Standards of Wastewater Reuse/Disposal in KSA: Reconsideration

Abstract

Ministry of Agriculture and Water (MAW) in Saudi Arabia had setup very stringent standards for wastewater
reuse and discharge (WWRD) in 1989, for example, turbidity and nitrate as nitrogen were not to exceed 1NTU and 10
mg/l respectively. Those limits cannot be met without additional expensive tertiary treatment. Those standards are not
needed for all WWRD. In fact, secondary treatment with disinfection and efficient management are adequate for most
of WWRD. The author published an article back in 1999 in Water Research Journal, Vol. 33, in which he assessed the
standards and recommended setting up less stringent standards as a function of intended reuse and method of irrigation.
The standards were re-evaluated and modified by MAW and other ministries in 2003, 2005 and 2006. Unfortunately,
the modifications were not to the expected level, and still only a small part of treated wastewater is being used. The
remaining portion of wastewater is discharged into a wadi/sea. This article reassessed the standards published in 2003,
2005 and recommended setting up revised standards for reuses and discharges relevant to the intended uses and
discharges.
Keywords: Wastewater, reuses, discharges, standards Saudi Arabia.