Water reclamation for industrial use in sub-Saharan Africa – a critical review

Abstract. The increasing world population and growth of industrial

development lead to growing water scarcity that, combined with deficient

sanitation services, represents serious challenges, particularly in regions

like sub-Saharan Africa. Water reclamation is a promising approach to reduce

water scarcity, serving as a driving force for better sanitation services

and protecting the environment by treating sewage and redistributing for the

benefit of other water-dependent applications (e.g., industries). This paper aims to give an overview of the global trends on water

reclamation, with a focus on industrial use, and to derive lessons for

implementation of water reclamation projects in sub-Saharan Africa. Findings

show that extensive experience exists in technology and management practices

that can allow successful implementation of water reclamation projects in

the region. Under the conditions of deficient sanitation services and low

levels of technical expertise, the main challenge is to develop a framework

that can facilitate the integration of social and technological

methodologies and help in introducing water reclamation in water allocation

planning, including the development of specific legislation for industrial

water use and disposal.