A multi-criteria water quality index for optimal allocation of reclaimed municipal wastewater

Abstract

Use-oriented benefits and treatment cost analysis have been incorporated into a water quality index to derive economically optimized pollutant concentrations for use in the development of waste water treatment programs. This multi-criteria water quality index can be used in decision-making at federal and local governmental levels. Five major pollutants (coliforms, nitrogen, phosphorus, suspended solids, and detergent) were considered in the treatment of municipal wastewater. With each higher level of improvement, the treatment costs increase proportionally, but the benefits associated with the reuse of this treated wastewater also increase in all cases except that of nutrient removal for agricultural use. Listed in descending order of their general utility, possible uses of reclaimed water include water supply, recreation, irrigation, industrial use, waste disposal, transportation, and commercial fishery. The optimal concentration of a pollutant was defined as that point at which the marginal costs of its removal equal the marginal benefits thereby obtained. The optimum net benefits associated with each kind of reclamation are derived simultaneously. The multicriteria water quality index is a combination of the maximum net benefits and the water quality index of the optimal individual concentrations. Walski and Parker's water quality index was used in rating water quality. This methodology was applied to the Tucson region for the expediency of acquiring data. Possible uses considered for the reclaimed municipal wastewater included agricultural irrigation and recreational lakes in the Tucson metropolitan area. Results from this study indicate that the multi-criteria water quality index is zero dollars, or (NB = $1.83•10⁶, WQI = 0). Similar evaluations for other cities, made in the same way, would permit ranking of this index. This ranking would be useful for making decisions concerning the allocation of regional funds for treating municipal wastewater. This approach could also be used on a local level for determining optimal concentrations of pollutants and for optimal allocation of the treated water.