Considerations about wastewater reuse in areas subjected to strong pressures in the South of Spain

Abstract

Treated wastewater reuse is essential for water supply in areas where the pressure over water resources is high. This is the case of Costa del Sol and the Guadal-horce Valley, where a lot of water is required for urban, agricultural and recrea-tional uses. Most of this water is coming from natural sources instead of being reused, which percentage varies over Spain. In these areas, located in the Málaga province (Andalucía region), less than 6% of treated wastewater is assigned for any kind of use (garden irrigation and golf courses is the major one). Trying to solve this lack of reclaimed water, a wetlands restoration project was carried out in the Guadalhorce River Mouth, near the city of Málaga. Several lagoons were created using treated wastewater. Results were satisfactory with a clear increase in biodiversity, but employing a reduced amount of replenished water, due to the very strict requirements of the regional government. So, a great effort must be done to improve water reusing, especially in parts were freshwater is scarce (like S Spain and Mediterranean area), but also to hire well trained technicians