6533b85cfe1ef96bd12bd669
RESEARCH PRODUCT
Efficiency of wastewater treatment facilities: The influence of scale economies.
Vicent Hernández-choverÁGueda Bellver-domingoFrancesc Hernández-sanchosubject
Environmental EngineeringNatural resource economics020209 energy02 engineering and technologyEfficiency010501 environmental sciencesManagement Monitoring Policy and LawEnvironmentWastewater01 natural sciencesWaste Disposal FluidWater Purification0202 electrical engineering electronic engineering information engineeringmedia_common.cataloged_instanceEnvironmental impact assessmentEuropean unionCitiesWaste Management and Disposal0105 earth and related environmental sciencesmedia_commonScope (project management)General MedicineDirectiveInvestment (macroeconomics)Economies of scaleSewage treatmentBusinessPopulation equivalentdescription
The water cycle, from catchment to discharge, is a sector that involves an important investment and operation and maintenance costs. In particular, sewage treatment is a challenge for governments because they are having to consider economic, environmental, and social aspects. Within the European Union, implementation of Directive 91/271/EEC is responsible for the location of wastewater treatment facilities in the territory, due to the requirement that all urban areas must have this infrastructure to reduce the environmental impact of treated water in water bodies. Different sizes of municipalities affect the design of each wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) and cause variations in the operation process. The presence of scale economies in this sector has a significant influence on the efficiency of the wastewater treatment process and has a direct impact on the operational costs. Based on the pursuit of economic and environmental efficiency, this analysis extends the scope of the current literature because it recommends a specific, population equivalent (p.e.) range for which it would be suitable to achieve efficiency in wastewater treatment facilities-shedding light on the open debate about scale economies in WWTPs.
| year | journal | country | edition | language |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018-12-01 | Journal of environmental management |