Indicators for the sustainability assessment of wastewater treatment systems

Sustainability challenges us to reflect on wastewater treatment differently. Instead of focussing on end-of-pipe-treatment for emission prevention, attention shifts towards optimal resource utilisation, favouring the development of decentralised systems. But are these systems more sustainable than centralised wastewater treatment systems? What aspects determine sustainability? In an extensive literature review we give an overview of sustainability assessment methods and currently used indicators. Based on this we propose a general assessment methodology that builds on multi-objective optimisation and a complete set of sustainability indicators, yielding insight into the trade-offs made when selecting sustainable wastewater treatment systems.