The role of resource efficient decentralized wastewater treatment in smart cities

As urbanization continues as a global mega-trend, cities must provide healthy and sustainable living spaces and deliver basic infrastructure services with greater efficiency in environmental and economic resource use. One vital concern is the provision and usage of water. This paper argues that energy-efficient decentralized wastewater treatment facilities can play an integral role as smart cities develop in the coming years. In particular, it focuses on three main points. First, in order to meet growing water demands, the use of wastewater treatment for the recycling and reuse of water streams will increase. Second, the need for recycling and reuse at the point of usage strongly favors a decentralized rather than centralized approach to wastewater infrastructure. Finally, ecological techniques to wastewater treatment will be required to provide such a service with greater resource efficiency. The paper concludes with a potential wastewater treatment design that may meet these specific needs of smart cities.