Limitations in evaluating wastewater treatment plants carbon footprint

Abstract

A wastewater treatment plant’s carbon footprint is represented by the amounts associated with collection, treatment and final disposal of treated wastewater and sludge. The importance of evaluating the carbon footprint in wastewater treatment facilities consists in the fact that it’s reduction is directly related to energy efficiency measures and plant operation improvements. Considering the fact that, at a national scale, there is a lack in methodologies and solutions for evaluating wastewater treatment plants’ carbon footprint, the main international methodologies and tools were studied and the paper presents the main parameters that have to be taken into account during evaluations, as well as the weak and strong points in the studied methodologies.