THE ROLE OF DECENTRALIZED WASTEWATER MANAGEMENT IN THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY

The orderly development of urban and near urban areas is dependent on the availability of water. In areas where the available sources of water are limited or are unreliable, it is now recognized that wastewater represents a very reliable water source. In the future, as the demand for fresh water exceeds the supply and the value of water increases, the role and importance of water reuse will continue to expand. As long-term strategies are developed to optimize the use of water resources to protect the environment and to sustain development, it is clear that decentralized wastewater management (DWM), which may be defined as the collection, treatment, and reuse of wastewater at or near the point of waste generation, will become an important element of those strategies. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the development and implementation of effective DWM systems that will contribute to the maintenance of public health as well as sustainable growth and development.