AVLOPPSRENING ELLER RESURSANVÄNDNING? / Wastewater Treatment or Resource Management?
Swedish environmental policies have aimed at connecting even small point source discharges to tertiary treatment plants, either by large scale collection and treatment systems or by small separate plants. The cost-effectiveness of the strategy for a number of urban areas with less than 1,000 inhabitants was evaluated in one municipality (115,000 inhabitants) in the south of Sweden. Average costs per person for small separate tertiary treatment plants were of about the same magnitude as those for connection to the main municipal system at the present level of capacity utilization. A different on-site treatment technique, the wetland filter, which has been experimentally adapted to Swedish conditions, was compared to the existing system. In the wetland filter pre-sedimented wastewater is applied by surface irrigation to reed sweetgrass, Glyceria maxima, growing in loamy sand. Part of the nutrients are recovered by harvest of the grass. “Complete abstract not presented.”