The books provides a timely analysis in support of a paradigm shift in the field of wastewater management, from ‘treatment for disposal’ to ‘treatment for reuse’ by offering a variety of value propositions for water, nutrient and energy recovery which can support cost savings, cost recovery, and profits, in a sector that traditionally relies on public funding. The book provides new insights into the economics of wastewater use, applicable to developed and developing countries striving to transform wastewater from an unpleasant liability to a valuable asset and recasting urbanization from a daunting challenge into a resource recovery opportunity.

“It requires business thinking to transform septage and sewage into valuable products. A must read for water scholars, policy makers, practitioners, and entrepreneurs”. Guy Hutton, Senior Economist, Water and Sanitation Program, Water Global Practice, World Bank

“This book provides compelling evidence and real solutions for the new ‘resource from waste’ approach that is transforming sanitation, boosting livelihoods, and strengthening urban resilience”. Christopher Scott, Professor and Distinguished Scholar, University of Arizona

“This book shows how innovative business thinking and partnerships around resource recovery and reuse fit well within an inclusive green economy and climate change adaptation and mitigation strategies”. Akiça Bahri, Coordinator of the African Water Facility, Tunisia, and award-winning researcher

Business models
Cost recovery
Energy and nutrient recovery
Faecal sludge reuse
Resource recovery and reuse
Wastewater use, water reuse, water reclamation
water quality and water pollution

• Front Matter
• Introduction and Background
  Front Matter
• Wastewater: Economic Asset in an Urbanizing World
• Global Wastewater and Sludge Production, Treatment and Use
• Health Risks and Cost-Effective Health Risk Management in Wastewater Use Systems
• Environmental Risks and Cost-Effective Risk Management in Wastewater Use Systems
• Socio-economics of Wastewater Use
  Front Matter
• Social and Cultural Dimensions in Wastewater Use
• Policy and Ins
• titutional Determinants of Wastewater Use in Agriculture
• Assessing the Finance and Economics of Resource Recovery and Reuse Solutions Across Scales
• Costs and Benefits
  Front Matter
• Wastewater Use in Agriculture: Challenges in Assessing Costs and Benefits
• Costs and Benefits of Using Wastewater for Aquifer Recharge
• Economics of Water Reuse for Industrial, Environmental, Recreational and Potable Purposes
• Thinking Business
  Front Matter
• Business Models and Economic Approaches Supporting Water Reuse
• Business Models and Economic Approaches for Recovering Energy from Wastewater and Fecal Sludge
• Outlook
  Front Matter
• Transforming Urban Wastewater into an Economic Asset: Opportunities and Challenges
• Back Matter

Int. Water Management Institute (IWMI), Colombo, Sri Lanka
Pay Drechsel

United Nations University Institute for Water, Env. and Health, Hamilton, Canada
Manzoor Qadir

Agricultural Water Management, Bloomington, USA
Dennis Wichelns

Book Title
Wastewater

Book Subtitle
Economic Asset in an Urbanizing World

Editors
Pay Drechsel, Manzoor Qadir, Dennis Wichelns

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-9545-6

Hardcover ISBN
978-94-017-9544-9
Published: 26 March 2015

Softcover ISBN
978-94-024-0814-0
Published: 09 October 2016

eBook ISBN
978-94-017-9545-6
Published: 11 March 2015

Edition Number
1

Number of Pages
XII, 282

Number of Illustrations
35 b/w illustrations, 10 illustrations in colour

Topics
Waste Water Technology / Water Pollution Control / Water Management / Aquatic Pollution, Environmental Health, Environmental Economics