Sustainable wastewater management in developing countries: are constructed wetlands a feasible approach for wastewater reuse?

2008 ◽  
Vol 33 (1) ◽  
pp. 82 ◽  
Author(s):  
Giusy Lofrano ◽  
Sureyya Meric ◽  
Vincenzo Belgiorno
Keyword(s):  
Developing Countries ◽  
Constructed Wetlands ◽  
Wastewater Reuse ◽  
Wastewater Management

scholarly journals Potential Use and Challenges of Constructed Wetlands for Wastewater Treatment and Conservation in Game Lodges and Resorts in Kenya

2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 ◽  
pp. 1-9
Author(s):  
Richard O. B. Makopondo ◽  
Laban K. Rotich ◽  
Cynthia G. Kamau
Keyword(s):  
Wastewater Treatment ◽  
National Parks ◽  
Constructed Wetlands ◽  
Constructed Wetland ◽  
Wastewater Reuse ◽  
Environmental Conservation ◽  
Conservation Strategy ◽  
Management Systems ◽  
Wastewater Management ◽  
Remote Areas

Constructed wetlands are cost-effective wastewater treatment alternatives that receive worldwide acceptance. For the Kenyan hospitality industry, in particular, constructed wetlands (CWs) provide opportunities for wastewater reuse and recovery of resources, as well as improvements in local environmental conditions. Hospitality establishments produce large volumes of wastewater that is sometimes discharged to the environment without being treated. This is not only harmful to communities living downstream of these rivers but also to the flora and fauna which are the main attraction for most who visit these lodges. This study used qualitative methods to collect and analyze published official government documents, peer-reviewed research articles, and professional reports including leading international and Kenyan case studies to explore how constructed wetlands can be effectively used in game lodges and resorts situated in arid and remote areas of Kenya. The study investigated wastewater management systems adopted by remote game lodges and resorts in Kenya and the potential role, as well as the challenges to adopting constructed wetland (CW) technology. The results indicated that hotels, game lodges, and resorts both internationally and locally are adopting different types of CWs including surface and subsurface flow as alternative nature-oriented wastewater management systems. The study identified opportunities in the use of CWs as a wastewater management and conservation strategy. The results suggest that there are potential challenges which include inadequate expertise and technical support; low volume of discharge during off-seasons; limited space or land; and the attitude of hospitality managers towards constructed wetlands. Based on these preliminary findings, one may conclude that game lodges, ecolodges, and resorts in remote areas are prime candidates for constructed wetland establishment. The study makes specific recommendations with implications for policy and practice to promote sustainable hospitality operations and environmental conservation. It is suggested that future studies test the efficacy and efficiency of CW technology as wastewater management systems in the Kenyan wilderness areas including national parks, game reserves, and forests.

Can constructed wetlands treat wastewater for reuse in agriculture? Review of guidelines and examples in South Europe

2016 ◽  
Vol 73 (11) ◽  
pp. 2616-2626 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stevo Lavrnić ◽  
Maurizio L. Mancini
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Constructed Wetlands ◽  
Wastewater Treatment Plants ◽  
Wastewater Reuse ◽  
Domestic Wastewater ◽  
Water Shortage ◽  
National Standards ◽  
Wastewater Management ◽  
Microbiological Parameters ◽  
South Europe

South Europe is one of the areas negatively affected by climate change. Issues with water shortage are already visible, and are likely to increase. Since agriculture is the biggest freshwater consumer, it is important to find new water sources that could mitigate the climate change impact. In order to overcome problems and protect the environment, a better approach towards wastewater management is needed. That includes an increase in the volume of wastewater that is treated and a paradigm shift towards a more sustainable system where wastewater is actually considered as a resource. This study evaluates the potential of constructed wetlands (CWs) to treat domestic wastewater and produce effluent that will be suitable for reuse in agriculture. In South Europe, four countries (Greece, Italy, Portugal and Spain) have national standards that regulate wastewater reuse in agriculture. Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) that are based on CWs in these four countries were analysed and their effluents compared with the quality needed for reuse. In general, it was found that CWs have trouble reaching the strictest standards, especially regarding microbiological parameters. However, their effluents are found to be suitable for reuse in areas that do not require water of the highest quality.

Innovative education and training for community-based water protection units

2012 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Frederick Kakembo
Keyword(s):  
Wastewater Reuse ◽  
Education And Training ◽  
Economic Incentives ◽  
Community Action ◽  
Health Improvement ◽  
Wastewater Management ◽  
Water Protection ◽  
Community Based ◽  
And Training ◽  
Innovative Education

The paper explores the centrality of community-based education and training in addressing constraints and opportunities for wastewater management in Uganda. To be sustainable, wastewater management need to be conceived in terms of socio-economic incentives, community action, group pressure and social capital. It is assumed that communities could be motivated to undertake sustainable wastewater disposal activities if concrete benefits are demonstrated. The benefits include among others; reducing expenditure on health; improvement of the fisheries sector and the use of wastewater for crop farming. The paper is based on a study that analyzed the role of socio-economic incentives and Public-Private-Partnership (PPP) in sustainable management of wastewater. Data was collected through personal interviews, documents analysis and review of recent studies on wastewater reuse in Uganda. Focus was put on districts of Mukono, Buikwe and Kayunga in central Uganda. Findings reveal that in line with the Hydro-Social-Health cycle, physical, social, political, economic, and cultural factors converge to influence wastewater management. The paper duly describes innovative education and training approaches based on Communal Water Protection Units (COWAPU) facilitated by multidisciplinary Water Professionals and Educators (WAPE).It is concluded that it is possible to operate a complete sanitation system without subsidies.

Water Quality and Health

1991 ◽  
Vol 23 (1-3) ◽  
pp. 201-209 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. Kreisel
Keyword(s):  
Water Quality ◽  
Developing Countries ◽  
Drinking Water ◽  
Water Supply ◽  
Human Health ◽  
Pollution Control ◽  
Wastewater Reuse ◽  
Water Supplies ◽  
Minimum Quality Standards ◽  
Quality Guidelines

Water quality can affect human health in various ways: through breeding of vectors, presence of pathogenic protozoa, helminths, bacteria and viruses, or through inorganic and organic chemicals. While traditional concern has been with pathogens and gastro-intestinal diseases, chemical pollutants in drinking-water supplies have in many instances reached proportions which affect human health, especially in cases of chronic exposure. Treatment of drinking-water, often grossly inadequate in developing countries, is the last barrier of health protection, but control at source is more effective for pollution control. Several WHO programmes of the International Drinking-Water Supply and Sanitation Decade have stimulated awareness of the importance of water quality in public water supplies. Three main streams have been followed during the eighties: guidelines for drinking-water quality, guidelines for wastewater reuse and the monitoring of freshwater quality. Following massive investments in the community water supply sector to provide people with adequate quantities of drinking-water, it becomes more and more important to also guarantee minimum quality standards. This has been recognized by many water and health authorities in developing countries and, as a result, WHO cooperates with many of them in establishing water quality laboratories and pollution control programmes.

Industrial Wastewater Treatment and Reuse in a Developing Country Context: Evidence at the Firm Level from Ecuador

2018 ◽  
Vol 04 (02) ◽  
pp. 1750005 ◽  
Author(s):  
Oscar Zapata
Keyword(s):  
Wastewater Treatment ◽  
Production Process ◽  
Developing Country ◽  
Industrial Wastewater ◽  
Public Perception ◽  
Wastewater Reuse ◽  
Industrial Sector ◽  
Wastewater Management ◽  
Firm Level ◽  
Local Conditions

Wastewater reuse constitutes an alternative supply source of water. It not only increases the amount of water available but also reduces water pollution. The benefits and costs of this practice, and the public perception of reuse are the focus of several studies. However, the evidence on industrial wastewater reuse at the firm level remains scant. This paper is aimed at filling this gap by presenting evidence on the determinants of both wastewater treatment and reuse practices in a developing country context. I use firm level data from the Survey on Firms’ Environmental Practices of Ecuador. My results show that wastewater management in general, and reuse in particular, are still limited practices in the industrial sector of the country. My results suggest that firm’s decisions to treat and reuse depends on long-term firm’s characteristics, such as annual investment, the nature of the production process and local conditions, as well as the scale of production and water consumption. Volumes of wastewater treated and reused depend positively on the amount of water used in the production process and the firm’s annual level of investment or expenditure. The cost of the practice only affects the volume treated. The results suggest that targeting water-intensive industry sectors and the costs of wastewater treatment can play an important role for a more sustainable use of water in the industrial sector of Ecuador.

scholarly journals Country-level and gridded estimates of wastewater production, collection, treatment and reuse

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 237-254
Author(s):  
Edward R. Jones ◽  
Michelle T. H. van Vliet ◽  
Manzoor Qadir ◽  
Marc F. P. Bierkens
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
Western Europe ◽  
Wastewater Reuse ◽  
Treated Wastewater ◽  
Wastewater Management ◽  
Online Data ◽  
Untreated Wastewater ◽  
Country Level ◽  
Treated Wastewater Reuse ◽  
Global Population

Abstract. Continually improving and affordable wastewater management provides opportunities for both pollution reduction and clean water supply augmentation, while simultaneously promoting sustainable development and supporting the transition to a circular economy. This study aims to provide the first comprehensive and consistent global outlook on the state of domestic and manufacturing wastewater production, collection, treatment and reuse. We use a data-driven approach, collating, cross-examining and standardising country-level wastewater data from online data resources. Where unavailable, data are estimated using multiple linear regression. Country-level wastewater data are subsequently downscaled and validated at 5 arcmin (∼10 km) resolution. This study estimates global wastewater production at 359.4×109 m3 yr−1, of which 63 % (225.6×109 m3 yr−1) is collected and 52 % (188.1×109 m3 yr−1) is treated. By extension, we estimate that 48 % of global wastewater production is released to the environment untreated, which is substantially lower than previous estimates of ∼80 %. An estimated 40.7×109 m3 yr−1 of treated wastewater is intentionally reused. Substantial differences in per capita wastewater production, collection and treatment are observed across different geographic regions and by level of economic development. For example, just over 16 % of the global population in high-income countries produces 41 % of global wastewater. Treated-wastewater reuse is particularly substantial in the Middle East and North Africa (15 %) and western Europe (16 %), while comprising just 5.8 % and 5.7 % of the global population, respectively. Our database serves as a reference for understanding the global wastewater status and for identifying hotspots where untreated wastewater is released to the environment, which are found particularly in South and Southeast Asia. Importantly, our results also serve as a baseline for evaluating progress towards many policy goals that are both directly and indirectly connected to wastewater management. Our spatially explicit results available at 5 arcmin resolution are well suited for supporting more detailed hydrological analyses such as water quality modelling and large-scale water resource assessments and can be accessed at https://doi.org/10.1594/PANGAEA.918731 (Jones et al., 2020).

scholarly journals Wastewater reuse: potential for expanding Iran's water supply to survive from absolute scarcity in future

2015 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
pp. 437-444 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ali Charkhestani ◽  
Moslem Salehi Ziri ◽  
Hasan Amini Rad
Keyword(s):  
Water Supply ◽  
Arid Regions ◽  
Wastewater Reuse ◽  
Present Situation ◽  
Wastewater Management ◽  
Master Plan ◽  
Effluent Quality ◽  
The World ◽  
Structured Planning ◽  
Oriented Approach

Iran, like many parts of the world, suffers from water scarcity and is located in one of the most arid regions. This is not only due to the low rates of precipitation received, but also due to the increase in demand on water resources for municipal, agricultural, and industrial uses. Wastewater reuse has proven to be effective and successful in creating a new and reliable water supply. Also, it can meet environmental needs, sustainable development, and a viable economy. There are two strategies for reuse implementation: (1) a future oriented approach allows structured planning within a broader wastewater management master plan and gives the greatest flexibility for reuse; (2) the available effluent quality from existing treatment plants defines the possible reuse option. According to the present situation in Iran, the second strategy is more reliable in preserving the country from absolute scarcity in future. Thus, the objective of this article is to understand the hidden comprehensive potential of reuse in three major categories: agricultural, industrial, and municipal uses, according to the improvement in the Falkenmark indicator.

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