Environmental and economic performance evaluation of municipal wastewater treatment plants in India: a life cycle approach

Abstract

Abstract Life cycle assessment (LCA) was used to evaluate the environmental impacts associated with wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). Moreover, an economic evaluation was also addressed using life cycle cost (LCC) approach. Emissions associated with electricity production for operating the WWTPs, emissions from the treated effluent and hazardous heavy metals emissions have been identified as the main contributors to the overall environmental impact. Among the WWTPs considered, soil biotechnology (SBT) obtained the lowest environmental impact in all the evaluated impact categories, except for eutrophication potential. While the aerated lagoons (AL) system presented the worst results due to the high electricity and chemicals consumption. Moreover, the results obtained from the evaluation of benefit from treated effluent reuse clearly indicate that there is a drop in the toxicity potential when the rate of effluent reuse is increased. On the other hand, the present worth of SBT was estimated to be Rs. 40 million/millions of litres per day (MLD) which is the highest as compared to other technologies. Membrane bioreactor (MBR) is the second highest (Rs. 24.7 million/MLD), which is mainly contributed by civil, electro-mechanical and membrane cost. The results of LCA and LCC provide specific insights about the factors which play a major role during the life cycle of wastewater treatment technology and its associated impacts.