Department Environmental Social Sciences

Decision-making for the transition from central to novel wastewater infrastructure systems

Network infrastructure systems in urban water management deteriorate and will reach their end of life within the next decades. At this point we need to ask: How do we proceed? Do we rehabilitate or replace current network systems with the help of alternative systems? Disadvantages of centralized infrastructures such as low flexibility due to long planning horizons as well as high (investment) costs have great impact particularly under dynamic conditions and in rural, sparsely populated areas. During the last years, novel, decentralized technologies have gained increased attention for instance because they promise higher flexibility.

In Switzerland and similar countries, centralized wastewater infrastructures are widely established. It remains to be clarified under which conditions decentralized systems are really advantageous. In case they are competitive it needs to be investigated who is going to make which decisions at which point of time to guarantee a successful transition from the current central system to a decentralized alternative. It remains unclear, how local and cantonal stakeholders can be involved effectively into the long-term decision process.

This project aims to identify alternative wastewater systems that require less network infrastructure. The advantages and disadvantages of alternative, innovative systems will be evaluated with respect to future uncertainties (e.g. climate change, population shrinkage/ growth, technology development) as well as with regard to the expectations of stakeholders. Within the project at least one rural community in the canton of Solothurn will be investigated as case study.

The project is a conjoint research activity of Eawag’s departments Environmental Social Sciences (ESS) and Urban Water Management (SWW). The research is conducted in intensive collaboration with the environmental agency of the canton of Solothurn (AfU SO). The project is embedded in the Wings („Water and sanitation innovations for non-grid solutions“) at Eawag.

Team

Philipp Beutler Project collaborator, Cluster: DA Tel. +41 58 765 5285 Send Mail
PD Dr. Judit Lienert Group Leader, Cluster: DA (Decision Analysis) Tel. +41 58 765 5574 Send Mail

Publications

Kuller, M.; Beutler, P.; Lienert, J. (2023) Preference change in stakeholder group-decision processes in the public sector: extent, causes and implications, European Journal of Operational Research, 308, 1268-1285, doi:10.1016/j.ejor.2022.12.001, Institutional Repository
Beutler, P.; Larsen, T. A.; Maurer, M.; Staufer, P.; Lienert, J. (2021) Potenzial dezentraler Abwassersysteme, Aqua & Gas, 101(1), 66-75, Institutional Repository
Beutler, P.; Lienert, J. (2020) Zukünftige Abwasserentsorgung im ländlichen Raum - Synthese zur Entscheidungsunterstützung in den Fallstudien im Solothurner Jura. Abschlussbericht, 65 p, Institutional Repository
Beutler, P.; Lienert, J. (2020) Zukünftige Abwasserentsorgung im ländlichen Raum - Fallstudie 2. Abschlussbericht für die Gemeinde, 145 p, Institutional Repository
Beutler, P.; Lienert, J. (2020) Zukünftige Abwasserentsorgung im ländlichen Raum - Fallstudie 1. Technischer Bericht zur Entscheidungsunterstützung für die Gemeinde, 247 p, Institutional Repository
Beutler, P.; Lienert, J. (2020) Zukünftige Abwasserentsorgung im ländlichen Raum - Fallstudie 1. Abschlussbericht für die Gemeinde, 28 p, Institutional Repository

Posters

"Schwierige Entscheidungen im Milizsystem" (Poster Methode MCDA; Mai 2020) (only in German)

"Zukünftige Abwassersysteme im ländlichen Raum" (Poster Fallstudienergebnisse; Mai 2020) (only in German)

Webinar

"Potenziale dezentraler Abwassersysteme" (Webinar VSA, Vimeo, Youtube; Juni 2020) (only in German)

Contact

Philipp Beutler Project collaborator, Cluster: DA Tel. +41 58 765 5285 Send Mail

Project information

Duration: 05/2016 to 02/2020

Posters

Schwierige Entscheidungen im Milizsystem

Schwierige Entscheidungen im Milizsystem (only in German)

 

Zukünftige Abwassersysteme im ländlichen Raum

Zukünftige Abwassersysteme im ländlichen Raum (only in German)