EEA-EWA Study Urban Wastewater Projects - A Layperson's Guide

Edition 4/98

Purpose: The primary purpose of the Guide is to provide persons who do not have a technical background, including the general public, with information on aspects and issues that arise when planning and implemeting an urban wastewater project.
The Guide is principally aimed at non-technical employees and politicians involved in local, regional and national governments in Member States of the European Union and neighbouring countries. It has also been designed and written to be of interest to persons at all levels of government who have a technical background and who, for the first time, are to have an involvement in the management of wastewater.

It is also recognised that it has a wider geographic value than Europe. Sector-specific terms, or technical terms that a layperson might not be expected to understand, are briefly explained in an Annex containing a glossary of terms used in the Handbook. A Bibliography has been provided giving references for further reading should more detail on a particular matter be sought.

Preparation:
The Guide is prepared by a group of professional engineers and scientists and has been reviewed by members of the EWA and EWWG (European Waste Water Group) and by technical and non-technical representatives of external organisations with an interest in urban wastewater projects.

For orders please contact:
EWA Secretariat
Alice Wilhelm
Theodor-Heuss-Allee 17
D-53773 Hennef
Germany
Phone: +49 2242 872 168
Fax: +49 2242 872 135

Price: 15 EUR

Objectives:
The objectives underlying the production of the Guide, with respect to urban wastewater management, are

to provide a readily understood reference to related EU legislation;
to the characteristics and issues associated with optional solutions;
to the consequences associated with choosing between them;
which provides a communication bridge between non-technical persons and their technical colleagues and professional advisers;
which provides laypersons with the basic principles of wastewater projects sufficient to understand proposals for projects; to the products and services put to them by their advisers and commercial entities.

Structure:
The Guide is organised in chapters which respectively address the following:

an introduction to urban and rural wastewater management through responses to questions commonly raised on the subject;
outlines of the EU directive concerning Urban Wastewater Treatment and of related legislation; impacts of wastewater treatment on the environment and the concept of integrated planning of wastewater management;
the decision-making issues in urban wastewater projects, the resourced
to be managed and matters that relate to project phasing and institutional arrangements;
sewerage systems, sewer networks, and their construction and management;
issues, solutions and process options involved in planning an urban wastewater and sludge treatment works; key points of technical detail, essential to the development of a topic, with each of the technical points explained only in summary form;
revenue and user charges;
options for implementing urban wastewater projects.

back