A Location Selection Method for Wastewater Treatment Plants Integrating Dynamic Change of Water Ecosystem and Socio-Cultural Indicators: A Case Study of Phnom Penh

Abstract

The selection of reasonable locations for urban wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) is significant in controlling water pollution. However, most current WWTP location selection models focus only on population density, industrial zone scale and geographic elements, while ignoring water pollution and local socio-cultural indicators. We propose a novel indicator system from RS/GIS data to select reasonable locations for WWTPs in Phnom Penh to avoid water environmental deterioration and harm to human health. The frequency of occurrence of water eutrophication is derived from time series RS data and reveals the degree of pollution of local water ecosystems, and is included as a demand indicator for the first time. In order to respect local socio-cultural customs, buffer zones for religious sites are included in the indicator system for the first time to fully determine the zones where construction of WWTPs is forbidden. Subsequently, WWTP locations are selected with the fusion of the minimized facilities number and maximum coverage models. The results demonstrate that the selected locations are all highly suitable and outside zones where construction is forbidden. The method proposed in the article provides a more comprehensive and scientific perspective for WWTP location selection.

Keywords

• wastewater treatment plant
• location selection
• indicator system
• satellite remote sensing
• GIS