ABSTRACT
Water pollution and freshwater scarcity have become major concerns for achieving sustainable development goals. On the other hand, the increase in population and development are contributing towards a rapid expansion of cities across the world, triggering more water scarcity and pollution. Under these circumstances, expansion of centralized wastewater treatment for the management of wastewater may not be a feasible option every time. As an alternative, decentralized wastewater treatment facilities can be implemented in order to meet the demand. Decentralized wastewater treatment at the community level can provide renewable energy and treated water for various applications which shall reduce freshwater consumption. Further, decentralized wastewater treatment requires less area and maintenance compared to centralized wastewater facilities, making it more economically viable. In addition, decentralized systems show fewer health impacts, such as cancer and microbial contamination, than centralized facilities. Despite all the aforementioned advantages, these techniques are not accepted by the public due to many social aspects, including lack of awareness, fear of infection, unhygienic conditions, and so on. This chapter discusses the factors that affect the public acceptance and social aspects of decentralized water treatment systems by mentioning suitable case studies in Indian and western contexts.
