A novel assessment framework for evaluation of the current implementation level of water and wastewater management practices

Abstract

Abstract A sustainable urban water cycle is critical in terms of effective water network management, efficient use of water resources, protection of the environment and human health, and reuse of treated water. The objective of this study is to develop a novel assessment framework that evaluates the data quality of components and current implementation levels of wastewater management (WWM) practices, calculates performance indicators according to the data quality of the components, and proposes the most appropriate improvement methods according to the current status of the components. This assessment framework consists of five matrices, namely the current situation analysis and management system (CSAS), data matrix (DATA), performance assessment system (PAAS), target definition system (TARGET), and method matrix (TOOL). The current situation is analyzed with a total of 231 components under 11 main headings covering WWM practices. The assessment framework was tested in pilot utilities and the results were discussed. It is observed that the scores of utility I were generally better than those of utilities II and III. The novelty of this assessment framework is to evaluate the current situation of WWM practices with a unique scoring system, to define the weaknesses and strengths in WWM, and to present a roadmap for improvement according to the current situation.