Return Flow Routing

There is a distinction between wastewater that is routed to and directly reused by another demand site (green transmission links) and wastewater return flow that is routed to one or more wastewater treatment plants, rivers, groundwater nodes or other supply sources (red return flow links). These data in this section pertain to the latter (red return flow links). Even if the outflow from a demand site or wastewater treatment plant is being reused directly by another demand site, there must still be at least one return flow link to carry away any wastewater that is not reused.

The Return Flow Routing specifies the fraction of demand site outflow (water supplied to the demand site minus consumptive losses and minus reuse by other demand sites) or wastewater treatment plant outflow (inflow to the treatment plant minus any water lost in processing and minus reuse by other demand sites) that is sent to each return flow destination. The percentages should sum to 100%. Note: the routing fractions do not include any losses along the return flow link--these are specified below in Return Flow Losses.  If wastewater is routed to a Wastewater Treatment Plant that is not yet active, none of the wastewater will be treated, and will all flow according to the return flow routing for the Wastewater Treatment Plant.

Entered on: Data View, Branch: Supply and Resources \ Return Flows \ <Demand Site Name>, Tab: Return Flow Routing