IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jresou/v14y2025i4p62-d1630033.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Wastewater Treatment Plant Upgrade and Its Interlinkages with the Sustainable Development Goals

Author

Listed:
  • Laila A. Al-Khatib

    (Environmental Engineering Department, Faculty of Engineering, Al-Hussein Bin Talal University, P.O. Box 25, Ma’an 71111, Jordan)

  • Ahmad M. AlHanaktah

    (Laboratories and Quality Department, Aqaba Water Company, P.O. Box 252, Aqaba 77110, Jordan)

Abstract

In the face of acute water scarcity and sanitation challenges emblematic of arid and semi-arid regions (ASARs), this study investigated the transformative upgrade of the Aqaba Conventional Activated Sludge Wastewater Treatment Plant (CAS-AWWTP) in Jordan. The project, expanding capacity to 40,000 m 3 /day, integrated sustainable features including renewable energy and repurposed natural treatment ponds functioning as artificial wetlands. The plant’s treatment performance, byproduct valorization, and alignment with sustainable development goals (SDGs) were assessed. Comparative analysis revealed that the upgraded CAS-AWWTP consistently outperforms the previous natural and extended activated sludge systems. CAS-AWWTP average removal efficiencies of BOD 5 , COD, TSS, and T-N were 99.1%, 96.6%, 98.7%, and 95.1%, respectively, achieving stringent reuse standards and supplying approximately 30% of Aqaba Governorate’s annual water budget, thus conserving freshwater for domestic use. Furthermore, the plant achieved 44% electrical self-sufficiency through renewable energy integration, significantly reducing its carbon footprint. The creation of artificial wetlands transformed the site into a vital ecological habitat, attracting over 270 bird species and becoming a popular destination for birdwatching enthusiasts, drawing over 10,000 visitors annually. This transformation underscores the plant’s dual role in wastewater treatment and environmental conservation. The AWWTP upgrade exemplifies a holistic approach to sustainable development, impacting multiple SDGs. Beyond improving sanitation (SDG 6), it enhances water reuse for agriculture and industry (SDG 6.4, 9.4), promotes renewable energy (SDG 7), stimulates economic growth (SDG 8), strengthens urban sustainability (SDG 11), fosters resource efficiency (SDG 12), and supports biodiversity (SDG 14/15). The project’s success, facilitated by multi-stakeholder partnerships (SDG 17), provides a replicable model for water-scarce regions seeking sustainable wastewater management solutions.

Suggested Citation

  • Laila A. Al-Khatib & Ahmad M. AlHanaktah, 2025. "Wastewater Treatment Plant Upgrade and Its Interlinkages with the Sustainable Development Goals," Resources, MDPI, vol. 14(4), pages 1-16, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jresou:v:14:y:2025:i:4:p:62-:d:1630033
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-9276/14/4/62/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-9276/14/4/62/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jresou:v:14:y:2025:i:4:p:62-:d:1630033. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    We have no bibliographic references for this item. You can help adding them by using this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.