Review of Non-potable Water Applications for Sustainable Concrete Development

Potable water is considered to be an essential component of concrete because it plays a crucial role in the setting and hydration of the concrete mixes. Water scarcity due to reduction in freshwater availability because of overpopulation, urbanization, and improper water resource management is a recent complicated issue faced by many developing countries. Half of the world’s population is anticipated to be affected by clean water shortage by 2025, which is also a SDG 6 goal as per UN. There is an exponential growth in water demand for energy and industrial sectors. Also, exponential rise in the industrialization in developing countries has led to massive production of effluents from various sources. In this study, a comprehensive review is carried out to determine the efficacy of such non-potable water for concrete production. Different parameters affecting the concrete properties by application of non-potable water were evaluated. It was observed that the initial strength of concrete is affected by using recycled water as per Falah M. Wegian et al. (2010), Buquan Miao et al. (2002), and Paulo Ricardo de Matos et al. (2020). Significant increase on porosity was also observed by utilizing wastewater as per Hussein M. Hamada et al. (2023). The bricks prepared from such water were also observed to be of reduced compressive strength. Also, the durability, initial setting time, and workability of the concrete samples were found to be lower which require further optimization and treatment of water before its utilization. The study concludes that there is a lot of potential to utilize the wastewater through its proper treatment with key application basis for its usage in the construction industry.