Our project is a 9 million SF Graduate University located in Saudi Arabia dedicated to the research of alternative fuels and renewable energy. The entire campus will be New Construction on a Greenfield site and will consist of research labs, lab support areas, administration buildings, a library, a commons building, food service, an auditorium, conference rooms, lecture halls, offices and public areas. All condensate, gray water, black water and storm water from the Campus is being collected and sent to a waste water treatment plant off-site and outside of the project boundary. The water goes through the following process and is then used to irrigate a nearby golf course: WWTP A. Introduction WWTP is an advanced WWTP that is designed to treat an average daily sewage flow of 9500 M3/d. B .Processes used in the design of the WWTP. The Processes used designs are: 1. Fine screen, 2mm. 2. Grit removal system. 3. In line equalization tanks. 4. Anoxic reactor. 5. Aeration tanks. 6. MBR Tanks (KUBOTA membrane is used) 7. Effluent Tanks. 8. Centrifuge dewatering system. 9. Chemical dosing units. 10. Emergency storage ponds. C. Very high effluent quality produced The effluent quality produced form the WWTP is as follow: BOD = 10 mg/L S.S = 10mg/L NH3 = 1.0mg/L TKN = 2.0mg/L The effluent produced will be used to irrigate the Golf coarse area. Through the reuse of this Campus waste water, the project is eliminating the use of potable water, or other natural surface or subsurface water resources available on or near the project site for landscaping irrigation of an adjacent site. The interpretation needed is twofold: Would this process result in a gray water effluent that in keeping with the Credit Intent, would comply with this Credit by irrigating a nearby site? And if the irrigation of a nearby site is not acceptable, would the project comply if effluent water from the WWTP was piped back to the campus for all irrigation purposes?
The CIR is inquiring whether their contribution to an off-site wastewater treatment plant (WWTP), which provides non-potable water for irrigation of a nearby site, would comply with the credit. In addition, the applicant inquires whether using water from this plant on site for all irrigation would comply with the credit requirements. Contributing condensate, gray, black, and storm water to the off-site WWTP would not be enough to earn WEc1. This strategy, while positive, does not adequately address the intent of the credit to limit or eliminate the use of potable water resources for landscape irrigation. Contributing to a non-potable source does not necessary encourage its use. The fact that this water may be used by a nearby golf course does not figure into the decision. If the project were to use water from the WWTP on the campus for all irrigation purposes, and the water from this WWTP was conveyed specifically for non-potable uses, this would meet the requirement for one WEc1 credit. It should be noted that, in addition to using only non-potable water for irrigation, the project must demonstrate a 50% reduction in total irrigation water consumption from a baseline case in order to earn both WEc1.1 and WEc1.2. Applicable Internationally; Saudi Arabia