A hydrologic-economic model for urban wastewater management planning

Provision of adequate wastewater management in urban centres of developing countries is becoming increasingly challenging due to rapid population growth and emergence of informal settlements. To assist in effective planning of future wastewater management systems,
mathematical models have been developed to estimate the performance of various wastewater management strategies. However, the models have only focused on conventional sewerage systems without considering small, decentralized wastewater management systems that can be more flexible and cost effective in responding to rapid urbanization. To address this gap, the proposed study aims to (1) develop a simulation model that integrates socioeconomic forecasts (e.g. population growth, income level) with centralized and decentralized wastewater management strategies, and to (2) apply the developed model to the case of Mumbai, India to demonstrate the utility of the tool in identify promising wastewater management strategies. The study will ultimately provide a platform for evaluating decentralized wastewater systems in the context of rapid urbanization around the world.

Faculty Supervisor:

Yu-Ling Cheng

Student:

Partner:

Indian Institute of Technology Bombay

Discipline:

Engineering

Sector:

Education

University:

University of Toronto

Program: