{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,12]],"date-time":"2026-02-12T16:48:17Z","timestamp":1770914897355,"version":"3.50.1"},"reference-count":36,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"20","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,12]],"date-time":"2025-10-12T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1760227200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100011596","name":"Conselleria d\u2019Educaci\u00f3, Investigaci\u00f3, Cultura i Esport de la Generalitat Valenciana","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","award":["AEST\/2023\/82"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["AEST\/2023\/82"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100011596","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"crossref"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Applied Sciences"],"abstract":"<jats:p>The use of reclaimed water is crucial to prevent pollution from wastewater discharges and mitigate the water deficit faced by irrigation districts or other non-potable water users. Therefore, the zero-discharge strategy represents a significant challenge for coastal cities affected by marine pollution from effluents. In regions such as the Mediterranean arc, agricultural areas located near these cities are increasingly exposed to reduced water allocations or rising irrigation demands due to the impacts of climate change. To address this dual challenge, a circular system is proposed through the implementation of hybrid treatment technologies that enable zero wastewater discharge into the sea. This approach would contribute up to 30 hm3 of reclaimed water annually for irrigation, covering approximately 27,000 hectares of cropland in the province of Alicante. The proposed system integrates advanced techniques, such as reverse osmosis, to ensure irrigation water quality, while also considering partial blending strategies to optimize resource use. Additionally, constructed wetlands are incorporated to regulate and treat the reject streams produced by these processes, minimizing their environmental impact. This combined strategy enhances water reuse efficiency, strengthens agricultural resilience, and provides a sustainable model for managing water resources in coastal Mediterranean regions.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/app152010953","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,13]],"date-time":"2025-10-13T08:10:31Z","timestamp":1760343031000},"page":"10953","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":1,"title":["Integrating Pumped Hydro Storage into Zero Discharge Strategy for Wastewater: The Alicante Case Study"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"15","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0009-1316-3101","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Miguel \u00c1ngel","family":"Bofill","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Hydraulic Engineering and Enviromental Department, Universitat Polit\u00e8cnica de Val\u00e8ncia, Camino Vera s\/n, 46022 Valencia, Spain"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-1447-6897","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Francisco-Javier","family":"S\u00e1nchez-Romero","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Rural and Agrifood Engineering Department, Universitat Polit\u00e8cnica de Val\u00e8ncia, 46022 Valencia, Spain"}]},{"given":"Francisco","family":"Zapata-Raboso","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Generalitat Valenci, 46018 Val\u00e8ncia, Spain"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-9028-9711","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Helena M.","family":"Ramos","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Civil Engineering Research and Innovation for Sustainability (CERIS), Instituto Superior T\u00e9cnico, Department of Civil Engineering, Architecture and Environment, University of Lisbon, 1049-001 Lisbon, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-8316-7778","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Modesto","family":"P\u00e9rez-S\u00e1nchez","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Hydraulic Engineering and Enviromental Department, Universitat Polit\u00e8cnica de Val\u00e8ncia, Camino Vera s\/n, 46022 Valencia, Spain"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,12]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"e4","DOI":"10.1017\/wat.2024.16","article-title":"Water scarcity: A global hindrance to sustainable development and agricultural production\u2014A critical review of the impacts and adaptation strategies","volume":"3","author":"Biswas","year":"2025","journal-title":"Camb. 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