SUSTAINABILITY OF MUNICIPAL WASTE-WATER TREATMENT

In this study the insustainability of the treatment of municipal waste water is evaluated with the LCA-methodology. Life-Cycle Assessments (L CA) analyze and assess the environmental profile over the entire life cycle of a product or process. The LCA-methodology proved to be a prop er instrument to evaluate the wastewater treatment plant on the sustai nability. However, environmental impacts which are caused by sludge ha ndling should still be classified. Besides that, the LCA should be car ried out on regional level instead of on national level. In a situatio n of high nutrient removal the contribution of the treatment of munici pal wastewater to the total insustainability level in the Netherlands is relatively low. When the sustainability of the WWTP has to be impro ved, the most attention has to be paid to the minimization of discharg e from pollutions with the effluent and minimization of the sludge pro duction. Because the contribution of energy consumption is relatively low, less attention can be paid to the minimization of the energy dema nd. The building of a WWTP and the use of chemicals are not determinin g the insustainability of the WWTP. (C) 1997 IAWQ. Published by Elsevi er Science Ltd.