Workshop on sustainable municipal waste water treatment systems, 12-14 November 1996, Leusden, the Netherlands

This workshop, held from November 12 to 14, 1996, brought together 35 experts in the field of wastewater treatment from 17 different countries. The main objective of the workshop was to identify existing constraints for the wider implementation of more sustainable wastewater treatment systems globally, and to identify ways to overcome these constraints. Among the constraints identified were a lack of interest in changing to new wastewater treatment technologies due to a vested interest in conventional systems, and an unwillingness to change to alternative systems. The later constraint was caused by a combination of a lack of awareness of information (insufficient promotion), a lack of pressure from interest groups, and a lack of institutional support. Among the approaches suggested to overcome these constraints are collection and dissemination strategies on sustainable wastewater treatment systems; the standardization of technical, financial and social/economic data on sustainable wastewater treatment systems; and increased discussion and exchange of information and experience among people implementing these systems and those interested in applying the technologies developed. Among the follow-up activities proposed are the establishment of an expert network using e-mail; a world-wide demonstration project, the compilation of a book on alternative wastewater treatment systems, the provision of training courses and making video documentaries. The proceedings contains thirteen papers with the following titles: technology selection for pollution control; alternative systems; helophyte filters; institutional requirements for appropriate wastewater treatment; resource-recovery wastewater treatments with biological systems; mandate for multidisciplinary action; waste stabilization ponds in Latin America; anaerobic wastewater treatment in developing countries; scale of waste water treatment; treatment of sludges from non-sewered sanitation systems; problems and constraints related to wider dissemination of more sustainable waste water treatment technologies in Tanzania; towards effective wastewater management in developing countries; and small scale urban water treatment in Palestine.