Reduction of pathogens in greywater with biological and sustainable treatments selected through a multicriteria approach

Non-potable reuse of greywater (GW) can represent a valid alternative to freshwater consumption, satisfying the Sustainable Development Goals promoted by United Nations. The Multi-Criteria Analysis (MCA) was applied to select the most suitable processes for the reduction of microbiological contamination in GW. A pilot plant, including horizontal flow constructed wetland (CW) and anaerobic filtration (AF) in parallel, best treatment options according to MCA results, was built to treat GW collected from a Venezuelan family. (i) The removal efficiency of microbiological parameters, and (ii) the turbidity as possible microbiological contamination indicator and possible influence factor of disinfection treatment, were investigated. Except for Escherichia coli (4.1 & PLUSMN; 0.9 log reduction with AF), CW achieved the best reductions yields for total coliforms, faecal coliforms, and Salmonella, respectively equal to 3.1 & PLUSMN; 0.5 log, 4.3 & PLUSMN; 0.5 log, and 2.9 & PLUSMN; 0.4 log. In accordance with Venezuelan legislation and WHO guidelines, GW treated with CW was found to be suitable for irrigation reuse for non-edible crops. However, the reduction of pathogens by CW should be considered as a preliminary and not complete disinfection treatment. To reuse GW, especially in the irrigation of edible crops, stronger disinfection treatment should be considered as a complement to the preliminary disinfection performed by CW, to avoid any kind of risk. No significant correlation was found for turbidity either as a possible predictor of microbiological contamination or as an influence on biological disinfection.

Automated summary

Non-potable reuse of greywater can be an effective alternative to freshwater consumption, aligning with the Sustainable Development Goals. A pilot plant incorporating horizontal flow constructed wetland and anaerobic filtration was built to treat greywater from a Venezuelan family, achieving significant reductions in microbiological contamination. However, additional disinfection treatment may be necessary for complete pathogen removal in order to safely reuse the greywater, especially for irrigation of edible crops.