Support Decision Making for Wastewater Treatment Technology Options in Low and Middle Income Countries

Within the programme of work of the Global Water Initiative (GWI) the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) commissioned the International Water Association (IWA) to develop a “Wastewater Treatment Technology Matrix”.

The purpose of this assignment was to provide decision makers and donors with decision-making tools, a technology matrix and a guidance document, for selecting wastewater treatment technologies. With focus on sanitation as a service, not just as infrastructure, the technology matrix was developed for the entire sanitation chain from containment to reuse and/or disposal.

The Matrix has strong links to the IWA/Eawag/GIZ Compendium of Sanitation Systems and Technologies and is created to take into account environmental performance, economic factors, and social sustainability. The latter category encompasses the local population’s acceptance of the technology and responsibility for its maintenance and operation. Life cycle analysis and consideration of waste reduction and recycling methods was used as a backdrop for technology considerations.

The project was finalised with a limited number of technologies and languages in 2015, but the Wastewater Treatment technology Matrix may be developed further in the future.