SUSTAINABILITY PERCEPTIONS ON WASTEWATER TREATMENT OPERATIONS IN URBAN AREAS OF DEVELOPING WORLD

Implementation of the sustainability concepts in water use and management have received considerable attention all over the world. These efforts have led to the initiation of well-coordinated attempts to ensure reliable wastewater management systems across wide range of industrial or commercial operations. The choice of wastewater treatment technology in a particular organizational setting is often influenced by large number of factors. In the case of rapidly expanding developing state like Kerala, the decision on the choice of wastewater treatment unit in an organization is often based on the acceptability of the pollution control agencies than through any rigorous evaluation for the process sustainability. The research initiatives undertaken elsewhere have emphasized the need for evaluation of three broad aspects of sustainability - economic, environment and social - in the planning and design of wastewater treatment units. This paper examines the degree of acceptability of the sustainability concepts in the wastewater treatment operations for Indian scenario. The assessment is made based on the information collected on the wastewater treatment operations carried out at a few selected cases. The research outputs bring to light the areas that need strengthening of organizational capability in taking environmentally, economically and socially conscious decisionmaking relating to wastewater treatment operations.