About 75% of the wastewater in Israel is treated and used for irrigation with a tendency towards increasing of this quota to the maximum. The existing municipal wastewater treatments are incapable of removing inorganic salts and this results in relatively high salt concentrations in most of the reused water flowing from domestic and industrial sources. The increased use of available sources of water and the semi-arid conditions of the area reduces the "wash-out" of excess salts. Both phenomena cause salt accumulation in soils, damaging crops and soil and eventually the ground water on reaching the aquifers.

The study gives a preliminary evaluation of the cost of 'desalination' of waste water by comparing the two options, including possibility and usefulness of the treatments, and equipment needed to decrease salt concentrations in effluents used mostly for irrigation purposes.

Publications:
Harussi, Y., Rom, D., Galil, N. and Semiat, R., "Evaluation of Membrane Processes To Reduce The Salinity Of Reclaimed Wastewater", Submitted to publication.