Population growth, global warming, and increased demand for water have caused global concern about increasing water scarcity. Chile has an unequal geographical distribution of water resources. The north-central area where more than half of the country’s population lives has an availability of less than 1000 m3/hab/year. Particularly, the Coquimbo Region has been one of the most affected by drought due to the great agricultural activity in the area. In this study, surveys were carried out in rural schools and households to determine water consumption habits. The results in the schools showed that between 42% and 72% of the wastewater generated comes from the washbasin, which represents light greywater, that is, with low organic matter content. According to the data obtained, the amount of greywater generated on average reached 12 L per capita per day. These waters have the potential to be treated and reused effectively for the flow of toilets or garden irrigation. In the case of households, the generation of greywater was 84% of the total water consumed, of which, more than 86% correspond to light greywater from the shower and washbasin. On average, the light greywater generated daily reached 204 L per person per day. Due to the heterogeneity of drinking water sources in rural areas of the Coquimbo Region, the high rate of greywater generation in both schools and homes indicates the great potential for water treatment and reuse in this area. These results contribute to a better understanding of water consumption habits in rural areas affected by water scarcity and the potential of implementing greywater treatment systems to generate a decrease in demand for drinking water.

中文翻译：

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智利中北部科金博地区农村地区学校和家庭的水平衡评估：灰水再利用的潜力

人口增长、全球变暖和对水的需求增加已经引起了全球对日益严重的水资源短缺的担忧。智利的水资源地理分布不均。该国一半以上人口居住的中北部地区的可用水量不足 1000 立方米/公顷/年。尤其是科金博地区，由于该地区的农业活动频繁，该地区是受干旱影响最严重的地区之一。在这项研究中，对农村学校和家庭进行了调查，以确定用水习惯。学校的结果显示，产生的废水中有 42% 至 72% 来自洗脸盆，代表浅灰水，即有机物含量低。根据获得的数据，平均每人每天产生的灰水量达到 12 升。这些水有可能被有效地处理和再利用，用于厕所或花园灌溉。就家庭而言，中水的产生占总用水量的 84%，其中 86% 以上对应于来自淋浴和洗脸盆的淡中水。平均而言，每天产生的淡灰水达到每人每天 204 升。由于科金博地区农村地区饮用水源的异质性，学校和家庭中灰水的高产生率表明该地区的水处理和再利用潜力巨大。