Comparison of economic benefits for the utilization of reclaimed resources from wastewater treatment plants: a case study in Beijing

Abstract The fate of resource recovery is significantly influenced by the standards of water quality and bio-dried excess sludge for various applications. These standards must be practically attainable while ensuring public and environmental health, safety, and economic advantages. The present study investigates a reclaimed wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) in Beijing that incorporates both reclaimed water utilization facility and bio-dried excess sludge treatment. The study elucidates the standards for reclaimed water quality and bio-dried excess sludge for diverse applications. Notably, reclaimed water demonstrates substantial market demand in terms of economic benefits. However, bio-dried excess faces challenges due to higher operational costs and lower TP content. The heat power of the WWTP effluent water source can not only be harnessed for the bio-drying process blowers but also be elevated air temperatures to expedite the bio-drying process.