Decentralised treatment solutions for regional and remote water supplies and wastewater

This paper reports on the progress of a desktop study identifying challenges and solutions to the application of decentralised treatment of potable water and wastewater. The study so far has focused on wastewater treatment, investigating state-of-the-art knowledge internationally, but has also identified important findings from a case study in Kinglake West, Victoria. While septic tanks are a common form of decentralised treatment plant, there is a drive towards more complex aerobic treatment, coupled with source separation. While aerobic treatment may be more environmentallysustainable, due to decreased fugitive emissions, the energy consumption may be a concern where the associated costs are borne by homeowners. This becomes a particular issue as periods of powering down can result in a significant loss of reliability for the treatment.