Software
2017 • University of British Columbia FitWater – Fit-for-Purpose Wastewater Treatment
FitWater is a decision support tool designed to evaluate alternative wastewater treatment trains and water reuse applications for their suitability, sustainability, and cost-effectiveness. It assesses options based on reclaimed water production, life cycle costs, health risks, energy consumption, and carbon emissions. FitWater employs multi-criteria decision analysis to rank treatment alternatives, considering factors such as microbial safety, economic viability, and environmental impact. Tested in Canada and the USA, FitWater is applicable to diverse urban water reuse scenarios like irrigation, industrial use, and groundwater recharge.
Recovered Materials & Products
Water
Water reuse
Waste Streams
Wastewater
Greywater
Sewage sludge
Confirmed countries
Denmark
What is this tool intended for?
FitWater is intended to identify the most suitable wastewater treatment train for specific water reuse applications. It enables planners and decision-makers to design systems tailored to community needs, minimizing health risks, costs, and environmental impacts.
How does this tool work?
The tool is implemented as an Excel-based decision support framework. Users input community-specific parameters such as wastewater quality, energy sources, and water reuse requirements. FitWater uses probabilistic analysis and multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) to rank alternatives based on their aggregated scores, reflecting their overall sustainability and fit-for-purpose efficacy.
Who might use this tool and with which types of stakeholders?
The tool is suited for use by urban planners, wastewater engineers, municipal authorities, researchers, and policy advisors working in the water and sanitation sector. It is particularly beneficial for settings requiring customized water reuse solutions, such as arid regions or communities with limited water resources.
What stages of a process can this tool support?
FitWater supports the planning and design stages of wastewater treatment and reuse projects. It is also applicable for evaluating and optimizing existing systems.
What skills, capabilities, and resources are required to use this tool?
FitWater requires proficiency with Excel and basic knowledge of wastewater treatment processes. Users also need access to community-specific data, including water quality and cost parameters.
Where can this tool be used?
FitWater is globally applicable but is particularly relevant for urban and peri-urban settings where water reuse is a priority. It has been demonstrated in Canada and the USA for irrigation, landscaping, and groundwater recharge.
Case examples of where this tool has been used
- Big Spring Regional Reclamation Project (USA): FitWater helped identify optimal treatment trains for water resuse in landscape and golf course irrigation.
- Okanagan Valley (Canada): The tool was applied to design greywater treatment systems for a newly planned neighborhood.
Get the Tool
FitWater is detailed in the research article at the link below, with methodologies accessible for use in designing similar decision support systems.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2017.06.269
Learn more
Chhipi-Shrestha, G., Hewage, K., & Sadiq, R. (2017). Fit-for-purpose wastewater treatment: Conceptualization to development of decision support tool (I). Science of the Total Environment, 607, 600-612.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2017.06.269
Chhipi-Shrestha, G., Hewage, K., & Sadiq, R. (2017). Fit-for-purpose wastewater treatment: Testing to implementation of decision support tool (II). Science of the Total Environment, 607, 403-412.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2017.06.268
Technologies
Reverse osmosis
Ultrafiltration
Microfiltration
Activated sludge
Trickling filters
Themes
Design
GHG emissions