Application of membrane bioreactor technology for urban wastewater treatment in Tunisia: Focus on treated water quality

Water is a fundamental issue for the current and future development of Tunisia. In fact, effective water management is essential for socio-economic development and for maintaining healthy ecosystems. The balance between available water resources and the need for water supply is growing from one year to another, and the deficit in water resources is rapidly becoming larger. To fill in this gap, a strategy based on water conservation and the search of unconventional resources, such as reuse of treated wastewater, has been adopted in Tunisia. Membrane technology can make a significant contribution since membrane filtration enables the production of high quality water. The paper summarizes results of the EC-funded PURATREAT project (Contract No. 015449) and aims to assess the efficiency of submerged membrane bioreactor (SMBR) technology in domestic wastewater treatment with a view to reuse. A treated water of a high physicochemical and microbiological quality was obtained after treatment, such that the water could be reused for unrestricted irrigation of ground crops for human consumption.