turbidity and 16% of suspended solids removed. James et
al. (2016) evaluated by this system the micro-organism
can remove significantly and total coliform concentra-
tions by the treated waste water ranges between 0 and 4
cfu.100mL-1.
[28]
measured that hydraulic loading rates was 0.25
m3.m-2.d-1 via soil filtration. If multi-media filters with
sand use for the treatment, the hydraulic loading rates
range from 116 to 577 m3.m-2.d-1.With using pore size of
the membrane in the system, the removal of the dissolved
,suspended solids and turbidity will increase more than
90%. In addition the efficiency of COD removal can in-
crease to 93%.
[29]
used nano-filtration (NF) and pore size of the mem-
brane for making the treatment of shower water.
Furthermore, [30]
evaluated the usage of a UF membrane
(0.06 μm pore size) and reverse osmosis (RO) membrane
for treating the laundry wastewater. With this system 55%
of the removal of BOD will increase.

14
About the removal of micro-organisms through mem-
branes there is limited studies. Nonetheless, [31]
evaluated
that by this method 35% of coliforms and mico-organisms
will remove. The disadvantage of this method is residual
of sediment because of organic matter that cause increas-
ing the cost of treatment for removing the sediment as
well[32]
. However, by increasing the efficiency of pre-treat-
ment by using screening or sand filter this problem may
solve. The performance of the mixture of pre-treatment,
physical processes, sand filter, nano-filtration, membrane,
and disinfection is very convenience and the value of
BOD and turbidity will decrease.
2.4 Biological Treatment Systems
The processes of biological treatment systems include
fixed film reactors rotating biological contactor, anaerobic
filters, sequencing batch reactor, membrane Bioreactors
and biological aerated filters (BAF).
2.5 Biological Treatment
Usually Biological systems mix with physical pre-treat-
ment like sedimentation or screening, membranes in
procedures like MBRs, sand filter, activated carbon and
disinfection. This system usually can install in bigger
buildings.
Hydraulic retention times (HRTs) estimated from 0.9
hours up to 2.9 days for the biological systems. There is
limited information about solids retention time (SRT).
However, organic loading rates range from 0.11 and 7.59
kg.m-3.day-1 for COD and about 0.09 and 2.39 kg.m-3.
day-1 for BOD (Ramprasad et al. 2016). All turbidity and
suspended solids residual could be below 15 mg.L-1.
Furthermore, as mentioned before, the MBRs can re-
move the organic and solid fractions with average residu-
als of 4 mg.L-2 for BOD, 3 NTU for turbidity and 6 mg.L-
1 for suspended solids. Nonetheless, Jeong et al. (2018)
expressed that at small scale, the variation in strength and
flow of the grey water and potential shock loading influ-
ence on the performance of biological established technol-
ogies. Laine2 found the effect of domestic product spiking
on biomass from an MBR and indicated that products like
bleach, caustic soda, perfume, vegetable oil and washing
powder were relatively toxic with EC50 of 2.5, 7, 20, 23
and29 mL.L-1 correspondingly. Furthermore, Jefferson et
al. examined the reliability of a BAF and an MBR under
intermittent process of air, feed and both. The functioning
of the MBR did not effect by interruption of the feed, air
or both as the time taken through the process to return to
its original performance level was always very short (in
fact no interruption in performance level was observed).
A similar output investigated while the feed ceased for
25 days. Nevertheless, in contrast, the BAF did not show
the similar robustness. Even though short term interrup-
tions (30 minutes) did not have an influence on the BAF
functioning, longer cessation of the feed and/or air, gener-
ated a rise in the effluent concentrations and the recovery
times for whole the elements. Also, afterward an interrup-
tion of the feed of 8 hours, the recovery times estimated 4,
4, 40 and 48 hours for turbidity, suspended solids, faecal
coliforms and total coliforms correspondingly. Equally,
after the same interruption of the air, the recovery times
were4, 4, 24, 28 and 24 hours for BOD, turbidity, solids,
faecal coliforms and total coliforms correspondingly. The
lengthiest recovery times measured after the interruption
of both air and feed simultaneously with 40, 40, 4, 24, 48
hours for BOD, turbidity, solids, faecal coliforms and to-
tal coliforms correspondingly. In conclusion, none of the
elements recovered to their pre-interruption levels within
48 hours of the interruption of the feed for 25 days. Again,
restricted information is accessible about the prices of the
systems. However a capital cost of £3,346 for the building
and installation of a retro-fit system in a 40-student res-
idence composed of a buffering tank with screening, an
aerated biofilter, a deep bed filter and GAC can estimate.
The O & M costs is about£129/year containing the energy,
labour and consumables. Through water savings of£518/
year, the pay back period is 7-8 years. They measured that
if the system matched in a new building the capital cost
might be declined to £1,720 and then the regulated pay
back period would be 3-4 years. The system that repre-
sented by Mac et al include a screening filter, a treatment
tank with bio-film grown on aggregate balls, a particle
filter and UV disinfection unit installed in an individual
house measured to cost among £2,514-£3,325. Otherwise,
Bino indicated a low cost, easy to built system created of
four plastic barrels installed in a 6- person house with a
capital cost of £197. There is no information on the func-
tioning costs and water savings for these two schemes.
Normally, Finally, Gardner and Millar 63 reported a
capital cost is £2,230 and O & M costs is £87/year for a
system based on a septic tank, a sand filter and UV disin-
fection. Nevertheless, the water savings of (£34/year) is
not sufficient to cover the costs.
In this study, the amount of water consumed in Isfahan
city was calculated based on 10 years data of Isfahan Wa-
ter and Wastewater Company. According to various sce-
narios, the estimated amount of gray water recovery was
estimated based on the cost of water and waste treatment
costs and the costs of designing the gray water separation
system. The amount of water and sewage produced in Is-
fahan city over the past five years is shown in Table 1.

15
Table 1. Amount of wastewater and gray water in the
study area
Year
Water consump-
tion
Wastewater Gray water
2013 92511063 1885668 5285602
2014 10248899 2231000 5851043
2015 11025342 2377545 6347693
2016 11586069 2686373 6508773
2017 12562283 2933331 7071960
Then, with regard to the share of gray water, its value
was estimated. And its economic value was calculated
based on the price of water and the cost of wastewater
treatment. In the following, due to the costs incurred by
the implementation of the gray water recovery plan, sever-
al scenarios were considered and the feasibility of its im-
plementation was evaluated economically and technically.
3. Results and Discussion
At present, the price of water is 10000 rials per cubic me-
ter, and the cost of treatment for wastewater is about 5300
rials per cubic meter. Given the amount of gray water that
can be retrieved, you can calculate the numerical value
of raw saving. Of course, it should be noted that all gray
water can not be recovered. Because the sources of gray
water are varied and their quality is different ( Sievers
et al. 2017). Gray water recovery is different depending
on the type of treatment and equipment required. In this
way, the cost of recovery must be calculated in the chosen
method and, taking into account the costs associated with
the recovery method and the expected savings, the recov-
ery function can be economically calculated. The amount
of produced gray water in terms of the source is shown in
Table 2.
Table 2. Water using in domestic sector
Type of waste-
water
Wastewater Gray water
Percentage l/day Percentage l/day
Toilet 16 23 - -
Hand wash-
ing
6 8 8 8
Bath 34 51 57 51
Kitchen 11 16 - -
Washing
machine
14 21 23 21
Dish washer 11 16 18 16
Cooler 4 5 - -
Cleaning 12 17 - -
Due to the price of water, the price of water can be cal-
culated. The numerical raw material for saving gray water
is shown in Table 3.
Table 3. The price of water with recycling gray water
Type of waste-
water
Average of yearly gray water
Million RLS per year
Percentage M3/year
Toilet and hand
washing
6 633115.16 1657.79
Bath 34 4212553.5 10381.38
Dish washer 11 1347228.3 3116.57
Landry ma-
chine
14 1720097.8 4150.24
If we want to calculate the amount of household sav-
ings, we need to calculate the amount of gray water for
each household. For this purpose, the percentage of gray
water is multiplied by per capita consumption of water
and household size. Considering the average per capita
consumption of 150 liters per day as per capita and house-
hold size equal to 5, the amount of gray water water is
calculated as follows (Table 4).
Gray water content (liters per year) = 365 * Per capita
water consumption per day * 5 *% gray water
Table 4. Amount of gray water recycling in each family
Type of wastewa-
ter
Average of yearly gray water Million RLS per
year
Percentage M3/year
Toilet and hand
washing
6 137.88 0.34
Bath 34 904.38 2.27
Dish washer 11 274.75 0.69
Landry machine 14 356.88 0.90
As can be seen, taking into account the price per cubic
meter of drinking water equivalent to 2500 Rials, the total
amount of saving for a 5-person household is 4.17 million
Rials. This can be higher due to the evolution of water
consumption rates.
In this study, the burden of contamination of various
sources of gray water has not been measured. But the
review of studies shows that gray water has significant
contamination. And in the case of non-scientific recovery
it can be problematic.
If we consider the microbial contamination index to be
the total fecal form, Table 5 lists the load of gray water
pollution.
Table 5. Total coliform in gray water
Rose
Clif
Brands
Kapisak
Source
7 x 103 cfu
5 x 105 MPN
< 10 to 2 x 108
7 x 103 cfu
Bath
127 cfu
3 x 103-107
Landry ma-
chine
26 cfu
Dryer machine
9 x 105
3 x 109
Kitchen
6 to 80 cfu
13 x 106
1.74 x 105
Total composi-
tion

16
The amount of purification needed for each of the listed
resources is also different and the cost associated with it
will also be different. And in choosing a particular scenar-
io, the cost of the preliminary purification of gray water
and its management should also be considered.
So far, different strategies have been developed and
tested by various countries. Among these strategies at the
point of generating gray water, two general strategies can
be mentioned:
(1) The maximum use of gray water and the design
of a relatively expensive refining system
(2) Strategies for using gray water with low contamina-
tion with minimal purification possible
Of course, amongst these strategies, interstitial strate-
gies can also be adopted. From the point of view of gray
water point, two main strategies can be adopted.
(1) Use of gray water in the interior of the building
(2) Use of gray water in the outside space of the build-
ing
The amount of gray water pollution is considered and
the peripheral needs such as pre-treatment, plumbing and
safety and health considerations affect the adoption of
waste water points. By summing up the main strategies
and analyzing the cost, a specific strategy can be adopted
based on an acceptable benchmark, such as national stan-
dards and wastewater disposal guidelines. This strategy
varies from city to city, from building to building, and
even from house to house. Because the final decision is re-
garding the recovery of gray water with the final consum-
er of water, residential buildings. And it will be different
depending on whether the residential building is a villa,
apartment and residential complex. Economic analysis
shows that the use of sophisticated cleaning methods in
villa houses and small apartments is not cost-effective.
One of the easiest ways to recover gray water is to
return the inner water of the bathroom to the flash tank.
Through this approach, about 7% of the water can be re-
covered, and 7% is saved through the water needed for
the tank's flash. In addition, this method does not require
much refinement. It can be done with a simple smoothing.
The new system of gray water is showed in figure 1.
Figure 1. The new system and package for recycling gray
water
There are many different types of gray water treatment
systems in the world today. Gray water contains some sus-
pended matter, detergent and microorganisms and should
be purified before use. Table 6 shows the typical combina-
tion of gray water (Green, 2018).
Table 6. Comparison of water quality parameter in gray
water and in waste water
Parameter Unit
Graywater
Waste water
Average Range
TSS mg/L 116 46-340 100-600
NTU 101 23-203 NA
BOD mg/L 161 91-294 100-600
TKN mg/L 13 2.2-32.5 30-80
Phosphor mg/L 9 0.7-13 6-40
EC mS/cm 603 326-1141 400-900
Gray water purification can be a simple filter. Or use
advanced methods such as MBR. Gray water should be
cleaned and disinfected due to microbial load. Chemical
detoxification is preferred to chlorine. But due to its en-
vironmental and safety aspects, ultraviolet radiation and
ozone are recommended. In order to estimate the cost of
recovering gray water, the economic value of other coun-
tries was used and localized [25]
. The estimated cost of
purifying and recovering gray water is a simple system in
Table 7.
Table 7. Price of the system component for recycling gray
water
Case
Price based on an
item
Unit Formula
Piping Length 1000Rls/m C=60.L
Storage tank M3 1000Rls/m3
C=1400.V0.5
Pump Discharge 1000Rls/(m3
/d) C=6000.Q0.028
System of
waste water
treatment
Discharge 1000Rls/(m3
/d)
C=35900.
Q0.6776
CL Special unit 1000Rls/unit 1500
Gray water recovery, besides the base cost, also costs
another. Which should be considered in the economic
analysis of gray water retrieval. These costs include the
cost of management and operation, including required
manpower, chemicals, energy consumption, possible re-
pairs, etc. These costs are usually reduced by increasing
the number of residential units in each apartment or resi-
dential complex Cook, (2016).
Experiences from other countries in using gray water
indicate that, on average, 57% of household sewage can

17
be used as gray water. In this case, in addition to reducing
the cost of saving water (reducing the cost of water con-
sumed by 40%), the corresponding economic savings are
remarkable.
Iran is a dry and dehydrated country, which, due to
population growth and limited water resources, should
provide appropriate solutions for the optimal use of re-
sources. Considering that most of the country is in low
water and a significant population lives in these areas,
modern methods of correct use and even reuse can be
useful for the development of the above areas. As noted,
using the experience of other countries, including (Middle
Eastern countries), which they, like Iran, are facing with
water scarcity, the use of gray water can be effective in
solving the problems of dehydration. In addition, health
aspects should be considered.
Considering that the average rainfall of Bojnourd is
about 300 mm and every year there is a drought, the cen-
tralized collection of gray water in homes and the reuse
of it in irrigating the green space makes it possible to
minimize the environmental damage caused by droughts .
Of course, in adopting a strategy for the recovery of gray
water, health, technical, economic, cultural development
and public education should be considered. And adopted
a method that, while recovering the maximum water and
wastewater, its health and technical aspects should be
considered. According to the calculations, the recovery of
all gray water in short-lived buildings does not have eco-
nomic justification. But in high-rise buildings, economic
justification is justified due to the cost of recovering and
purifying the gray water. There are currently no clear
guidelines on the acceptable quality of gray water. There-
fore, definitive comments can not be made. But by look-
ing at the experiences of other countries, the following
scenarios are likely.
(1) Recovery of whole volume of gray water in con-
centrated form and in order to irrigate the green space:
Perhaps the most ideal scenario is the recovery of all gray
water, but the problems due to the cost of designing a sep-
arate collection system and minimum speed problems in
the sewage collection networks Removes the option from
the priority.
(2) Recovery of gray water at the place of production
① Green Gravel Water Recovery: This method pro-
vides significant savings in the water needed to irrigate the
green space. But this method requires relatively sophis-
ticated facilities, so that gray water is refined and reused
by sub-surface irrigation systems, and its health aspects
should be taken into account (Figure 2).
Figure 2. The new system of recycling gray water for
using irrigation
② Recovering gray water from less polluted areas for
non-drinking water requirements: In this way, some parts
of gray water can be recovered for other residential uses.
The most remarkable type of recovery in this method is
the use of bath and bathroom drainage to flash the toilet
tanks. This method, with its simplicity, needs little refine-
ment and does not interfere with the sewage collection
system. Because the water is recycled back to the sewage
collection system. In this way, a small amount of water
can be recovered, but the development of gray water re-
covery methods is a priority option due to low cost and
simplicity of implementation.
③ Due to the diversity of the gray water production
site and the difference in the quality of gray water, there
are other scenarios. But the choice of a particular method
requires studying. Because gray water has microbial and
chemical contamination. And should be purified to the
point of view of the point of use.
The results showed that the IFAS systems have gen-
erally suitable productivity for GW treatment, especially
to eliminate organic combinations (BOD5, COD, TN
and TP) and suspended solids, although applying these
systems individually do not have enough efficiency for
elimination of microorganisms. Consequently, to reach
standards for GW reuse, IFAS biological system can ap-
plied in mixture with a disinfection or membrane filtration
as an applicable alternative technique for GW treatment
and reuse.
Suggestions: In order to achieve the real result for the
recovery of gray water, the following are suggested:
(1) Drafting Standard or Guidelines for the Recovery
of Gray Water
(2) Creation of protective packages for the recovery of
gray water
(3) Measuring the true pollution of gray water
(4) Evaluating the efficacy of different purification
methods at or out of the site and its economic evaluation

18
Acknowledgment
We thank Esfahan Regional Water Authority for funding
this study to collect necessary data easily and helped the
authors to collect the necessary data without payment,
Mohammad Abdollahi and Hamid Zakeri for their help-
ful contributions to collect the data. All other sources of
funding for the research collected from authors. We thank
Omid Boyerhasani who provided professional services for
check the grammar of this paper.
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20
ARTICLE
Analysis of Gray Water Recycling by Reuse of Industrial Waste Water
for Agricultural and Irrigation Purposes
Safieh Javadinejad1*
Rebwar Dara2
Masoud Hussein Hamed3
Mariwan Akram Hamah
Saeed3
Forough Jafary4
1. Water Resource Engineering, Isfahan University of Technology, Isfahan, Khomeyni Shahr, Daneshgah e Sanati Hwy, Iran
2. Hydrogeology, University of Salahaddin, Erbil, Iraq
3. Department of Geology, College of Science, University of Salahaddin, Erbil, Iraq
4. Water resource management, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston St., B152TT, UK
Article history
Accepted: 14 July 2020
Published Online: 30 July 2020
Isfahan industrial province with its numerous industrial estates in its area
and consequently the amount of wastewater produced by these settlements
is very difficult to deal with. Therefore, the need for proper wastewater
treatment and efficient management of industrial waste water from the in-
dustrial estates of this province should be seriously addressed and followed
up by the authorities. The purpose of this study is the feasibility of reuse
of wastewater from industrial settlements for agricultural and irrigation
purposes. The present study is a descriptive cross-sectional study. In this
study, the average values obtained from the sampling and the results of the
experiments on waste water from the industrial waste water treatment plant
in Isfahan, 2017, have been used. Average values of BOD5, COD, TSS and
so on were compared with the standards set by the Environmental Protec-
tion Agency and analyzed in Excel software. According to the results, the
average values of COD, BOD5, TSS, SO4, pH and catalyst quality param-
eters were determined from wastewater effluents of 315,162,93,164 (mg /
L), 8.3 and 32.5 (NTU) respectively. The results of the study show that the
average values of the quality parameters examined from the effluent of the
treatment plant other than BOD5 and COD are within the standard range
and the limit for agricultural and irrigation purposes, which may lead to
undesirable environmental performance of these two parameters.
Keywords:
Gray water
Water recycle
Water quality
Irrigation water users
Industrial users
Safieh Javadinejad,
Water Resource Engineering, Isfahan University of Technology, Isfahan, Khomeyni Shahr, Daneshgah e Sanati Hwy, Iran;
Email: Javadinejad.safieh@pd.iut.ac.ir
1. Introduction
T
oday, with the growth of urban populations,
followed by rising levels of public health and
awareness, water use has increased. High water
consumption will increase the amount of sewage [1,2]
. The
release of raw sewage in nature is polluting the environ-
ment and has a bad impact on the quality of surface and
underground flows. Sewage treatment, while preserving
the environment, makes use of sewage and extraction and
recycling of used water [3,4]
.
Irresponsible behaviors and the discharge of raw sew-
age into the environment have many health and environ-
mental hazards. However, despite the adoption of various

21
laws on the need for wastewater treatment and then its
release into the environment, the use of raw or very refined
wastewater in developing countries has a growing trend,
which itself is known to have a level the bottom line is the
environmental perception of these countries [5,6]
.
Raw wastewater contains many pathogens, before reuse,
it should be used with appropriate filtration technology and
used in different sectors. Therefore, for the sake of human
health and the environment, when reusing wastewater, stan-
dards and guidelines are established by the World Health
Organization, the United States Environmental Protection
Agency, the Iranian Environmental Protection Agency, the
European Union and so on [7,8]
.
Unfortunately, a favorable view and lack of attention to
wastewater quality parameters on release or use of them in
various uses without considering and taking into account
the harmful consequences of this use
Many problems, such as pollution of water and soil, will
lead to the spread of some diseases [9,10]
.
The wastewater often contains various compounds of
rare elements, heavy metals and microorganisms that have
limited use of them in different parts. Nevertheless, it can
be used in different sectors depending on the type of waste-
water and its constituents [11,12]
. Consumption as an uncon-
ventional source of water for application in the agricultural
sector requires special management, while benefiting from
it there are no environmental and health hazards [6]
.
The need for environmental protection is the unques-
tionable principle that has been universally accepted in the
world today, and this necessity has become more import-
ant as industrial and technological growth and subsequent
emergence of contamination. The uneven growth of the
country’s industries in recent years and the continuation of
the current process affect the ecosystems. Thus, a multidi-
mensional look and prevention of economic activity based
on the absolute exploitation of nature, and the directing of
industrial activities a type that has the least harm to the en-
vironment [13,14]
. But control and pollution control policies
can be effective if factories and companies implement these
policies in their own plans.
Therefore, in this research, it is tried to investigate the
possibility of reuse of waste water from Isfahan industrial
town for agricultural and irrigation purposes in order to see
the least harmful environmental and health effects in order
to optimize the use of this abnormal water source. So far,
many studies have been conducted in the country for the re-
use of wastewater, and some of them are mentioned. Gu et
al., 2016 studied the efficiency of an industrial wastewater
treatment plant. The results showed that, with the exception
of cases where organic or hydraulic load has entered the
refinery, most of the existing parameters are moderate in
the acceptable range and the waste water can be used for
agricultural and green areas [15]
.
In another study, the performance of the refinery of
industrial estate was studied. The results showed that the
numbers were from the proposed range of the environmen-
tal protection organization for discharge into surface water
and absorbent wells, and the only option for wastewater
disposal, use in agriculture And irrigation [16]
.
Alderson and his colleague investigated the qualitative
conditions of an Industrial City wastewater treatment plant
for reuse of waste water for agricultural and irrigation pur-
poses. Based on the results obtained from this study, a num-
ber of parameters were greater than the limit and required
more refinement [17]
.
Reznik and his colleague studied the reuse of Israel indus-
trial city No. 2 waste water. The results of this study showed
that the output of this system has a good consistency with en-
vironmental standards and standards for entering agricultural
land, so they suggested that for irrigating agricultural land
around and also irrigation of the green space of the town [18]
.
This study is a descriptive cross sectional study in which
the possibility of reuse of waste water from Isfahan in-
dustrial town has been investigated for agricultural and
irrigation purposes according to a number of qualitative
index parameters. In this study, the values obtained from
sampling results And daily, weekly, monthly and, of course,
irregular daily, tests have been used on waste water effluent
treatment plant in 2012. Sampling and testing were carried
out in accordance with the standard methods presented in
the standard book of the Water and Wastewater Testing [11]
in order to validate the results. Then, the average values of
parameters as descriptive statistics of this research were
compared with the standard of wastewater use in agricul-
tural and irrigation sectors and analyzed in Excel software.
The experiments were carried out using digital devices and
in the laboratory of the industrial city. In this study, the fol-
lowing methods and tools were used to measure the mea-
sured parameters such as BOD5, COD and ...
COD measurement of samples with vials using the COD
model (AQUA LYTIC).
(1) Measurement of BOD samples was performed using
the BOD meter digital meter model (AQUALYTIC).Adevice
that measures BOD samples with a precision of 0-400 mg / l.
(2) To measure the pH of the samples, an electrometric
method was used and the AQUA LYTIC pH meter was used.
(3) Measuring the sulfate of the samples by colorimet-
ric method using the PC MULTI DIRET model, which is
used in the range of 5 to 100 mg / l.
(4) Turbidity measurement using nephlemetry or sub-

22
traction method. In order to measure the turbidity of the
AQUA LYTIC model, a range of applications ranged from
0 to 1000, the results were reported in terms of NTU units.
(5) The TSS has been measured by gravimetric or grav-
imetric method using filter paper.
3. Results
COD parameter: Based on available data and study on
effluent effluent of the treatment plant at the relevant time
interval, the mean value of the COD of the effluent was
3612.3 mg / L. In Figure. 1, diagrams and trends
The changes in wastewater COD from the wastewa-
ter treatment plant are also characterized by the average
amount and standard limit of wastewater consumption in
agriculture and irrigation.
Parameter BOD5: The average amount of BOD5 from
the wastewater treatment plant was calculated at a rate of
160 mg / l. In Figure. 2, the graphs and trends of BOD5
changes in effluent from the wastewater treatment plant
of the settlement are also indicated by the average amount
and standard limit of wastewater consumption in the agri-
cultural and irrigation sectors.
PH parameter: In the study on the effluent, the low-
est and highest pH values are 7.5 and 8.2. Based on the
present study, the average amount of wastewater effluent
during the study period was 8.2.
Turbidity Parameter (in terms of NTU): The minimum
measured opacity is 14 and the maximum is 80. Accord-
ing to available data, the average output turbidity (NTU)
was determined to be 4/31.
0
100
200
300
400
500
600
700
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 101112131415161718192021222324252627282930
COD(mg/l)
Day COD
Average of COD
Standard of agriculture
Figure 1. Changing of COD in the study area
0
50
100
150
200
250
300
350
1 3 5 7 9 11 13 15 17 19 21 23 25
BOD
DAY
BOD
Average of BOD
Figure 2. Changing of BOD in the study area
0
50
100
150
200
250
300
350
COD TSS PH SO4 TUR BOD
Average value
Figure 3. Comparison the parameters from gray water
with standard value for agriculture
SO4 parameter: The average amount of data indicates
that the effluent sulfate is 162.16 mg / l. The lowest
amount of sulfate in the wastewater was measured at 108
and the highest was 215 mg / l.
TSS parameter: The present study showed that the
average total amount of suspended solids (TSS) of the
effluent at the relevant time interval was 92.25 mg / l. The
highest rate for this parameter is 180 and the lowest is 36
mg / l.
4. Discussion and Conclusion
The occurrence of Iran in the dry and semi-arid region,
followed by dehydration, the occurrence of successive
droughts, and the drop in groundwater and groundwater
have caused the issue of reuse of treated wastewater to be
seriously raised. This is while the industrial cities of the
country are often located in these areas. Industrial prov-
ince of Isfahan with its numerous industrial estates in its
area, followed by the volume of wastewater produced by
these settlements, is severely affected by the problem of
dehydration. Therefore, the need for proper treatment of
sewage and efficient management of industrial effluents of
this province should be seriously pursued and pursued.
In order to achieve optimal performance for the re-
moval of various pollutants from industrial effluents, by
the company’s industrial towns, in order to achieve the
objective of preventing the construction of a wastewater
treatment plant by any of the industries based in the city,
various studies have been carried out. Which eventually
led to the construction and commissioning of the central
refinery of the town. So the wastewater is directed to the
central refinery of the town and is refined.
At present, in 2012, there are about 311 units in the in-
dustrial city of Isfahan, including food, textile, cellulosic,
chemical, non-metallic, metal, electrical, and electronics
and services, and are operating and operating in one of the
largest active townships Iran has become.
The city’s water supply resources are split from 3 wells
within the city limits. On average, the total water con-

23
sumption in this town is 2421 cubic meters per day. At the
same time, an average of 1332 cubic meters of sewage is
produced in the town due to the coefficient of water con-
version into sewage.
At present, the city’s central treatment plant with a
daily capacity of 864 m 3 of sewage in the first phase of
operation and the quality of the wastewater entering the
wastewater treatment plant is equivalent to urban waste
water. In accordance with the quantitative and qualitative
characteristics of the city’s sewage system, the system
designed for the treatment plant is a combination of ac-
tive agglomeration with sticky growth (IFAS) with an
upstream upstream anaerobic reactor (UABR). The indus-
trial waste water treatment system has 2 sections Aerobic
and anaerobic. Sewage from the production units enters
the system and in the anaerobic section a large part of the
treatment works and after becoming a wastewater in the
irrigation of the green space of the city is used. However,
for the reuse of refined wastewater, it should be noted
that the quality characteristics of wastewater comply with
the standards of the Iranian environmental organization
to prevent the negative environmental and health conse-
quences.
Based on available data and study on effluent efflu-
ent of the studied treatment plant at the relevant time
interval, the average parameter of wastewater COD was
determined to be 36.312 mg / L, which compared to the
standard of application and reuse of wastewater for agri-
cultural use and Irrigation, which is defined by Iran’s En-
vironmental Protection Organization 200, is not within the
scope of the limit.
The average amount of BOD5 is 160 mg / l. According
to the standard, this parameter for application in agricul-
tural and irrigation applications should be in the range of
100, which is not the same as COD in the range and scope
of the limit.
Based on the research, the average pH of the effluent
was 8.2 which is within the standard range for application
of effluent in agricultural and irrigation applications (8-
8.5).
According to the available data, the average output
turbidity (NTU) is 41.4%. According to the standard for
turbidity parameters for agricultural and irrigation purpos-
es, which has been set at 50 NTU, it can be stated that the
average value of output effluent turbidity is in the limit of
the limit.
The average amount of data indicates that the effluent
sulfate is 162.17 mg / l, which can be considered as suitable
for comparison with the use of wastewater in agriculture
and irrigation. It should be noted that the limit for this pa-
rameter for agricultural and irrigation purposes is 500 mg / l.
In relation to the TSS parameter, the present study
showed that the average total amount of suspended solids
(TSS) of the effluent is 25.29 mg / l, which is also com-
parable to the limit for wastewater use in agricultural and
irrigation sector, which is in accordance with the standard
100 Is defined. In Figure. 3, the average values of the pa-
rameters studied are compared with the standard of waste-
water use in the agricultural and irrigation sector.
The results of this study show that the average values of
the quality parameters examined from the effluent waste-
water treatment plant of Isfahan industrial town other than
BOD5 and COD are within the standard range and the
limit for agricultural and irrigation purposes, which may
be the adverse environmental performance of these two
parameters To follow. In the treatment plant during the
week, a part of the refined wastewater is used to irrigate
the greenery of the town, while most of the water, without
planning and management, is guided to the ground areas
around the refinery, which, according to The quality of the
wastewater in the present situation and the inappropriate
performance of the treatment plant in removing some of
the pollutant indicators (BOD5, COD) can lead to water
and soil contamination.
According to a similar study carried out at the Sal-
man-Shahr Industrial Park’s refinery, as a result of the
proper functioning of the wastewater treatment plant, the
effluent was detected for discharging to surface water,
absorbent well and agricultural use [8]
. Also, a study on
Ahvaz City 2 refinery showed that the effluent of this sys-
tem is in good agreement with environmental standards
and standards for entering agricultural land [10]
. A study on
wastewater treatment plant in Shokoieh industrial city of
Qom showed that wastewater for discharge to surface wa-
ters and wells is not within the limits of the limit and the
only option for wastewater disposal is use in agricultural
and irrigation activities [9]
. Results that are not consistent
with the results of the present study.
In another study, the qualitative conditions of the Al-
borz industrial wastewater treatment plant in Qazvin prov-
ince were evaluated. The results indicated that some of the
quality parameters of this wastewater treatment plant were
exceeded and required more refining, which would result
in improved purification, diversification of waste water
and the negative consequences of its use [6]
. The result is
similar to that of the present study.
Therefore, in order to promote sustainable development
and reuse of wastewater in the agricultural sector and irri-
gation, efforts should be made to reduce the flow of waste-
water from the settlement to the refinery and to prevent
the violation of active units and unauthorized discharge
of wastewater into the collection network, by reviewing

Journal of Geographical Research | Vol.3, Iss.2 April 2020

Journal of Geographical Research | Vol.3, Iss.2 April 2020

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Journal of Geographical Research | Vol.3, Iss.2 April 2020