Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

A review on greywater reuse: quality, risks, barriers and global scenarios

  • review paper
  • Published:
Reviews in Environmental Science and Bio/Technology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Greywater is wastewater collected from household sources without input from toilet or commode streams. Greywater represent ca. 65% of total household wastewaters globally. Different aspects of greywater, including its production sources, its characteristics, the barriers and the global scenarios of its reuse, have been critically reviewed in this paper. Given the current projections on acute water scarcity in many regions of the world, the importance of water management cannot be overlooked and a decentralized approach, segregating wastewater streams of a household with proper sanitation is a potential option for recycling greywater. This paper aims to explore the improvements achieved in the reuse of greywater. Therefore, reutilization rates were estimated, hazards and risks associated with the use of untreated greywater were analyzed were summarized. Guidelines for greywater treatment were established and barriers for successful implementation of reuse strategies were identified. Global scenarios of successful implementations of greywater reuse were presented.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

Abbreviations

BOD:

Biological oxygen demand

BOD5:

5-Day biochemical oxygen demand

CFU:

Colony forming unit

COD:

Chemical oxygen demand

CW:

Constructed wetland

DO:

Dissolved oxygen

ECRO:

Electrocoagulation, electroreduction and ozonation

FC:

Faecal coliforms

Gpd:

Gallons per day

Lpcd:

Liters per capita per day

MBR:

Membrane bioreactor

MF:

Microfiltration

NF:

Nanofiltration

RBC:

Rotating biological contactor

SBR:

Sequencing batch reactor

TC:

Total coliforms

TDS:

Total dissolved solids

TP:

Total phosphor

TSS:

Total suspended solids

UASB:

Up-flow anaerobic sludge blanket

UF:

Ultrafiltration

XOCs:

Xenobiotic organic compounds

References

  • Abdel-Shafy HI, Al-Sulaiman AM (2014) Assessment of physico-chemical processes for treatment and reuse of greywater. Egypt J Chem 57:215–231

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Abdel-Shafy HI, Al-Sulaiman AM, Mansour MSM (2015) Anaerobic/aerobic treatment of greywater via UASB and MBR for unrestricted reuse. Water Sci Technol 71:630–637

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Abu Ghunmi L, Zeeman G, Fayyad M, van Lier J (2011) Grey water biodegradability. Biodegradation 22:163–174

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Abu-Ashour J, Jamrah A (2008) Survival of bacteria in soil subsequent to greywater application. Int J Environ Stud 65:51–56

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Abu-Zreig M, Rudra R, Dickinson W (2003) Effect of application of surfactants on hydraulic properties of soils. Biosyst Eng 84:363–372

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ajonina C, Buzie C, Rubiandini RH, Otterpohl R (2015) Microbial pathogens in wastewater treatment plants (WWTP) in Hamburg. J Toxicol Environ Health Part A 78:381–387

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Albalawneh A, Chang T-K, Chou C-S (2015) Impacts on soil quality from long-term irrigation with treated greywater. Paddy Water Environ 14:289–297

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Al-Hamaiedeh H, Bino M (2010) Effect of treated grey water reuse in irrigation on soil and plants. Desalination 256:115–119

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Al-Jayyousi OR (2003) Greywater reuse: towards sustainable water management. Desalination 156:181–192

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Asano T (2007) Milestones in the reuse of municipal wastewater. In: Proceedings of water supply and sanitation for all. pp 295–306

  • Azaizeh H, Linden K, Barstow C, Kalbouneh S, Tellawi A, Albalawneh A, Gerchman Y (2012) Constructed wetlands combined with UV disinfection systems for removal of enteric pathogens and wastewater contaminants. Water Sci Technol 67:651–657

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Barışçı S, Särkkä H, Sillanpää M, Dimoglo A (2015) The treatment of greywater from a restaurant by electrosynthesized ferrate (VI) ion. Desalin Water Treat 57:11375–11385

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Barry B, Klima MS, Cannon FS (2017) Effects of desliming and hydroacoustic cavitation treatment on the flotation of ultrafine bituminous coal. Int J Coal Prep Util 37(4):213–224

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Barzegar G, Wu J, Ghanbari F (2018) Enhanced treatment of greywater using electrocoagulation/ozonation: investigation of process parameters. Process Saf Environ Prot. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psep.2018.10.013

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Birks R, Hills S (2007) Characterisation of indicator organisms and pathogens in domestic greywater for recycling. Environ Monit Assess 129:61–69

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Board CPC (2012) The environment (protection) rules, 1986, Schedule-VI. www.cpcb.nic.in. Accessed 24 Nov 2016. Accessed 24 Sept 2017

  • Boyjoo Y, Pareek VK, Ang M (2013) A review of greywater characteristics and treatment processes. Water Sci Technol 67:1403–1424

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Braga J, Varesche M (2014) Commercial laundry water characterisation. Am J Anal Chem 5:8–16

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Brisbane City Council (2015) Greywater uses. https://www.brisbane.qld.gov.au/environment-waste/water/water-smart-homes/greywater. Accessed on 11th Sept 2017

  • Chaillou K, Gérente C, Andrès Y, Wolbert D (2011) Bathroom greywater characterization and potential treatments for reuse. Water Air Soil Pollut 215:31–42

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Chang Y (2010) Greywater treatment within semi-centralised supply and treatment systems by the example of the People’s Republic of China vol 208. Verein zur Förderung des Instituts IWAR der TU Darmstadt eV

  • Cheunbarn T, Cheunbarn S (2015) Cultivation of algae in vegetable and fruit canning industrial wastewater treatment effluent for tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) feed supplement. Int J Agric Biol 17:653–657

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Chong MN, Cho YJ, Poh PE, Jin B (2015) Evaluation of Titanium dioxide photocatalytic technology for the treatment of reactive Black 5 dye in synthetic and real greywater effluents. J Clean Prod 89:196–202

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Chrispim MC, Nolasco MA (2017) Greywater treatment using a moving bed biofilm reactor at a university campus in Brazil. J Clean Prod 142:290–296

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Christova-Boal D, Eden RE, McFarlane S (1996) An investigation into greywater reuse for urban residential properties. Desalination 106:391–397

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Chu J, Chen J, Wang C, Fu P (2004) Wastewater reuse potential analysis: implications for China’s water resources management. Water Res 38:2746–2756

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Church J, Verbyla ME, Lee WH, Randall AA, Amundsen TJ, Zastrow DJ (2015) Dishwashing water recycling system and related water quality standards for military use. Sci Total Environ 529:275–284

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Couto EdAd, Calijuri ML, Assemany PP, Santiago AdF, Lopes LS (2015) Greywater treatment in airports using anaerobic filter followed by UV disinfection: an efficient and low cost alternative. J Clean Prod 106:372–379

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Daghrir R, Gherrou A, Noel I, Seyhi B (2016) Hybrid process combining electrocoagulation, electroreduction, and ozonation processes for the treatment of grey wastewater in batch mode. J Environ Eng 142:1–13

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Dalahmeh SS, Assayed M, Suleiman WT (2009) Themes of stakeholder participation in greywater management in rural communities in Jordan. Desalination 243:159–169

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Dalahmeh SS, Pell M, Vinnerås B, Hylander LD, Öborn I, Jönsson H (2012) Efficiency of bark, activated charcoal, foam and sand filters in reducing pollutants from greywater. Water Air Soil Pollut 223:3657–3671

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Dallas S, Scheffe B, Ho G (2004) Reedbeds for greywater treatment—case study in Santa Elena-Monteverde, Costa Rica, Central America. Ecol Eng 23:55–61

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • de Gois EH, Rios CA, Costanzi RN (2015) Evaluation of water conservation and reuse: a case study of a shopping mall in southern Brazil. J Clean Prod 96:263–271

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • de Wilt A, Butkovskyi A, Tuantet K, Leal LH, Fernandes TV, Langenhoff A, Zeeman G (2016) Micropollutant removal in an algal treatment system fed with source separated wastewater streams. J Hazard Mater 304:84–92

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Dixon AM, Butler D, Fewkes A (1999) Guidelines for greywater re-use: health issues. Water Environ J 13:322–326

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Domènech L, Saurí D (2010) Socio-technical transitions in water scarcity contexts: public acceptance of greywater reuse technologies in the metropolitan area of Barcelona. Resour Conserv Recycl 55:53–62

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Domènech L, Núnez L, Molist J, Sauri D (2009) Estudi sobre la percepció social i règim de funcionament dels sistemes d’aprofitament de recursos no potables a Sant Cugat del Vallès. Agència Catalana de l’Aigua, Barcelona

    Google Scholar 

  • Domènech L, March H, Vallès M, Saurí D (2015) Learning processes during regime shifts: empirical evidence from the diffusion of greywater recycling in Spain. Environ Innov Soc Transit 15:26–41

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Edge CZB (2015) Efficacy of the fenton reaction for degrading Allura red azo dye: applications for use in hair salon greywater treatment systems. Doctoral dissertation, Appalachian State University

  • El Nemr A, El-Sikaily A, Khaled A, Abdelwahab O (2015) Removal of toxic chromium from aqueous solution, wastewater and saline water by marine red alga Pterocladia capillacea and its activated carbon. Arab J Chem 8:105–117

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Elmitwalli T, Otterpohl R (2011) Grey water treatment in upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) reactor at different temperatures. Water Sci Technol 64:610–617

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Elmitwalli TA, Oahn KLT, Zeeman G, Lettinga G (2002) Treatment of domestic sewage in a two-step anaerobic filter/anaerobic hybrid system at low temperature. Water Res 36:2225–2232

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Elmitwalli T, Shalabi M, Wendland C, Otterpohl R (2007) Grey water treatment in UASB reactor at ambient temperature. Water Sci Technol 55:173–180

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Enayathali SS, Kumar VN (2012) Performance of rotating biological contactor for treating segregated grey water for reuse. Int J Eng Res Technol 4:40–41

    Google Scholar 

  • Ercin AE, Hoekstra AY (2014) Water footprint scenarios for 2050: a global analysis. Environ Int 64:71–82

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Eriksson E, Auffarth K, Henze M, Ledin A (2002) Characteristics of grey wastewater Urban Water 4:85–104

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Eriksson E, Andersen HR, Madsen TS, Ledin A (2009) Greywater pollution variability and loadings. Ecol Eng 35:661–669

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Farajzadehha S, Shayegan J, Mirbagheri S, Farajzadehha S, Hazrati H (2015) The combined UASB and MBR system to COD and TSS removal and excess sludge reduction for the treatment of high strength wastewater in various operational temperatures. Desalin Water Treat 53:352–359

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Faulwetter JL et al (2009) Microbial processes influencing performance of treatment wetlands: a review. Ecol Eng 35:987–1004

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Finley S, Barrington S, Lyew D (2009) Reuse of domestic greywater for the irrigation of food crops. Water Air Soil Pollut 199:235–245

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Fliermans C (1996) Ecology of Legionella: from data to knowledge with a little wisdom. Microb Ecol 32:203–228

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Fong T-T, Lipp EK (2005) Enteric viruses of humans and animals in aquatic environments: health risks, detection, and potential water quality assessment tools. Microbiol Mol Biol Rev 69:357–371

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Fong T-T, Griffin DW, Lipp EK (2005) Molecular assays for targeting human and bovine enteric viruses in coastal waters and their application for library-independent source tracking. Appl Environ Microbiol 71:2070–2078

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Fountoulakis M, Markakis N, Petousi I, Manios T (2016) Single house on-site grey water treatment using a submerged membrane bioreactor for toilet flushing. Sci Total Environ 551:706–711

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Friedler E, Kovalio R, Ben-Zvi A (2006) Comparative study of the microbial quality of greywater treated by three on-site treatment systems. Environ Technol 27:653–663

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Gennaccaro AL, McLaughlin MR, Quintero-Betancourt W, Huffman DE, Rose JB (2003) Infectious Cryptosporidium parvum oocysts in final reclaimed effluent. Appl Environ Microbiol 69:4983–4984

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ghaitidak D, Yadav K (2013) Characteristics and treatment of greywater—a review. Environ Sci Pollut Res 20:2795–2809

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ghaitidak DM, Yadav KD (2015a) Effect of coagulant in greywater treatment for reuse: selection of optimal coagulation condition using analytic hierarchy process. Desalin Water Treat 55:913–925

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ghaitidak DM, Yadav KD (2015b) Reuse of greywater: effect of coagulant. Desalin Water Treat 54(9):2410–2421

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ghunmi LA, Zeeman G, Fayyad M, van Lier JB (2010) Grey water treatment in a series anaerobic–aerobic system for irrigation. Bioresour Technol 101:41–50

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Gleick PH (2009) China and water. In: The world’s water 2008–2009: the biennial report on freshwater resources, pp 79–100

  • Government of Western Australia (2005) Code Practice for the Reuse of Greywater in Western Australia, Department of Environment and the Department of health. HP8122, 56

  • Günther F (2000) Wastewater treatment by greywater separation: outline for a biologically based greywater purification plant in Sweden. Ecol Eng 15(1–2):139–146

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Haas CN, Rose JB (1996) Distribution of Cryptosporidium oocysts in a water supply. Water Res 30:2251–2254

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Halalsheh M, Dalahmeh S, Sayed M, Suleiman W, Shareef M, Mansour M, Safi M (2008) Grey water characteristics and treatment options for rural areas in Jordan. Bioresour Technol 99:6635–6641

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hammouda O, Abdel-Raouf N, Shaaban M, Kamal M, Plant B-SWT (2015) Treatment of mixed domestic-industrial wastewater using microalgae Chlorella sp. J Am Sci 11:303–315

    Google Scholar 

  • Health NSW (2000) Greywater reuse in sewered single domestic premises. Department of Energy, Utilities and Sustainability, Sydney

    Google Scholar 

  • Hernández Leal L, Temmink H, Zeeman G, Buisman CJ (2010) Comparison of three systems for biological greywater treatment. Water 2:155–169

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hernández Leal L, Temmink H, Zeeman G, Buisman CJN (2011) Characterization and anaerobic biodegradability of grey water. Desalination 270:111–115

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Higgins J, Warnken J, Sherman P, Teasdale P (2002) Survey of users and providers of recycled water: quality concerns and directions for applied research. Water Res 36:5045–5056

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hosseinzadeh M, Bidhendi GN, Torabian A, Mehrdadi N, Pourabdullah M (2015) A new flat sheet membrane bioreactor hybrid system for advanced treatment of effluent, reverse osmosis pretreatment and fouling mitigation. Bioresour Technol 192:177–184

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Huelgas A, Funamizu N (2010) Flat-plate submerged membrane bioreactor for the treatment of higher-load graywater. Desalination 250:162–166

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hülsen T, Barry EM, Lu Y, Puyol D, Keller J, Batstone DJ (2016) Domestic wastewater treatment with purple phototrophic bacteria using a novel continuous photo anaerobic membrane bioreactor. Water Res 100:486–495

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Itayama T et al (2006) On site experiments of the slanted soil treatment systems for domestic gray water. Water Sci Technol 53:193–201

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Jamrah A, Al-Omari A, Al-Qasem L, Ghani NA (2006) Assessment of availability and characteristics of greywater in Amman. Water Int 31:210–220

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Janczukowicz W, Szewczyk M, Krzemieniewski M, Pesta J (2001) Settling properties of activated sludge from a sequencing batch reactor (SBR). Pol J Environ Stud 10:15–20

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Jefferson B, Palmer A, Jeffrey P, Stuetz R, Judd S (2004) Grey water characterisation and its impact on the selection and operation of technologies for urban reuse. Water Sci Technol 50:157–164

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Jokerst A, Sharvelle SE, Hollowed ME, Roesner LA (2011) Seasonal performance of an outdoor constructed wetland for graywater treatment in a temperate climate. Water Environ Res 83:2187–2198

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Jong J, Lee J, Kim J, Hyun K, Hwang T, Park J, Choung Y (2010) The study of pathogenic microbial communities in graywater using membrane bioreactor. Desalination 250:568–572

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kim R-H, Lee S, Jeong J, Lee J-H, Kim Y-K (2007) Reuse of greywater and rainwater using fiber filter media and metal membrane. Desalination 202:326–332

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kimwaga RJ (2014) Characterization of greywater and its implication for reuse: a case study of peri-urban and unplanned areas. Int J Ecol Dev 28:79–86

    Google Scholar 

  • Krewski D, Balbus J, Butler-Jones D, Haas C, Isaac-Renton J, Roberts KJ, Sinclair M (2002) Managing health risks from drinking water—a report to the walkerton inquiry. J Toxicol Environ Health Part A 65:1635–1823

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lamine M, Bousselmi L, Ghrabi A (2007) Biological treatment of grey water using sequencing batch reactor. Desalination 215:127–132

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lazarova V, Hills S, Birks R (2003) Using recycled water for non-potable, urban uses: a review with particular reference to toilet flushing. Water Supply 3:69–77

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lee Y-S, Han G-B (2016) Complete reduction of highly concentrated contaminants in piggery waste by a novel process scheme with an algal-bacterial symbiotic photobioreactor. J Environ Manag 177:202–212

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lesjean B, Gnirss R (2006) Grey water treatment with a membrane bioreactor operated at low SRT and low HRT. Desalination 199:432–434

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Li Z, Gulyas H, Jahn M, Gajurel D, Otterpohl R (2004) Greywater treatment by constructed wetlands in combination with TiO2-based photocatalytic oxidation for suburban and rural areas without sewer system. Water Sci Technol 48:101–106

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Li F, Wichmann K, Otterpohl R (2009) Review of the technological approaches for grey water treatment and reuses. Sci Total Environ 407:3439–3449

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Li Z, Boyle F, Reynolds A (2010) Rainwater harvesting and greywater treatment systems for domestic application in Ireland. Desalination 260:1–8

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ma Y, Zhou X, Zhang X, Zhou W, Le Q (2015) Necessity and main scientific problems of urban wastewater reclamation and reuse in Shanghai. Water Purif Technol 34:70–72

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Maeda M, Nakada K, Kawamoto K, Ikeda M (1996) Area-wide use of reclaimed water in Tokyo, Japan. Water Sci Technol 33:51–57

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Maiga Y, Takahashi M, Somda TYK, Maiga AH (2015) Greywater treatment by high rate algal pond under Sahelian conditions for reuse in irrigation. J Water Resour Prot 7:1143

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Maimon A, Tal A, Friedler E, Gross A (2010) Safe on-site reuse of greywater for irrigation-a critical review of current guidelines. Environ Sci Technol 44:3213–3220

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Main J, Ingavale BC (2012) Sequencing batch reactor for greywater treatment. Excel Int J Multidiscip Manag Stud 2:88–107

    Google Scholar 

  • Mandal D, Labhasetwar P, Dhone S, Dubey AS, Shinde G, Wate S (2011) Water conservation due to greywater treatment and reuse in urban setting with specific context to developing countries. Resour Conserv Recycl 55:356–361

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • March JG, Gual M, Orozco F (2004) Experiences on greywater re-use for toilet flushing in a hotel (Mallorca Island, Spain). Desalination 164:241–247

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Matsuura N, Hatamoto M, Sumino H, Syutsubo K, Yamaguchi T, Ohashi A (2015) Recovery and biological oxidation of dissolved methane in effluent from UASB treatment of municipal sewage using a two-stage closed downflow hanging sponge system. J Environ Manag 151:200–209

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Mekki A, Fki F, Kchaou M, Sayadi S (2015) Short-term effects of gray wastewater on a mediterranean sandy soil. Clean Soil Air Water 43:754–760

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • MEP (2017) Ministry of environmental protection-standards for water quality. http://english.sepa.gov.cn/Resources/standards/water_environment/index_14.shtml. Accessed on 26.08.17 at 21:53

  • Merz C, Scheumann R, El Hamouri B, Kraume M (2007) Membrane bioreactor technology for the treatment of greywater from a sports and leisure club. Desalination 215:37–43

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Metcalf E (2003) Wastewater engineering treatment and reuse. Tata McGraw Hill Education Private Limited, New Delhi

    Google Scholar 

  • Miksch K et al (2015) R&D priorities in the field of sustainable remediation and purification of agro-industrial and municipal wastewater. New Biotechnol 32:128–132

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Mzini LL, Winter K (2015a) Effects of irrigation water quality on vegetables Part 1: yield and aesthetical appeal. S Afr J Plant Soil 32:27–31

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mzini LL, Winter K (2015b) Effects of irrigation water quality on vegetables Part 2: chemical and nutritional content. S Afr J Plant Soil 32:33–37

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Neumann M, Schulze-Robbecke R, Hagenau C, Behringer K (1997) Comparison of methods for isolation of mycobacteria from water. Appl Environ Microbiol 63:547–552

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Nghiem LD, Oschmann N, Schäfer AI (2006) Fouling in greywater recycling by direct ultrafiltration. Desalination 187:283–290

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Nolde E (2000) Greywater reuse systems for toilet flushing in multi-storey buildings—over ten years experience in Berlin. Urban Water. 1:275–284

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • O’Toole J, Sinclair M, Malawaraarachchi M, Hamilton A, Barker SF, Leder K (2012) Microbial quality assessment of household greywater. Water Res 46:4301–4313

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Oh KS, Leong JYC, Poh PE, Chong MN, Lau EV (2018) A review of greywater recycling related issues: challenges and future prospects in Malaysia. J Clean Prod 171:17–29

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ormerod KJ, Scott CA (2012) Drinking wastewater: public trust in potable reuse. Sci Technol Human Values 38:351–373

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Oron G, Adel M, Agmon V, Friedler E, Halperin R, Leshem E, Weinberg D (2014) Greywater use in Israel and worldwide: standards and prospects. Water Res 58:92–101

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ottoson J (2005) Comparative analysis of pathogen occurrence in wastewater : management strategies for barrier function and microbial control. Doctoral thesis, comprehensive summary, KTH

  • Ottoson J, Stenström TA (2003) Faecal contamination of greywater and associated microbial risks. Water Res 37:645–655

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Pangarkar BL, Parjane SB, Sane M (2010) Design and economical performance of gray water treatment plant in rural region. World Acad Sci Eng Technol 4:782–786

    Google Scholar 

  • Paris S, Schlapp C (2010) Greywater recycling in Vietnam—Application of the HUBER MBR process. Desalination 250:1027–1030

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Parjane SB, Sane MG (2011) Performance of grey water treatment plant by economical way for Indian rural development. Int J Chem Tech Res 3:1808–1815

    Google Scholar 

  • Pathan AA, Mahar RB, Ansari K (2011) Preliminary study of greywater treatment through rotating biological contactor. Mehran Univ Res J Eng Technol 30:531–538

    Google Scholar 

  • Pham TTN, Ngo HH, Guo W, Dang HPD, Mainali B, Johnston A, Listowski A (2011) Responses of community to the possible use of recycled water for washing machines: a case study in Sydney, Australia. Resour Conserv Recycl 55:535–540

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pidou M, Mamon FA, Stephenson T, Jefferson B, Jeffrey P (2007) Greywater recycling: treatment options and applications. Proc Inst Civ Eng Eng Sustain 160:119–131

    Google Scholar 

  • Pidou M et al (2008) Chemical solutions for greywater recycling. Chemosphere 71:147–155

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Pinto U, Maheshwari BL (2010) Reuse of greywater for irrigation around homes in Australia: understanding community views, issues and practices. Urban Water J. 7:141–153

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Pinto U, Maheshwari B (2015) Sustainable graywater reuse for residential landscape irrigation—a critical review. Chin J Popul Resour Environ 13:250–264

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pinto U, Maheshwari B, Grewal H (2010) Effects of greywater irrigation on plant growth, water use and soil properties. Resour Conserv Recycl 54:429–435

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Po M, Nancarrow BE, Kaercher JD (2003) Literature review of factors influencing public perceptions of water reuse. Technical Report 54/03: Citeseer. Available at http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.197.423&rep=rep1&type=pdf

  • Prathapar S, Jamrah A, Ahmed M, Al Adawi S, Al Sidairi S, Al Harassi A (2005) Overcoming constraints in treated greywater reuse in Oman. Desalination 186:177–186

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Prathapar S, Ahmed M, Al Adawi S, Al Sidiari S (2006) Design, construction and evaluation of an ablution water treatment unit in Oman: a case study. Int J Environ Stud 63:283–292

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Qiang H, Li H, Jun Z (2008) Application of sustainable water system—the demonstration in Chengdu (China). In: Proceedings of third SWITCH Scientific Meeting, Belo Horizonte

  • Ramona G, Green M, Semiat R, Dosoretz C (2004) Low strength graywater characterization and treatmentby direct membrane filtration. Desalin. 170:241–250

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ramprasad C, Philip L (2016) Surfactants and personal care products removal in pilot scale horizontal and vertical flow constructed wetlands while treating greywater. Chem Eng J 284:458–468

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Redwood M (2008) The application of pilot research on greywater in the Middle East North Africa region (MENA). Int J Environ Stud 65:109–117

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Roccaro P, Sgroi M, Vagliasindi F (2013) Removal of xenobiotic compounds from wastewater for environment protection: treatment processes and costs. Chem Eng Trans 32:505–510

    Google Scholar 

  • Rojas ZU, Fajardo-O C, Moreno-Andrade I, Monroy O (2017) Greywater treatment in an aerobic SBR: sludge structure and kinetics. Water Sci Technol 76:1535–1544

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Santos C, Taveira-Pinto F, Cheng CY, Leite D (2012) Development of an experimental system for greywater reuse. Desalination 285:301–305

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Schaefer K, Exall K, Marsalek J (2004) Water reuse and recycling in Canada: a status and needs assessment. Can Water Resour J 29:195–208

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schäfer AI, Nghiem LD, Oschmann N (2006) Bisphenol A retention in the direct ultrafiltration of greywater. J Membr Sci 283:233–243

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Shuval H, Lampert Y, Fattal B (1997) Development of a risk assessment approach for evaluating wastewater reuse standards for agriculture. Water Sci Technol 35:15–20

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Šostar-Turk S, Petrinić I, Simonič M (2005) Laundry wastewater treatment using coagulation and membrane filtration. Resour Conserv Recycl 44:185–196

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sumisha A, Arthanareeswaran G, Thuyavan YL, Ismail A, Chakraborty S (2015) Treatment of laundry wastewater using polyethersulfone/polyvinylpyrollidone ultrafiltration membranes. Ecotoxicol Environ Saf 121:174–179

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sydney Water (2018) Water conservation report-2016–2017. http://www.sydneywater.com.au/web/groups/publicwebcontent/documents/document/zgrf/mdq3/~edisp/dd_047419.pdf Accessed on 10 Aug 2018

  • Syme GJ, Williams KD (1993) The psychology of drinking water quality: an exploratory study. Water Resour Res 29:4003–4010

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tandlich R, Zuma BM, Whittington-Jones KJ, Burgess JE (2009) Mulch tower treatment system for greywater reuse Part II: destructive testing and effluent treatment. Desalination 242:57–69

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Teh XY, Poh PE, Gouwanda D, Chong MN (2015) Decentralized light greywater treatment using aerobic digestion and hydrogen peroxide disinfection for non-potable reuse. J Clean Prod 99:305–311

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Thomas-White K, Brady M, Wolfe AJ, Mueller ER (2016) The bladder is not sterile: history and current discoveries on the urinary microbiome. Curr Bladder Dysfunct Rep 11(1):18–24

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Torrens A, Molle P, Boutin C, Salgot M (2009) Impact of design and operation variables on the performance of vertical-flow constructed wetlands and intermittent sand filters treating pond effluent. Water Res 43:1851–1858

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Toze S (1999) PCR and the detection of microbial pathogens in water and wastewater. Water Res 33:3545–3556

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Toze S (2006) Reuse of effluent water—benefits and risks. Agric Water Manage 80:147–159

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Travis MJ, Wiel-Shafran A, Weisbrod N, Adar E, Gross A (2010) Greywater reuse for irrigation: effect on soil properties. Sci Total Environ 408:2501–2508

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Türker OC, Vymazal J, Türe C (2014) Constructed wetlands for boron removal: a review. Ecol Eng 64:350–359

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ulimat A Wastewater Production, Treatment, and Use in Jordan. In: Second Regional Workshop Safe Use of Wastewater in Agriculture, New Delhi, India, 2012

  • USEPA (2012) Guidelines for water reuse. U.S. Ageny for International Development, Washington, pp 1–480

    Google Scholar 

  • Vuppaladadiyam AK, Merayo N, Blanco A, Hou J, Dionysiou DD, Zhao M (2018) Simulation study on comparison of algal treatment to conventional biological processes for greywater treatment. Algal Res 35:106–114

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wang R, Zimmerman J (2016) Hybrid analysis of blue water consumption and water scarcity implications at the global, national, and basin levels in an increasingly globalized world. Environ Sci Technol 50:5143–5153

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Warner W (2006) Understanding greywater treatment. In: Butler D, Memon FA (eds) Water demand management. IWA Publishing, London

    Google Scholar 

  • Wilson R, Fujioka R (1995) Development of a method to selectively isolate pathogenic Leptospira from environmental samples. Water Sci Technol 31:275–282

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Xu S, Wu D, Hu Z (2014) Impact of hydraulic retention time on organic and nutrient removal in a membrane coupled sequencing batch reactor. Water Res 55:12–20

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Zeeman G, Lettinga G (1999) The role of anaerobic digestion of domestic sewage in closing the water and nutrient cycle at community level. Water Sci Technol 39:187–194

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zeng S, Dong X, Chen J, Li P (2013) Planning an urban wastewater system with centralised greywater reuse: a case in Beijing. Civ Eng Environ Syst 30:40–55

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhang H, Chen G, Bahnemann DW (2009) Photoelectrocatalytic materials for environmental applications. J Mater Chem 19:5089–5121

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Zhu Jie, Wagner Martin, Cornel Peter, Chen Hongbin, Dai X (2016) Feasibility of on-site grey-water reuse for toilet flushing in China. J Water Reuse Desalin 8:1–13

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Zuma BM, Tandlich R, Whittington-Jones KJ, Burgess JE (2009) Mulch tower treatment system Part I: overall performance in greywater treatment. Desalination 242:38–56

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

The work was supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (grant number: 51506112) and Tsinghua University Initiative Scientific Research Program (grant number: 20161080094).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China

    Arun K. Vuppaladadiyam & Ming Zhao

  2. Key Laboratory for Solid Waste Management and Environment Safety, Ministry of Education, Beijing, 100084, China

    Arun K. Vuppaladadiyam & Ming Zhao

  3. Department of Chemical Engineering, Complutense University of Madrid, Avda Complutense s/n, 28040, Madrid, Spain

    Noemi Merayo & Angeles Blanco

  4. Departamento de Química Orgánica, Universidad de Córdoba, Campus de Rabanales, Edificio Marie Curie (C-3), Ctra Nnal IV, Km 396, Córdoba, Spain

    Pepijn Prinsen & Rafael Luque

Authors
  1. Arun K. Vuppaladadiyam
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Noemi Merayo
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Pepijn Prinsen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Rafael Luque
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Angeles Blanco
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Ming Zhao
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Ming Zhao.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interests.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Vuppaladadiyam, A.K., Merayo, N., Prinsen, P. et al. A review on greywater reuse: quality, risks, barriers and global scenarios. Rev Environ Sci Biotechnol 18, 77–99 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11157-018-9487-9

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11157-018-9487-9

Keywords

Search

Navigation