The Solution

Smart wastewater treatment

Environment

Health

Water

Smart wastewater treatment

Improving wastewater quality is necessary to ensure healthy ecosystems as well as human and animal health. At the same time, wastewater management - the discharge, collection, and purification of water - represents a high cost for municipalities and municipal service providers. To address challenges for ensuring wastewater quality as well as increasing water scarcity, municipalities can turn to various smart technologies. In wastewater treatment, sensors and data analysis can improve the efficiency of processes and thus save costs and energy. Resources are freed up, for example, for the modernization of plants. Awareness campaigns directed at citizens are also an effective means of improving wastewater quality. Smart wastewater networks provide information on which types of pollution are a problem.

Sustainability check: How does smart wastewater treatment help?

Increased efficiency in water treatment saves energy and costs.
Improved wastewater treatment contributes to healthy and stable ecosystems.
Increased opportunities to reuse wastewater as drinking or process water.
Targeted education campaigns aimed at citizens can improve wastewater quality in the long term, saving effort and costs.

Requirements: What is needed for smart wastewater treatment?

Installation of smart technologies in wastewater treatment plants, especially sensors as a basis for data analysis.
Information about pollution in wastewater to launch targeted awareness campaigns for citizens.

Our Rating:

Improving wastewater quality is a complex undertaking that can be supported by various smart technologies. It is essential that municipalities and municipal service providers have as good an understanding as possible of their own wastewater treatment. Installing sensors for data analysis in the treatment plants is an important first step towards taking further measures. Upgrading plants with smart technologies can also save costs and increase efficiency. If data on wastewater quality is already available directly from the wastewater networks, targeted education campaigns can also help to improve wastewater quality.

Which SDGS are addressed?

In order to create globally sustainable structures, the member states of the United Nations have set themselves 17 goals by 2030, which are set out in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Associated challenge(s)

Challenges that can be overcome with the help of this solution.

Organize (waste) water management more efficiently

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