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| Author: | Muga, H. E. Mihelcic, J. R. |
| Title: | Sustainability of wastewater treatment technologies |
| Journal: | Journal of Environmental Management
2008 : AUG, VOL. 88:3, p. 437-447 |
| Index terms: | water resources water pollution waste land use sustainable development design management economics research environmental protection social research |
| Freeterms: | wastewater treatment activated sludge lagoon land treatment indicators |
| Language: | eng |
| Abstract: | In the article, a set of indicators that incorporate environmental, societal, and economic sustainability were developed and used to investigate the sustainability of different wastewater treatment technologies. The technologies evaluated were mechanical, lagoon, and land treatment systems. The economic indicators selected were capital, operation and management, and user costs because they determine the economic affordability of a particular technology to a community. Environmental indicators include energy use, because it indirectly measures resource utilization, and performance of the technology in removing conventional wastewater constituents. It is argues that: 1) these indicators determine the reuse potential of the treated wastewater. 2) societal indicators capture cultural acceptance of the technology through public participation and also measure whether there is improvement in the community from the specific technology through increased job opportunities, better education, or an improved local environment. 3) while selection of a set of indicators is dependent on the geographic and demographic context of a particular community, the overall results of this study show that there are varying degrees of sustainability with each treatment technology. |
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