Cost and Benefit Analysis of Different Buildings Through Reuse of Treated Greywater

Abstract

The fact that the impacts of climate change cannot be prevented in the short term has increased the importance of climate change adaptation activities, and many national and international studies have been initiated in this regard. Greywater reuse (GWR) activities have become important methods recommended by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) for adaptation to climate change. This study selects GWR from 3 different real typologies, a hotel, a residential building, and an industrial plant planned in Izmir Province of Türkiye, to design greywater systems followed by cost-benefit analyses. The applicability of GWR systems in these typologies has been analyzed, and comparisons have been made. GWR systems at the project design stage eliminate the need for installation modifications. Therefore, it is concluded that new buildings should be designed to integrate these alternative water resource systems. Recovered water through the installation of GWR systems is recommended to be used as flushing water, and the excess for garden irrigation, car washing and cleaning. The payback periods were calculated as 12 years for the hotel and industrial plant and 6 years for the residential building. The water savings were calculated as 46% for the hotel, 44% for the residential building, and 29% for the industrial plant. The results put forth the feasibility of this alternative water resource.

Keywords

• Alternative water resources
• buildings
• cost and benefit analysis
• greywater reuse
• water saving

References

1. Turkish Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change (MoEUCC), https://ab.csb.gov.tr/turkiye-nin-ilk-iklim-surasi-konyada-toplandi-haber-267396, Accessed 10 December 2023.
2. Marmara Municipalities Union (MMU), Yapılar ve iç mekânda yağmur suyundan yararlanma yöntemleri, https://marmara.gov.tr/uploads/old-site/2021/03/Aysegul-Baysal-Tanik.pdf, Accessed 10 December 2023.
3. United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Water recycling and reuse: The environmental benefits. Available at: http://www.epa.gov/region9/water/recycling/, Accessed 05 October 2022.
4. P. Vieira, C. Jorge, D. Covas, Assessment of household water use efficiency using performance indices, Resource Conservation Recycling 116 (2017) 94–106.
5. V. Novotny, Water-energy nexus: Retrofitting urban areas to achieve zero pollution, Building Research and Information 41 (5) (2013) 589–604.
6. S. Eslamian, Urban water reuse handbook, USA: CRC Press, Taylor and Francis Group 1141 2016.
7. P. A. Wilderer, Applying sustainable water management concepts in rural and urban areas: Some thoughts about reasons, means and needs, Water Science Technology 4 (2004) 7–16.
8. H. Filali, N. Barsan, D. Souguir, V. Nedeff, C. Tomozei, M. Hachicha, Greywater as an alternative solution for a sustainable management of water resources-a review, Sustainability 14 (2) (2022) 665.

9. V. Lazarova, S. Hills, R. Birks, Using recycled water for non-potable, urban uses: A review with particular reference to toilet flushing, Water Science Technology Water Supply 3(4) (2003) 69–77.
10. S. Potivichayanon, N. Sittitoon, B. Vinneras, Exposure assessment of treated greywater reused for irrigation, Water Science Technology Water Supply 21 (8) (2021) 4404–4417.
11. I. N. Shaikh, M. M. Ahammed, Granular media filtration for onsite treatment of greywater: A review, Water Science Technology 86 (5) (2022) 992–1016.
12. G. E. Üstün, A. Tırpancı, Greywater Treatment and Reuse, Uludağ University Journal of The Faculty of Engineering 20 (2) (2015).
13. N. Rodda, L. Salukazanaa, S. A. F. Jackson, M. T. Smith, Use of domestic greywater for small-scale irrigation of food crops: Effects on plants and soil, Physics and Chemistry of the Earth A/B/C 36 (2011) 1051-1062.
14. U. Stein, Water reuse and water quality aspects in Europe, CAPACITIE Training Course. Berlin: Ecologic Institute, https://www.ecologic.eu/sites/default/files/event/2015/22_steinwaterreusewaterquality _0.pdf, Accessed 15 November 2022.
15. European Commission: Directorate-General for Environment, Cherrier, V., Farmer, A., Jarrit, N., Delacamera, G. et al., EU-level instruments on water reuse – Final report to support the Commission's impact assessment, Publications Office, 2016, https://data.europa.eu/doi/10.2779/974903, Accessed 1 March 2022.
16. European Committee of the Regions: Commission for the Environment, Climate Change and Energy, Gancheva, M., McNeill, A. and Muro, M., Water reuse – Legislative framework in EU regions, European Committee of the Regions, 2018, https://data.europa.eu/doi/10.2863/846239, Accessed 5 March 2022.
17. Z. L. T. Yu, J. R. De Shazo, M. K. Stenstrom, Y. Cohen, Cost–benefit analysis of onsite residential greywater recycling: A case study on the city of Los Angeles, Journal American Water Works Association 108 (2016) E436–E444.
18. Ecohome, https://www.ecohome.net/guides/1561/greywater-recycling-never-looked-better/, Accessed 15 December 2023.
19. Yerinde içilemez su sistemleri- Bölüm 2: Arıtılmış grisuyun (lavabo atık suyu) kullanımına yönelik sistemler (TS EN 16941-2), Turkish Standards Institution 2021.
20. Eurosan, https://eurosan.com.tr/mbr-sistemleri/,Accessed 15 December 2023.
21. SlidePlayer, https://slideplayer.biz.tr/slide/9141315/, Accessed 15 December 2023.
22. Simurg Peyzaj, https://simurgpeyzaj.com/yapay-sulak-alanlar-ve-biyolojik-golet/, Accessed 15 December 2023.
23. L. Fangyue, K. Wichmann, R. Otterpohl, Review of the technological approaches for greywater treatment and reuses, Science of the Total Environment 407 (2009) 3439–3449.
24. W. H. F. Chin, F. A. Roddick, J. L. Harris, Greywater treatment by UVC/H2O2, Water Research 43 (16) (2009) 3940-3947.
25. M., Sanchez, M. J., Rivero, I. Ortiz, Photocatalytic oxidation of greywater over titanium dioxide suspensions, Desalination 262 (1-3) (2010) 141-146.
26. Türkiye Kıyılarında Yüzme Suyu Profillerinin Belirlenmesi Projesi, Bileşen 2: Turizmde Çevre Dostu Atıksu Yönetim Modelinin Oluşturulması – Fizibilite Raporu, TÜBİTAK Marmara Research Center (MAM), Turkish Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change (MoEUCC) (2014).
27. M. A. L. Zavala, R. C. Vega, R. A. L. Miranda, Potential of rainwater harvesting and greywater reuse for water consumption reduction and wastewater minimization, Water 8 (2016) 264.
28. M. A. L. Zavala, R. C. Vega, R. A. L. Miranda, Potential of rainwater harvesting and greywater reuse for water consumption reduction and wastewater minimization, Water 8 (2016) 264.
29. K. Aybuga, G. Y. Isıldar, An evaluation of rain water harvesting and greywater reuse potential for Ankara, Sigma Journal of Engineering and Natural Sciences 8 (3) (2017) 209–216.
30. L. Zhang, A. Njepu, X. Xia, Minimum cost solution to residential energy-water nexus through rainwater harvesting and greywater recycling, Journal of Cleaner Production 298 (2021) 126742.
31. A. Stec, D. Slys, Financial and social factors influencing the use of unconventional water systems in single-family houses in eight European countries, Resources 11 (2022) 16.
32. M. Al-Saidi, From acceptance snapshots to the social acceptability process: Structuring knowledge on attitudes towards water reuse, Frontiers in Environmental Science 9 (2021) 633841.
33. I. A. Al-Khatib, A. A. H. U. Al Shami, G. R. Garcia, I. Celik, Social acceptance of greywater reuse in rural areas, Journal of Environmental Public Health (2022) 1–11.