Water reuse system in Xi'an Municipality of China

A water reuse system was formulated for the Xi'an International Metropolitan Urban Planning Project, with the aim of mitigating water stress in the central city of Xi'an, China in 2020. The main reuse purposes of the reclaimed water were agriculture, industry, municipal, ecological, and indoor uses. A wastewater reuse potential capacity of 427.2 × 106 m3/yr was deduced by analyzing the water demand for the different reuse purposes. This reuse capacity makes significant contribution to increasing the total urban water supply capacity and mitigating the water shortage problems imposed by the process of urbanization. A supply scheme for the reclaimed water was configured, which comprised the reclaimed water sources, water supply service areas, and the main reuse purposes. As a result, a wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs)-centered reclaimed water supply system was formed, and the main reuse purposes of the 15 WWTPs and their service districts were defined. Through an economic analysis, the feasibility and benefits of the water reuse system were ascertained. Overall, this study provided the theoretical basis and implementation strategies for a system configuration of water reuse in Xi'an City and also contributed to solving the water-deficiency problems associated with the rapidly developing urban areas in China.