Purpose: Need, coupled with advances in water treatment technology, is motivating a growing interest in augmenting drinking water supplies with reclaimed water. Using reclaimed water to increase the flow of the Llobregat River upstream the water catchment site of the complex multi-step drinking water treatment plant of Sant Joan Despí has been considered. The impact of reclaimed water discharges on the load of E. coli, spores of sulphite-reducing clostridia, somatic coliphages, cytopathogenic enteroviruses, and total and infectious Cryptosporidium oocysts in the Llobregat River water was assessed to gain information for funded decisions in potential future emergencies.
Methods: Enterovirus and Cryptosporidium oocysts were concentrated from great water volumes prior to enumeration, whereas indicators were enumerated directly from the samples. Both indicators and pathogens were enumerated by cultural techniques that determine infectious microbes.
Results and discussion: Densities of both indicators and pathogens in reclaimed water, despite that it was disinfected by UV irradiation alone or by UV irradiation plus chlorination, were significantly lower than their densities in the river water, both upstream and downstream the reclaimed water release site in the river.
Conclusion: Results gathered indicate that discharging reclaimed water into the river does not increment the load of indicators and pathogens of the river water. Then, in emergency situations due to severe water shortages after prolonged droughts, at least from the infectious diseases point of view, the risks of augmenting drinking water supplies with reclaimed water can be satisfactorily and safely managed.