The multiplier benefits of integrating non-sewered and sewered wastewater treatment and sanitation processes

Abstract

This study showcases the beneficial integration of non-sewered sanitation systems (NSSS) with sewered wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). Treating increasing fractions of influent wastewater loads via six different types of NSSS offered correspondingly increasing savings in operating energy costs at five WWTPs, employing a broad range of typically employed treatment processes. Two NSSS that treat both greywater and blackwater (gb-HRT) and blackwater alone (b-HRT) yielded the highest savings in annual operating energy costs across most WWTPs. Distinctly, NSSS involving urine-separation with and without internal recirculation promoted energy-positive operations, by enhancing anaerobic digestion in selected WWTPs. At the highest NSSS coverage tested (treating 50% of the influent sewage), savings in annual sewered WWTPs operating energy costs ranged from $76k to $800k and increased further to the range $301k to $1.1M annually with process optimization. Therefore, integration of NSSS with sewered WWTPs can improve overall treatment efficiency, while facilitating resilient sanitation practices.