On-site water recycling systems in Japan

Non-potable urban water reuse is Japan's main water reuse practice, which includes water for environmental uses, in-stream flow augmentation, toilet flushing, and industrial reuse. On-site water recycling systems reclaim wastewater on site as well as harvest rainwater in one or more large buildings and distributing the reclaimed water within the buildings for non-potable reuse. Based on our survey conducted in 1999 on current status of on-site water recycling systems in 23 wards of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government District, the following findings are reported in this paper: (1) on the average, 61% of non-potable water demand is met by reclaimed water, and the deficit is made up by tap water from city water supply, (2) biological treatment or ultrafiltration processes can provide reliable treatment and suitable water quality. Some technical problems such as odor from on-site treatment facilities have occurred in a few buildings, (3) there has been no serious accident involving human health by accidentally ingesting reclaimed water, and (4) there is a scale merit in the construction cost of on-site water recycling systems. An on-site wastewater recycling system larger than 100 m³/d is more economically justifiable when compared to a conventional domestic water supply system. An on-site water recycling system can provide an effective, safe, and economical urban water resource for non-potable water reuse applications.