Cost comparison of wastewater treatment in Danubian countries

• Published in: Water science and technology Vol. 62; no. 2; pp. 223 - 230
• Main Authors: Zessner, Matthias, Lampert, Christoph, Kroiss, H, Lindtner, S
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England IWA Publishing 2010
• Subjects: Catchment area; Catchment areas; Conservation of Energy Resources; Costs; Environmental Monitoring; Europe; Financial management; Financing; Freshwater; Income; Low income areas; Oceans and Seas; Phosphorus; Phosphorus removal; Removal; Rivers; Sewage; Sewage disposal; Sewerage; Sludge; Waste Disposal, Fluid - economics; Waste management; Wastewater; Wastewater management; Wastewater treatment; Water Pollutants - economics; Water treatment; Europe; Austria; MED, Black Sea; MED, Ukraine; MED, Romania; MED, Bulgaria; Ukraine, Danube R
• ISSN: 0273-1223; 1996-9732
• DOI: 10.2166/wst.2010.271

This paper investigates the costs of wastewater treatment (including sludge management) within the Danube catchment countries A, CZ, SK, HU, SL, RO, BG and UA. TK is considered as well. Additionally, the paper compares the total costs of wastewater management (including sewage) with the incomes in the different countries. The annual costs of wastewater treatment in Austria are about 30 euro/p.e. y for large plants with nitrogen and phosphorus removal. In low income countries of the Danube and Black Sea catchment areas they are at a maximum 30% lower than in Austria. However, the incomes in countries like Bulgaria, Romania or Ukraine are 85% to 90% lower. The total annual costs for wastewater management (sewer development plus treatment) amount at least to 90 euro/p.e. y. Considering the level of income in those countries, financing of wastewater management completely by charges of the population equivalents connected is not feasible. Therefore other approaches for financing wastewater treatment are required.