Integrated water management through reuse and aquifer recharge promotes long-term sustainable solutions to water and wastewater problems in California cities and South African towns.

Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) is being recognized as the only sustainable solution to water scarcity. This holistic approach to water resources, known as the Dublin-Rio Principles (UNCED Rio de Janeiro 1992), emphasizes that freshwater is limited, fragile, and essential to sustain life, economic development and the environment. Water development and management should be based on a participatory approach involving users, planners and decision makers at all levels.

The long-term effects of climate change, evidenced by rising average temperatures and decreasing rainfall in the region, require water professionals, with the political support of government leaders, to optimize water management and increase desalination and water reuse.

These sustainable solutions in Durban offer the following benefits:

• Building community partnerships with affordable water supplies in poor informal settlements;

• Provide an additional 8% of drinking water to the community;

• Guaranteed reduction in industrial water costs (25% lower than drinking water);

• And reduce the flow to the overloaded long estuary, thus prolonging its service life.

By 2004, the 330,000 m3/day groundwater recharge project at the Orange County Water District (OCWD) Water Works 21 in California, USA, will purify the highly treated wastewater currently discharged to the ocean for reuse. The project will provide drought-resistant water for industry and irrigation, reduce wastewater discharge to the ocean, and provide clean water for injection into deep groundwater aquifers to prevent seawater intrusion. OCWD plans to eventually expand capacity to 405,000 cubic meters per day.

In the 1950s, over-pumping of groundwater caused salt to enter up to 8 kilometers inland from the California coast. Therefore, three freshwater injection barriers were created to control saltwater ingress. Imported fresh water has been injected for over 40 years, and for 25 years, repurified wastewater treated to drinking water standards has been used to provide brine ingress control and aquifer recharge for indirect drinking.

The Orange County Water District (OCWD) provides drinking water to approximately 2 million people. The population is expected to increase to nearly 3 million in the next 20 years. To meet growing demand, OCWD and the Orange County Sanitation District (OCSD) have developed a cost-effective solution to provide a supplemental source of high-quality water. The two agencies are sponsoring the water purification project, known as the Groundwater Recharge System (GWRS), to purify additional highly treated wastewater for reuse.

Integrated water resources management requires a holistic long-term approach that must be supported by legislation, quality standards and international finance to facilitate project completion. It helps when one government water agency is responsible for all water issues (from fresh water to wastewater treatment) rather than a single regulator responsible for individual parts of the overall solution.

Growing global experience in large, efficient systems continues to reduce the cost of water production. Reducing the cost of electricity, finance, equipment and membranes is key to maximizing opportunities for sustainable projects. Hybrid systems offer real benefits by harnessing the process synergies between power generation, desalination, reuse, and aquifer recharge in one system. These innovative solutions enable water-stressed coastal cities to rapidly move towards integrated water resources management.

Wastewater Reuse to Benefit Communities

• Planning for a sustainable future requires a solid understanding of available resources, supplies, future needs and active community engagement.

• Partnerships use local experience and skills to provide affordable water supplies to poor communities.

• Increase drinking water supply and reduce water costs by repurifying industrial and irrigation wastewater.

• Provide drought-resistant water resources through reuse.

• Help grow cash crops and create jobs in areas affected by soil salinization.

• Actively control the entry of saltwater into and recharge aquifers to create sustainable water resources.

• Reduce wastewater discharge into the sea and protect beaches

• Support tourism by irrigating landscapes and golf industries with purified water.

Besides, Airwaterawg produces Atmospheric Water Machines, dedicated to producing water from air,To design and manufacture highly reliable Business Air Water Generators and other water-filtration/purification appliances at affordable prices; allowing consumers to obtain high-quality, yet economical , purified drinking water, regardless of their geographical location or economic conditions.