Picture: World Water Week front page (2011)
Municipal wastewater effluents is one of the largest sources of pollution, by volume, being discharged to surface water bodies in coastal countries. New and more efficient wastewater treatment biotechnologies for pollutant removal are therefore needed to maintain water quality standards in receiving water bodies and to meet regulatory requirements.
Entering the second decade of this century, thousands of small, large, medium and mega-sized cities are growing rapidly and redrawing the water map. At this crucial junction, water and development experts and practitioners need to work side by side with those who will show the urban fabrics which largely dictate the direction water flows.
This morning, I learned that the Talvivaara mining complex doesn't have waste water treatment plant. Millions of cubic metres or water are flowing to the rivers and lakes without proper wastewater treatment. Problems are always recognized with a delay due to slow monitoring of water quality.
Source: www.worldwaterweek.org and Journal of Industrial Microbiology and Biotechnology
