New Trends in Wastewater Recycling, Treatment, and Management

Water is necessary for the continual existence of human beings and virtually all living creatures. The growing human population and advanced industrialization coupled with climatic change have exerted significant pressure on available scarce freshwater resources, especially in water-stressed regions around the globe. Hence, various studies have been ongoing on the need for alternatives to substitute the already scarce natural water resources through recovery, reuse, and recycling of wastewater. This strategy has been accepted as a means of conserving water resources and ensuring future sustainability through innovative wastewater treatment technologies and approaches to improve the quality of wastewater discharged into the environment and the prevention of polluted water from contaminating nearby (underground and surface) clean water resources. This chapter highlights the recent progress in the management, treatment, and recycling of wastewater. Much emphasis on the advanced physicochemical, biological, and other methods to treat wastewater and its reuse aspects are discussed while revealing innovative recent technologies for effective wastewater (industrial, biological, household, sewer, etc.) management in ensuring water availability for various applications, Furthermore, challenges of each treatment method and effects on environmental sustainability are extensively discussed.