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Towards Sustainable Wastewater Solutions: Innovations, Challenges, and Economic Opportunities
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Towards Sustainable Wastewater Solutions: Innovations, Challenges, and Economic Opportunities

A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Sustainable Water Management".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 23 October 2026 | Viewed by 4180

Editors

Dr. Margarida Oliveira

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Instituto Politécnico de Santarém, Escola Superior Agrária, Santarém, Portugal
Interests: wastewater treatment; water footprint; life cycle assessment; sustainability
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Luisa Paula Cruz Lopes

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
1. Department of Environmental Engineering, Polytechnic Institute of Viseu, 3504-510 Viseu, Portugal
2. CERNAS Research Centre for Natural Resources, Environment and Society, 3504-510 Viseu, Portugal
Interests: liquefaction; polyurethane foams; lignocellulosic composites; lignocellulosic materials
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

In the context of climate change, urbanization, industrialization, and the degradation of water resources, there is a dire need to develop wastewater treatment practices that are compliant with environmental standards, but also ensure public health and achieve economic viability. This Special Issue aims to assess the prospects for the sustainable development of wastewater treatment systems, exploring innovative tools, and the socio-economic prospects for change in the wastewater infrastructure. This collection will bring together cutting-edge research and innovative solutions, addressing the multifaceted challenges of sustainable wastewater management. 
We welcome original research, case studies, reviews, and perspectives that explore the following themes: 

  1. Advances in wastewater treatment technologies and practices: 
    • Membrane bioreactors (MBRs) and membrane filtration.
    • Nature-based approaches to decentralized wastewater treatment (e.g. constructed wetlands).
    • Treatment of emerging contaminants (e.g. bioremediation and bioaugmentation).
  1.  Resource recovery and circular economy:
    • Nutrient recovery: recovery technologies of phosphorus and nitrogen from wastewaters. 
    • Water–energy nexus: technologies to recover energy from wastewater (e.g. anaerobic digestion and microbial fuel cells).
    • Reuse of treated wastewater for irrigation, industrial processes and urban landscaping.
  1. Decentralized and off-grid solutions:
    • Exploring the potential of decentralized treatment systems and on-site wastewater treatment wastewater in areas lacking basic services and infrastructure. 
    • Hybrid systems: integrating decentralized and centralized systems to optimize efficiency, reduce costs, and improve local water security.
  1. Challenges in implementation and adoption, and strategies to overcome them:
    • Cost-effectiveness and scalability: addressing the steep capital expenditure in advanced treatment of wastewater and operational level business considerations.
    • Infrastructure limitations, public acceptance, and financial constraints: examining how current infrastructures, societal attitudes, and financial barriers hurdles impact the adoption of sustainable wastewater solutions.
    • Data-driven optimization: applying deep learning, IoT, and big data analytics to optimize monitoring, maintenance, and management of the system.
  1. Economic and policy dimensions:
    • Economic opportunities: exploring and providing business analysis towards emerging market for cost effective wastewater technologies and value-added by-products.
    • Public–private partnerships (PPPs): the role of collaboration between government, industry, and communities in promoting sustainable wastewater practices.
    • Policy frameworks and incentives: analysis of successful policy models, subsidies, and tax incentives that drive eco-friendly wastewater innovation and infrastructure investment. 

Dr. Margarida Oliveira
Dr. Luisa Paula Cruz Lopes
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-anonymized peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • decentralized systems
  • bioremediation
  • membrane bioreactors (MBRs)
  • constructed wetlands
  • nutrient recovery
  • policy frameworks
  • public–private partnerships
  • circular economy
  • sustainable wastewater management
  • water–energy nexus

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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19 pages, 966 KB  
Article
How Existing Infrastructure and Governance Arrangement Affect the Development of Sustainable Wastewater Solutions
by Henno P. van Dokkum
Sustainability 2026, 18(1), 217; https://doi.org/10.3390/su18010217 - 24 Dec 2025
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1101
Abstract
This paper examines the tensions between existing infrastructure and the need for transitional change in Dutch municipal wastewater collection and treatment. In the Netherlands, sanitation is primarily managed by public actors, with local government playing a major role. The paper demonstrates how local [...] Read more.
This paper examines the tensions between existing infrastructure and the need for transitional change in Dutch municipal wastewater collection and treatment. In the Netherlands, sanitation is primarily managed by public actors, with local government playing a major role. The paper demonstrates how local governments navigate these tensions and are both restricted and enabled by the current infrastructure and governance arrangements. Based on interviews, literature reviews, and analyses of statistical trends, it describes five attempts at reform in Dutch sanitation from 1980 to 2020: phosphorus removal; separating stormwater from combined sewers; water cycle companies; energy factories; and decentralized sanitation. The multi-level governance system, with decentralized infrastructure and financing, allows local governments to experiment with alternative practices, develop knowledge, and employ various interactions to mainstream innovations. However, the division of tasks in Dutch sanitation governance tends to optimize sub-systems rather than the entire system. For nationwide implementation, legislation and strong central coordination are essential. Additionally, New Public Management reinforces existing infrastructure lock-in. The paper enhances our understanding of the local government’s role in transitional change and offers insights into how the challenges of existing infrastructure can be mitigated in pursuit of sustainable wastewater solutions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Towards Sustainable Wastewater Solutions: Innovations, Challenges, and Economic Opportunities)
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25 pages, 694 KB  
Systematic Review
Emerging Contaminants in Water Resources: Monitoring Gaps, Treatment Limitations and Governance Challenges with Insights from Portugal
by Pedro Esperanço, Teresa Leal, André Almeida, António Canatário Duarte, Luísa Cruz-Lopes, José Manuel Gonçalves and Margarida Oliveira
Sustainability 2026, 18(10), 5086; https://doi.org/10.3390/su18105086 - 18 May 2026
Viewed by 2016
Abstract
This study provides a comprehensive overview of emerging contaminants in water resources. It includes a global perspective with specific insights from Portugal. Following PRISMA 2020 guidelines, peer-reviewed studies published between 2020 and 2025 were critically assessed to identify patterns of contamination, monitoring gaps [...] Read more.
This study provides a comprehensive overview of emerging contaminants in water resources. It includes a global perspective with specific insights from Portugal. Following PRISMA 2020 guidelines, peer-reviewed studies published between 2020 and 2025 were critically assessed to identify patterns of contamination, monitoring gaps and technological readiness levels. Results indicate frequently detected emerging contaminants including pesticides, antibiotics and antidepressants in surface water, groundwater and wastewater systems. Advanced analytical methods, particularly liquid chromatography coupled with high-resolution mass spectrometry, stands out as the main detection technique, allowing the identification of trace levels of contaminants. These techniques also support the identification of pollution patterns associated with agriculture, urban and industrial effluents. However, significant asymmetries persist between international and Portuguese research. Particularly evident in systematic monitoring networks and integrated risk assessment approaches. Conventional water/wastewater treatment plants show limited removal efficiency, while advanced oxidation processes, adsorption technologies and microalgae-based systems demonstrate promising but variable performance depending on scale and operational maturity. The findings highlight gaps between scientific advances and regulatory implementation, emphasizing the need for strengthened monitoring frameworks and technology scale-up strategies. They also call for improved integration between science, governance, and sustainability policies to ensure resilient water resource management in line with the Sustainable Development Goals. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Towards Sustainable Wastewater Solutions: Innovations, Challenges, and Economic Opportunities)
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