MCDA-DEA approach to construct a composite indicator for effluents from WWTPs considering the influence of PPCPs.

Considering current water situation, reuse is an effective solution to meet water demand and reduce pressure on conventional water sources. However, pharmaceutical and personal care products (PPCPs) in effluents from wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) decrease their quality and suitability. With the aim of identifying and monitoring both the influence of PPCPs and the suitability of effluents to be reused, this study proposes the development of a composite indicator (CI) related to PPCP presence in WWTPs, through the common weight multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA)-data envelopment analysis (DEA) model.

The benefits of circular economy strategies in urban water facilities.

Circular economy has become a very popular item in the last decades in many fields. Particularly, in the water and wastewater sector, since a lot of pressure has been put on water resources. Although the main target of the application of circular economy in this sector has been waste management, the current research intends to extend its application to other aspects.

Identification and correction of congestion in wastewater treatment plants in the Community of Valencia, Spain.

The present work analyses the existence of congestion in a set of wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) for the first time. The study sample included 47 WWTPs managed by the same operator and located in the Valencia region (eastern Spain). The method of analysis consisted in applying a new statistical model to identify and correct congestion situations based on data envelopment analysis (DEA), which takes into account undesirable outputs and multiple projections.

Efficiency of wastewater treatment facilities: The influence of scale economies.

The water cycle, from catchment to discharge, is a sector that involves an important investment and operation and maintenance costs. In particular, sewage treatment is a challenge for governments because they are having to consider economic, environmental, and social aspects. Within the European Union, implementation of Directive 91/271/EEC is responsible for the location of wastewater treatment facilities in the territory, due to the requirement that all urban areas must have this infrastructure to reduce the environmental impact of treated water in water bodies.

Monetary valuation of salicylic acid, methylparaben and THCOOH in a Mediterranean coastal wetland through the shadow prices methodology.

The presence of pharmaceutical and personal care products and drugs of abuse (PPCPs) in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) indicates discharge of the effluent may not be suitable for the ecological balance of water ecosystems, such as wetlands. These PPCPs degrade water quality, considered as an ecosystem service (ES), provoking serious environmental impacts. Assessing the monetary value of PPCPs can be used as a proxy for environmental status of the ES of water quality (ESWQ).

Modelling the energy costs of the wastewater treatment process: The influence of the aging factor.

Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) are aging and its effects on the process are more evident as time goes by. Due to the deterioration of the facilities, the efficiency of the treatment process decreases gradually. Within this framework, this paper proves the increase in the energy consumption of the WWTPs with time, and finds differences among facilities size.