Browsing by Autor "Jenny Norrman"

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EVAS - a practical tool to assess the sustainability of small wastewater treatment systems in low and lower-middle-income countries
(Elsevier BV, 2020) Claudia Cossio; Jennifer McConville; Ann E. Mattsson; Alvaro Mercado; Jenny Norrman
Small wastewater treatment systems (WWTSs) in low and lower-middle income countries still face challenges to achieve optimal performance and acceptable levels of sustainability. Thus, a practical tool, easy to apply by locals, to diagnose the actual status of WWTSs is required in order to identify weak areas for further improvement. This study presents a sustainability assessment tool, EVAS (EVAluación de Sostenibilidad: EVAluation of Sustainability), for small WWTSs in low and lower-middle income countries. The EVAS tool is developed based on a set of contextualized sustainability indicators and sub-indicators in five dimensions (technical, environmental, social, economic, institutional). Each indicator or sub-indicator is broken down into factors, each associated with specific targets to fulfil, and scored using a traffic light scale (0 to 4) indicating unsustainable-low-medium to high levels of sustainability. The tool was developed taking into consideration that local data may sometimes be incomplete and encourages the collection and monitoring of relevant data. The assessment results support local managers or other stakeholders responsible for wastewater management with the identification of weaknesses that need to be addressed. The tool was tested using two case studies involving WWTSs in Bolivia. One WWTS received a medium sustainability rating, whereas the other system received a low sustainability rating, which indicates that several improvements are required in all sustainability dimensions. Stakeholders in the case studies found the tool useful, and suggested ways in which it could be further improved. It is expected that the application of this tool can contribute to raising the sustainability level of small WWTSs in low and lower-middle-income countries.
Impact of treatment plant management on human health and ecological risks from wastewater irrigation in developing countries – case studies from Cochabamba, Bolivia
(Taylor & Francis, 2019) Claudia Cossio; Luis Fernando Perez-Mercado; Jenny Norrman; Sahar Dalahmeh; Björn Vinnerås; Alvaro Mercado; Jennifer McConville
Wastewater irrigation is a common practice in developing countries due to water scarcity and increasing demand for food production. However, there are health risks and ecological risks associated with this practice. Small-scale wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) intend to decrease these risks but still face management challenges. This study assessed how the management status of five small-scale WWTPs in Cochabamba, Bolivia affects health risks associated with consumption of lettuce and ecological risks due to the accumulation of nutrients in the soil for lettuce and maize crops. Risk simulations for three wastewater irrigation scenarios were: raw wastewater, actual effluent and expected effluent. Results showed that weak O&M practices can increase risk outcomes to higher levels than irrigating with raw wastewater. Improving O&M to achieve optimal functioning of small-scale WWTPs can reduce human health risks and ecological risks up to 2 log10 DALY person-1 year-1 and to 2 log10 kg nitrogen ha-1 accumulated in soil, respectively.
Indicators for sustainability assessment of small-scale wastewater treatment plants in low and lower-middle income countries
(Elsevier BV, 2020) Claudia Cossio; Jenny Norrman; Jennifer McConville; Alvaro Mercado; Sébastien Rauch
Wastewater treatment in low and lower-middle income countries is often limited by lack of local technical expertise, institutional capacity, and financial resources, making it challenging to reach SDG6-target 6.3, i.e. halving the proportion of untreated wastewater. Several studies suggest sets of sustainability indicators for assessing the planning and/or operation of WWTPs. However, existing standard indicators are typically focused on the context of high and upper-middle income countries, whereas low and lower-middle income countries face other types of issues. The development of a contextualized set of relevant and effective sustainability indicators to support the planning and/or operation of small-scale WWTPs in low and lower-middle income countries is crucial. This study develops a contextualized set of sustainability indicators for small-scale wastewater treatment plants in Bolivia, which is classified as a lower-middle income country. Indicators were identified using a literature review combined with empirical studies using focus groups with managers and operators, as well as, workshops with experts. The aim of the focus groups and workshops was to acquire an understanding of the local context and identify relevant sustainability indicators. The practical investigation took place at five sites in Cochabamba, Bolivia. The results suggest that sustainability assessment of WWTPs in low and lower-middle income countries should emphasize the institutional dimension (e.g. Institutional capacity, Interactions, and Information) and the technical dimension (e.g. Sewage network functionality and Expertise) alongside indicators in the social, economic and environmental dimensions.