Toxicologie environnementale et analytique

Wastewater Reuse in Kuwait and Its Impact on Amounts of Pollutants Discharged into the Sea

Abstract

B Al-Anzi, A Abusam and A Shahalam

Kuwait has recently implemented a vigorous campaign that aims to reclaim and reuse all treated wastewater. This paper presents the present status of wastewater treatment, reclamation and reuse in Kuwait, and discusses the impact of wastewater reuse on the amounts of pollutants discharged into the sea. Analysis of the historical records of the wastewater treatment plants has indicated that the reuse of reclaimed wastewater in Kuwait has greatly reduced the amounts of pollutants discharged into the sea, from about 65% of treated wastewater in year 2000 to less than 30% in year 2010. However, the amounts of treated wastewater discharged into the sea were predicted to start increasing again by the year 2020, especially if the future plans of the Ministry of Public Works (MPW) will not be implemented by that time.