SELECCIÓN DE LA MEJOR TÉCNICA DE DESINFECCIÓN DEL AGUA DEPURADA PARA DIFERENTES USOS MEDIANTE MÉTODOS DE DECISIÓN MULTICRITERIO

Abstract

The shortage of water in the Mediterranean basin is a theme which affects the socioeconomic development of these zones. One of the strategies within the management policies is the proposal to utilize treated waste waters for different uses, with it being necessary to disinfect them after treatment. At present several methods of disinfection exist which present different suitability according to the final use of the water. Thus the use of multicriteria analysis techniques is proposed for the evaluation of six techniques for disinfecting waters proceeding from sewage treatment plants, using chlorine, UV light and two treatments that combine both. For this a survey has been carried out asking experts in sewage treatment about the best disinfection technique to employ depending on the final use of the water (industrial, agricultural, urban recreational and ecological), taking into account: cost, water quality, social, and environmental criteria. The experts have prioritized the importance of each of the criteria, and valued each of the alternatives for each use. It has been possible to check that all coincide in that in not all uses the same methods for disinfection are adequate nor do the criteria considered have the same importance. Keywords: chlorine, UV light, multicriteria decision, reuse of wastewater