Greywater reuse: a review of the Jordanian experience in rural communities

Water conservation is a critical issue particularly in arid countries and countries which suffer lack of natural water resources. Jordan is one of the most water-scarce countries in the world; this fact has forced the search for alternative sustainable solutions. With the support of several regional and international organizations, tens of projects were implemented across the country over the last thirty years that aimed to reusing the greywater in rural communities. The current review provides a wide overview of Jordan's experience in greywater treatment and its reuse for non-potable purposes in rural areas. To the best knowledge of the authors, the present review is the first to assess the Jordanian experience in this field. Many governmental authorities and non-governmental organizations had been employed in the Jordan's experience. The greywater reuse systems were established to achieve advantageous environmental and socio-economic consequences on the rural communities. The strategy of greywater treatment was based on a local on-site greywater treatment system in households or the so called 'autonomous water management'. The applied greywater treatment technologies in households were found efficient in rendering greywater adequate for agricultural uses. However, further improvements and territorial expansion of the experiment are needed.

Automated summary

This article reviews Jordan's experience in greywater treatment and its reuse for non-potable purposes in rural areas, providing a comprehensive overview. The establishment of greywater reuse systems aims to bring environmental and socio-economic benefits to rural communities.