Preliminary Studies on the Use of Treated Eastern Ahvaz Wastewater at Khuzestan Steel Company and the Feasibility of Its Utilization

Source of raw water supply required by Khuzestan Steel Company The source of raw water supply for Khuzestan Steel Company is the Karun River. Through the construction of an intake canal, followed by an intake pier and the installation of a pumping station, various types of required water are abstracted and conveyed to the old and new water treatment plants. After undergoing the water treatment process, the treated water is pumped via transmission pipelines to storage reservoirs located at the industrial site in the Kut Abdullah area, approximately 7 kilometers away from the water treatment plant and adjacent to the river.
During the drought years from 2011 to 2014, when the flow rate of the Karun River decreased from the 250 cubic meters per second predicted in the Karun River regulation plan to approximately 100 cubic meters per second or less, the reduction in river water level and difficulties in water abstraction caused Khuzestan Steel Company to face recurring water shortage challenges. To address these challenges, permanent solutions are required, one of which is the utilization of the effluent discharged from the East Ahvaz Wastewater Treatment Plant.
Water consumption at Khuzestan Steel Company is divided into two categories: irrigation water for green spaces and industrial water. Therefore, the evaluation of the qualitative characteristics of the incoming wastewater and the prediction of the quality of the treated effluent play a crucial role in decision-making regarding its reuse. Accordingly, the Engineering Department of Khuzestan Steel Company assigned the project titled ‘Preliminary Studies on the Utilization of Treated East Ahvaz Wastewater in Khuzestan Steel Company and Its Feasibility’ to Sazab Ahvaz Consulting Engineers Company for assessing the potential use of treated wastewater (effluent) from the East Ahvaz Wastewater Treatment Plant.

In these studies, the existing water supply conditions and the required water demand of Khuzestan Steel Company—including green space irrigation water, industrial water, soft water, and other water types—under both the current operating conditions and an annual steel production capacity of 5 million tons have been thoroughly described. Subsequently, the treatment process of the East Ahvaz municipal wastewater treatment plant, along with its qualitative and quantitative perfo☺rmance, current operational conditions, and the inlet and outlet pipelines, has been reviewed and evaluated.
Various technical and executive options for utilizing the treated effluent from the East Ahvaz wastewater treatment plant at Khuzestan Steel Company have been compared. Finally, the necessary measures and prerequisites required to support informed decision-making by the management of Khuzestan Steel Company have been identified and provided.