DECENTRALIZED WASTEWATER TREATMENT FACILITY

Abstract

particularly in developing countries. The problems and limitations of the centralized approaches for wastewater treatment are progressively surfacing. Centralized wastewater collection and treatment systems are costly to build and operate, especially in areas with low population densities and dispersed households. Developing countries lack both the funding to construct centralized facilities and the technical expertise to manage and operate them. Alternatively, the decentralized approach for wastewater treatment which employs a combination of onsite and/or cluster systems is gaining more attention. Such an approach allows for flexibility in management, and simple as well as complex technologies are available. The decentralized system is not only a long term solution for small communities but is more reliable and cost effective .this paper presents a review of various decentralized approaches to wastewater treatment and management. a discussion as to their applicability in developing countries primarily in rural areas and challenges faced is emphasized all through this paper .while there are many impediments and challenges towards waste-water management in developing countries these can be overcome by suitable planning and policy implementation .