Environmental sustainability in restoration of water and wastewater treatment sectors in Africa

Abstract

This article addresses environmental sustainability in the restoration of the water and wastewater treatment sector in Africa. It is well known that water is an essential resource for human health worldwide. However, it is becoming increasingly important to develop projects and build infrastructure for water systems to effectively manage this vital resource. The Water Treatment Plant (WTP) is a component of the water systems infrastructure responsible for providing water treatment processes. The primary goal of this research was to evaluate the environmental sustainability of restoring the water treatment sector in Africa, based on the following pillars of sustainability: ecological, economic, and social. This research was prepared based on a sample, where the environmental sustainability of water treatment processes and their related infrastructures was evaluated. The samples analyzed included river water, groundwater, and industrial wastewater effluent collected from Mozambique and Nigeria. These two countries are located on the southeastern and western coasts of Africa, respectively. Drawing upon the author’s professional experience and referencing international guidelines and regional standards for water quality and wastewater discharge in African countries, the discussion underscores the restoration of the water and wastewater treatment sector in Africa.