by Javier Mateo-Sagasta Daegu, Korea, April 14, 2015

1. Photo:TomvanCakenberghe/IWMI
www.iwmi.org
Water for a food-secure world
The untapped potential of resource recovery and
reuse: a global overview
Photo:NanaKofiAcquah/IWMI
Javier Mateo-Sagasta
Daegu, Korea, April 14, 2015

2. Wasted water
Missed
opportunities

3. • Potential RRR
• Actual RRR
– Unsafe reuse
– Success stories
Outline
Photo:NeilPalmer/IWMI

4.  Population increase (9 billion in 2050)
 Urbanization (now 50%, in 2050 66%)
Potential for RRR
 Changes in consumption patterns

5.  Municipal Wastewater: 330 km3/year
 Nutrients and Organic Carbon:
Resources potentially embedded in the globally produced municipal wastewater
N (Tg/yr) P (Tg/yr) C (Tg/yr)
13.2 2.6 52.8
Note 1: Tg = Teragram = 109kg
Note 2: assuming a medium strength wastewater with 40mgTN/l, 8mgTP/l and 160 mgTOC/l
Potential for RRR
Potential for RRR
Source: Mateo-Sagasta et al. 2015. Springer
 Energy:
46.2 km3 CH4 with a global caloric value of 1,660 109 MJ
Note: assuming a medium strength wastewater with 160 mgTOC/l
* Assuming 3,500 KWh used/household (World Energy Council 2013)

6. Actual RRR
Source: Sato, et al. 2013 and AQUASTAT 2014
Wastewater treatment capacity

7. 0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
NumberofTreatmentPlants
Region
Business (e.g., hotel,
airport)
Hospital
Military
School
Municipal/Township
Community-level
(Source: Murray & Drechsel, 2011)
WW treatment plants: how many of them are
actually functional?

8. Direct and indirect reuse of untreated
wastewater

9. …Bright RRR cases
IWMI Approach: 60 case analysis, business models catalogue, feasibility
studies, piloting, up-scaling and replication plans
These and many more!

10. Agriculture
• Water all year round
• Nutrients and organic matter
• Higher yields
• Closer to cities
• More crops/year
• Higher incomes
Cities
• Food security
• Additional wastewater
treatment
• Water exchange with
agriculture
Environment
• Lower pollution
• Freshwater conservation
… RRR successful initiatives thant bring
benefits to
Photo:NanaKofiAcquah/IWMI

11. Business case: Agriquatics, Mirzapur

12. 0.6 ha plug flow duckweed pond Farmed duckweed
Duckweed fertilized fish ponds Harvested fish
Business case: Agriquatics, Mirzapur

13. Wastewater Input: Wastewater from a complex of 3 000 p.e.
Value-added products: Carp Species, co-crops
Public acceptability: High. Constant demand for fish
Capital requirements: USD 100 000 plus existing 4 lagoons
Labour requirements: 4 persons for 1 hour/day -7 days/week
Output: 7.5 tonnes of carps at an average price of USD 3/kg
Gain: 4 part time jobs, inexpensive source of fish and cleaner
environment
Viability indicators: payback period 6 years, gross margin 20%
Status of firm: Operational (1989)
Major partners: Prism Bangladesh (NGO) / Kumudini Welfare Trust
Business case: Agriquatics, Mirzapur

14. 99% Water
Valuable resources:
• Organic carbon
• Nitrogen
• Phosphorus
Hazards:
• Pathogens
• Dangerous
Chemicals

15. www.iwmi.org
Water for a food-secure world
Javier Mateo-Sagasta
Senior Researcher
j.mateo-sagasta@cigar.org
Thank you for your attention!
Photo:GraemeWilliams/IWMI