ABSTRACT
A program of study was completed directed at establishing the sustainability of soil-aquifer treatment (SAT) leading to indirect potable reuse. Results from field sites were compared to controlled laboratory experiments providing data that can be generalized to a variety of SAT systems. The study focused on the major water quality parameters of concern including nitrogen, pathogens, bulk organics, trace organics and endocrine disruption. The study demonstrated that the concentration of bulk organics present in the product water of SAT systems is strongly influenced by natural organic matter. The majority of trace organic compounds with endocrine disrupting activities were removed during SAT when the time to a recovery well exceeded six months. Biological removal mechanisms for nitrogen were identified as autotrophic reactions where ammonia serves as an electron donor for nitrate. With a variety of biological removal mechanisms, SAT appears to be a robust system capable of providing high quality water for water reuse applications.
