The metabolism of white-rot fungi has many proposed biotechnological applications. Their unique capability to depolymerize and catabolize lignin, the most recalcitrant component of lignocellulosic biomass, could be instrumental to the sustainable production of fuels, chemical, and materials from waste biomass feedstocks. The non-specific, oxidative nature of this lignin-degrading metabolism of white-rot fungi renders them capable of degrading a wide range of complex refractory organic compounds beyond lignin, including emerging micropollutants such as pharmaceuticals and pesticides which current wastewater treatment processes were not designed to remove. However, harnessing these metabolic capabilities into engineered bioprocesses has proven to be challenging. Common bioreactor design strategies were developed for traditionally-used unicellular bacteria and yeasts and are not necessarily appropriate for the more complex, filamentous white-rot fungi. Due to a lack of specific engineering strategies and other knowledge gaps, the realization of white-rot fungal bioprocesses has been hampered by low process efficiencies and operational challenges. This dissertation aims to expand the engineering toolbox for harnessing the metabolism of white-rot fungi in bioprocesses. Specifically, it proposes the addition of Fenton chemistry as an avenue to unlock the biotechnological potential of white-rot fungi. The production of hydroxyl radicals through the Fenton reaction is generally understood to be part of the lignin-degrading machinery of white-rot fungi and the addition of Fenton chemistry has been shown to synergistically enhance lignin degradation by white-rot fungi. Overall, the research presented here aims to demonstrate that incorporating Fenton chemistry into white-rot fungal bioprocesses not only synergistically increases lignin degradation efficiency, but also offers a potential solution for the operational challenges that have prevented the implementation of white-rot fungal bioprocesses. This dissertation was guided by five objectives aimed at illustrating the utility of coupling Fenton chemistry and white-rot fungi in engineered bioprocesses. The first objective was to demonstrate, optimize, and uncover the underlying mechanisms driving the synergistic degradation of lignin by white-rot fungi and Fenton chemistry. Through this assessment, it was found that lignin degradation increased synergistically from 58.8% to 80.2% in the presence of Fenton chemistry at the optimum concentration. This work also showed that Fe(II)/Fe(III) cycling and the induction of auxiliary ligninolytic pathways mediate this synergistic interaction. The second objective was to elucidate how Fenton chemistry influences the regulating mechanisms of ligninolytic activity in white-rot fungi, specifically C:N ratio. This showed that C:N ratio significantly influences lignin degradation in the absence of Fenton, but that this effect is blunted in the presence of Fenton. The third objective was to investigate how Fenton chemistry modulates the relationship between the concentration of fungal biomass and the extent of lignin. In the absence of Fenton, fungal biomass concentration was strongly correlated to the extent of lignin degradation. While this was also the case in the presence of Fenton chemistry at very low fungal biomass concentrations, this relationship became uncoupled at sufficiently high fungal biomass concentrations. The fourth objective was to evaluate Fenton chemistry as a selective disinfectant to allow for the persistence or enrichment of white-rot fungi in non-sterile settings. The model competitor E. coli became completely inactivated within hours at the optimal concentration of Fenton reagents, whereas the white-rot fungus P. chrysosporium survived and grew. Lastly, the fifth objective was to demonstrate the long-term performance of a continuously-operated bioreactor which integrated Fenton chemistry and white-rot fungal metabolism. A rotating biological contactor (RBC) combined with a rotating cathode electro-Fenton was constructed and a kinetic model based on batch tests was successfully developed and validated. The reactors were operated for over 100 days and reached stable lignin degradation performance at ~55%. Analysis of the microbial ecology of these reactors showed the persistence of the inoculated P. chrysosporium within the biofilms, as well as the enrichment for other lignin-degrading fungi and bacteria with aromatic catabolism and iron-reduction capabilities. Overall, this research provides insight into the potential and practical implications of integrating Fenton chemistry with white-rot fungi in bioprocesses. The lignin-degrading metabolism of white-rot fungi has long been of interest for biotechnological purposes, but attempts to operationalize them have thus far been unsuccessful at scale. In order to consider scaling white-rot fungi to full-scale operations such as wastewater treatment plants, a better understanding and tighter controls on the growth, ligninolytic activity, and ecological interactions of white-rot fungi are needed. This work proposes Fenton chemistry as a synergetic actor, selective promoter and regulator of white-rot fungal biomass and their production of lignin degrading enzymes.

Physical-chemical treatment has been shown to be highly successful in treating certain wastewaters and, to some degree, this treatment approach has been promoted as a panacea for all wastewater treatment problems. This project was designed to investigate the best method of treating a wastewater composed primarily of soluble organic material resulting from a cellulose acetate manufacturing process. Both physical-chemical and biological treatment processes were applied to the wastewater to determine whether the performance of the physical-chemical approaches would be less than, equal to, or greater than the performance of the biological treatment system. A further intention of the study was to help in generating guidelines concerning the limitations, if any, of physical-chemical systems. Experimental results showed that chemical treatment using lime or ferric chloride produced only marginal reductions in the COD of the wastewater. From these chemical experiments it was discovered that the wastewater had an extremely high buffering capacity. Adsorption with granular carbon produced a significant reduction in COD provided that a sufficient detention time was allowed. However, final COD values were still too high for discharge under most conditions. In a fairly short aeration period, activated sludge treatment produced an effluent COD value almost one-third the minimum effluent COD value from carbon adsorption. It was therefore concluded that for the wastewater studied t biological treatment was much more efficient than a chemical or physical treatment approach. / Master of Science

A number of investigations have been undertaken with the object of replacing the present water treatment system at the Virginia Polytechnic Institute Power Plant. / Master of Science

Constructed wetlands (CWs) originate from natural wetlands and are used for waste water treatment as an alternative to conventional treatment. This thesis was aimed at providing a literary summary of the types of house sewage water treatment plants and constructed wetlands used in the CR and abroad, of their hygienic aspects, functionality, treatment efficiency, expensiveness and the possibilities of their use in the conditions of the CR and their advantages and disadvantages. It also deals with a proposal of a suitable type of house CW for the conditions of the CR and a list of the necessary steps in construction of a house CW. Quite similar systems are being used for house sewage treatment in the Czech Republic and abroad {--} mostly septic tanks, ground mounds, constructed wetlands, active treatment plants and biodiscs. Alternative water treatment methods are generally not suitable for buildings having (now or in the future) the possibility of connection to municipal sewerage systems. They are on the other hand suitable for buildings not connected to sewerage systems or for seasonal objects, remote places and holiday houses with seasonal waste water production. A system with horizontal subsurface flow is mostly used as a CW in the Czech Republic. This CW type ensures sufficient removal of organic contamination and insoluble substances, but the efficiency of nitrogen and phosphorus removal is relatively low. However it is fully sufficient in the instance of low PE numbers, as the loading rate is usually low and the concentration of contaminants in the output water meets the prescribed limits. Foreign researches show that hybrid systems combining horizontal flow with vertical flow and with recirculation are more suitable for improving efficiency of nitrogen removal. Systems with vertical flow and intermittent waste water dosage showing particularly good results in ammoniac removal are also suitable for nitrogen removal. Special materials with higher iron, aluminium or calcium content are most suitable as filling of a constructed wetland or as additional filters or for improvement of phosphorus removal from waste water as they are able to reach efficiency of up to 90 %. In my thesis I came to a conclusion that a CW with horizontal subsurface flow is the most suitable type of house constructed wetland treatment for the conditions in the CR, mainly because it is the most frequently used and thus best proven CW type with sufficient efficiency of treatment for the substances required by standards.

Det senaste årtiondet har man uppmärksammat läkemedelsrester i den akvatiska miljön. Kommunala avloppsreningsverk är en av de viktigaste källorna till detta. Denna rapport behandlar frågan om att bygga ut avloppsreningsverk med teknik för att reducera läkemedel från kommunalt avloppsvatten. En telefonenkät har genomförts med personal på kommunala avloppsreningsverk. Med hjälp av den försöker rapporten sammanfatta läget för läkemedelsrening i svenska kommuner, hur långt man har kommit, vilka drivkrafter som kan stimulera arbetet och utmaningar som kan komma med det. Rapporten försöker också identifiera skillnader mellan kommuner som kan avgöra om man jobbar för att införa läkemedelsrening. Undersökningen visar att majoriteten av svenska kommuner ännu inte har börjat jobba med frågan; de som har börjat är främst stora kommuner. De flesta har dock hört talas om minst en reningsteknik för läkemedelsrening. I små kommuner är ekonomi och brist på kunskap en framtida utmaning. För de flesta kommuner skulle lagstiftning och lokala politiska beslut vara de viktigaste drivkrafterna för att börja jobba med frågan. Ungefär hälften av kommunerna uppgav att de trodde man skulle börja jobba med frågan inom 15 år. / Pharmaceutical residues in the aquatic environment has been a growing concern in the last decade, and municipal wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) are an important source of pharmaceuticals to the aquatic environment. This paper treats the question of upgrading public WWTPs with technology for reducing pharmaceutical residues in wastewater. By means of a telephone survey directed at personnel at municipal WWTPs, this report tries to conclude the position of Swedish municipalities; what work has already been done in this area, what possible motives might propel upgrading WWTPs, and challenges that might follow with it. The report also investigates whether there are any differences between municipalities that might determine whether a municipality has engaged in this area. The investigation shows that the majority of Swedish municipalities has not yet started working towards upgrading WWTPs. Those that have are mainly large municipalities. However most have heard of treatment techniques. For small municipalities economy and a lack of knowledge pose a future challenge. For most of the municipalities, legislation and local political decisions would be the most important drives towards upgrading WWTPs. About half of the municipalities in the survey thought that they might start working towards upgrading WWTPs within 15 years.

This project developed a model for effective asset management drawn from successful programs in the United States, Australia, and New Zealand. Asset management practices were examined at the City of Ontario Utilities Department; a medium sized utility, and also at the Rainbow Municipal Water District, a small sized utility. Gaps between the ideal model and the existing practices were investigated.

Submitted in fulfilment of the requirements of the degree of Master of Technology: Environmental Health, Durban University of Technology, 2014. / The study entailed the determination of key water quality parameters significantly influencing treatment cost in uMngeni Basin. Chemical dosage was used as a substitute for treatment cost as the study indicated that cost, in its monetary value, is influenced by market forces, demand and supply, which are both not directly linked to water quality. Chemical dosage is however, determined by the quality of water and thus provides a clear illustration of the effect of pollution on treatment cost. Three specific objectives were set in an effort to determine key water quality parameters influencing treatment costs in uMngeni Basin. The fourth objective was to develop a model for predicting chemical dosages. The first approach was analysis of temporal and spatial variability of water quality in relation to chemical dosage during production of potable water. The trends were explained in relation to river health status. For this purpose, time-series, box-plot, and the Seasonal-Kendal test were employed. The results showed that the quality of water significantly deteriorated from upstream to downstream in relation to algae, turbidity and Escherichia coli (E. coli). High mean range of E. coli (126-1319 colony count/100mL) and turbidity (2.7-38.7 NTU) observed indicate that the quality of water along the basin is not fit for human consumption as these parameters exceeded the target range stipulated in South Africa’s guidelines for domestic use. For water intended for drinking purpose, turbidity should be below 5 NTU, while zero E. coli count is expect in 100 mL. Among the six sampling stations considered along the uMngeni Basin, three dam outflows (Midmar, Nagle and Inanda) showed an improved quality compared with their respective inflow stations. This was expected and could be attributed to the retention and dilution effects. These natural processes help by providing a self-purification process, which ultimately reduces the treatment cost. While considering the importance of disseminating water quality information to the general public and non-technical stakeholders, the second objective of the study was to develop two water quality indices. These were; (1) Treatability Water Quality Index and (2) River Health Water Quality Index. The Treatability Water Quality Index was developed based on the Canadian Council Minister of Environment Water Quality Index (CCME-WQI). The technique is used to determine fitness of water against a set of assigned water quality resource objectives (guidelines). The calculated Harmonised Water Quality Resource Objectives (HWQRO) were used to compare the qualities of the raw water being abstracted at Nagle and Inanda Dam for the purpose of treatment. The results showed that Nagle Dam, which supplies Durban Heights, is significantly affected by E. coli (42% non-compliance), turbidity (20% non-compliance) and nitrate (18% non-compliance) levels. Wiggins Water Treatment Plant which abstracts from Inanda Dam has a problem of high algae (mean 4499 cell/mL), conductivity (mean 26.21 mS/m) and alkalinity (mean 62.66 mg/L) levels. The River Health Water Quality Index (RHWQI) was developed using the Weighted Geometric Mean (WQM) method. Eight parameters, namely, E. coli, dissolved oxygen, nitrate, ammonia, turbidity, alkalinity, electrical conductivity and pH were selected for indexing. Rating curves were drawn based on the target ranges as stipulated in South Africa’s guidelines for freshwater ecosystems. Five classes were used to describe the overall river health status. The results showed that the water is still acceptable for survival of freshwater animals. A comparison of the RHWQI scores (out of 100) depicted that dam inflow station (MDI(61.6), NDI(74.6) and IDI(63.8)) showed a relatively deteriorated quality as compared with their outflows (MDO(77.8), NDO(74.4) and IDO(80)). The third objective was to employ statistical analysis to determine key water quality parameters influencing chemical dosage at Durban Heights and Wiggins Water Treatment Plants. For each of the two treatment plants, treated water quality data-sets were analysed together with their respective raw water data-set. The rationale was to determine parameters showing concentration change due to treatment. The t-test was used to determine the significance of concentration change on each of the 23 parameters considered. Thereafter, the correlations between water quality parameters and the three chemicals used during treatment (polymer, chlorine and lime) were analysed. The results showed that the concentrations of physical parameters namely, algae, turbidity and total organic carbon at both treatment showed a significant statistical (p<0.05) reduction in concentration (R/Ro<0.95). This results implies that such parameters were key drivers for chemical dosage. From the results of the first three objectives, it is recommended that implementing measures to control physical parameter pollution sources, specifically sewage discharges and rainfall run-off from agricultural lands along the uMngeni Basin should assist in reducing the chemical dosage and ultimately cost. The fourth objective was to develop chemical dosage models for prediction purposes. This was achieved by employing a polynomial non-linear regression function on the XLStat 2014 program. The resultant models showed prediction power (R2) ranging from 0.18 (18%) up to 0.75 (75%). However, the study recommends a comparative study of the developed models with other modelling techniques.

This study investigates and compares the environmental burdens of two different methods for producing potable water by using the environmental life cycle assessment (LCA). The first method, for the production of potable water, is used by Umgeni Water at their Wiggins Waterworks and it involves conventional processes. The second method is based on a South African membrane technology and currently it is used in three pilot plants around the country. The life cycle concept gives the means understand the environmental impacts associated with a product. process or activity by considering all life-cycle stages, from cradle- to-grave. Formal methodologies for conducting such studies have been developed and in this project the methodological framework endorsed by the International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) 14040 series of standards has been used. By using this methodology and by tracing all processes involved in the production of potable water, it was found that the main contribution towards the environmental burdens of potable water is due to electricity generation. This conclusion is valid for both methods in vestigated. and as a result the recommendations focus on increasing the energy efficiency of waterworks in order to increase their overall environmental performance. / Thesis (M.Sc.Eng.)-University of Natal, Durban, 2001.

The increased use of synthetic nitrogen fertilizers since the early 1900s has resulted in greater food production but also problems with nitrogen pollution in freshwaters. Nitrate (NO3-) is a common pollutant in rivers and groundwater in agricultural watersheds; the drinking water limit in Canada is 10 mg N/L. Microbial processing of NO3- and ammonium (NH4+) can produce nitrous oxide (N2O), a potent greenhouse gas responsible for about 5% of the greenhouse effect. Rivers provide a complex environment, where a variety of redox conditions, available substrates and microbial populations can co-exist on small spatial and temporal scales. Therefore, many questions remain about N cycling in river environments. N2O is produced during anoxic microbial NO3- or NO2- reduction to N2 (denitrification) and oxic microbial NH4+ oxidation to NO3- (nitrification). A significant portion (~25%) of global anthropogenic N2O is produced in rivers and estuaries, but mechanisms are not clear and predictability is poor. The United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) provides default equations for calculating N2O emission estimates, in which annual NO3- loading to rivers is positively linearly related to N2O emissions. However, it is unclear how sound these linear relationships are and if measured N2O emissions are similar to IPCC estimates. The Grand River watershed is the largest in southern Ontario. Nutrient discharge to the Grand River is high due to extensive agriculture and high urban populations. The river often has a hypoxic water column due to high community respiration in summer. However, although nitrogen pollution is significant, N cycling is not well understood in the river. This thesis shows that NO3- and NH4+ do not typically change on the diel scale, with the exception of two sites downstream of wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). However, N2O concentration changes dramatically. N2O concentrations are higher at night and lower during the day for most sites, but are reversed at very low-nutrient sites. N2O is therefore a sensitive indicator of changes in N cycling that may not be evident from NO3- and NH4+ concentrations or stable isotope ratios. Additionally, this work shows the importance of having a sampling design that captures diel variability in N2O. Previous work in rivers and streams worldwide focused on the appropriate N2O:NO3- ratio used to predict N2O emissions. In contrast, this thesis shows that there is a significant but very weak relationship between instantaneous N2O emissions and NO3- concentrations. However, there is a much stronger negative exponential relationship between DO and N2O. Annual N2O emissions tripled between 2006 and 2007 but NO3- masses in the river were only 10% higher, likely because river levels were lower and anoxia more prevalent in 2007. This research suggests that the IPCC needs a new conceptual model for N2O-NO3- relationships in rivers. N2O is produced in rivers, partially due to microbial processing of NO3- and NH4+ from WWTP effluent. However, WWTP effluent may also include dissolved N2O and CH4 but this previously had not been directly quantified. It was also unclear if stable isotopic ratios of NH4+, NO3-, N2O and CH4 in WWTP effluent were distinct from river sources and could be used for effluent tracing. N2O emissions from three WWTPs in the Grand River Watershed were measured over 24 hours in summer and winter. N2O emissions were similar to direct emissions from WWTPs but CH4 emissions were about an order of magnitude lower than direct WWTP emissions. This is a previously-ignored source of N2O and CH4 to the atmosphere. While stable isotopic ranges of NO3- and NH4+ were not always distinct from river sources, ??15N-N2O, ??18O-N2O and ??13C-CH4 were distinct, making them potentially useful tracers of WWTP effluent in rivers. N2O isotopic signatures may help determine production and removal processes in rivers, but isotopic effects of the major production pathway, denitrification, have not been characterized for river sediments. This was addressed by preparing anoxic laboratory incubations of river sediment from two sites (non-urban and urban) in the Grand River and measuring stable isotopic effects of N2O production via denitrification. Stable isotopic fractionations were similar to published values but, surprisingly, strongly negatively correlated to production rate, even though NO3- substrate was plentiful. This novel finding suggests that N2O reduction resulting in isotopic effects is more prevalent in high-substrate systems than previously thought, and that N2O reduction may be inhibited by high NO3- or NO2- or by lags in N2O reductase activity in high N2O-production incubations. This could explain why N2O emissions from the Grand River are lower than predicted by IPCC equations, which assume that N2O:(N2O+N2) ratios produced by denitrification are constant. Concern about NO3- export to freshwater lakes and to oceans is growing, but the role of large, eutrophic rivers in removing watershed NO3- loading via denitrification and biotic assimilation is not clear. To understand how much NO3- the Grand River receives, and how much it removes annually, a NO3- isotope mass balance for the Grand River was created. The river denitrified between 0.5% and 17% of incoming NO3-, less than the 50% suggested by the IPCC. This is surprising, as the river is well mixed, has moderate to high NO3- concentrations, experiences hypoxia (promoting denitrification), and has extensive biomass (biofilm and macrophytes) that assimilate N. However, the river???s short residence time (~3 days not counting reservoirs), organic carbon-poor sediment and mineralization of organic matter could contribute to low denitrification rates. These findings suggest that denitrification rates in rivers worldwide could be lower than previously estimated. Although error was high, most ??15N-NO3- values for losses were in the expected range for denitrification and most ??15N-NO3- values for gains were within ranges from tributaries, WWTP effluent and groundwater measured in the watershed. The model suggests that 68% to 83% of N loads to the watershed are lost before entering the Grand River, and 13% is exported to Lake Erie, leaving 5 to 19% lost in the Grand River from a combination of denitrification, assimilation and storage. These findings suggest that large rivers are much less efficient in denitrification than other locations in watersheds such as small streams, ponds, groundwater and riparian zones. They also indicate that agricultural NO3- loading is much higher than WWTP effluent, suggesting that N management strategies should focus on agricultural runoff and groundwater. Given that N2O:NO3- relationships are weak and non-linear in the Grand River, a new conceptual model for N2O:NO3- relationships is presented. First, the Grand River dataset was supplemented with data from high-oxygen streams in southern Ontario. Regression tree analysis shows a weak relationship between NO3- and N2O in these streams with no other factors (temperature, DO, NH4+, TP, DOC, etc.) improving fit. A conceptual model was then created, which posits that N2O emission variability (between and within sites) increases with NO3- concentration when NO3- concentrations are above the threshold for NO3- limitation. The global dataset does not dispute this model, though a NO3- threshold was not clear. The lack of sites with both high NO3- and high N2O may indicate a paucity of research on eutrophic sites. Alternatively, high NO3- may indicate oxic conditions (i.e. little to no denitrification to remove it) which are incompatible with very high N2O emissions. In this case, the conceptual model can be modified such that N2O variability decreases when NO3- > ~ 4 mg N/L. The work also shows that low DO consistently results in high N2O emissions but high temperatures result in a very large range of N2O emissions. This approach allows N2O emissions, which have very high variability and are difficult to predict, to be constrained to likely ranges.

p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica} For a long time there has been a problem with unwanted emissions to sanitary systems that causes problems in pipelines, pump stations and in wastewater treatment plants and also adversely affect the quality of the sludge. The wastewater contains for example: sanitary products, hair, grease, pharmaceutical residues etc. also the purification of the wastewater requires large investments. The aim of this study was to investigate the wastewater treatment plants (WWTP) communication methods to reduce the emissions from households to wastewater treatment plants. The study was made by a literature review and an interview survey involving four WWTP: Stockholm vatten och avfall AB, Kalmar vatten AB, Vatten &amp; Miljö i Väst AB and Laholmsbuktens VA. WWTP use several different communication methods such as websites, social media, study visits and campaigns. Because of limited time and lack of resources the WWTPs have difficulty in fulfilling the purposes of their interventions. It also depends on that the interventions are not evaluated or monitored enough. It shows in the interviews that the WWTP are not working actively with best practice and also that there is no legal requirement for WWTPs to inform households about sewage rules and requirements. WWTPs need to create better structures to their interventions and they also need to evaluate and follow up ALL interventions to make progress in the future. The study also consider that a plan for best practice need to be developed and stricter regulations which also households may be sanctioned if they violate. / Det har länge funnits ett problem med oönskade utsläpp i avlopp som orsakar problem i ledningsnät, pumpstationer och reningsverk samt påverkar slamkvaliteten negativt. Dagens sanitetssystem har begränsad kapacitet för att kunna hantera dessa föroreningar och samtidigt även bidra till att sluta kretsloppen. Det finns en del okända risker för miljön med innehållet i avloppsvattnet. Exempelvis på oönskade utsläpp i avloppsvatten är bl.a. tops, hår, hygienartiklar, fett, kemikalier, läkemedelsrester m.m. Reningsprocesserna för utsläppen kräver omfattande ekonomiska satsningar samt stora energi- och kemikaliekostnader. Vad gör egentligen VAbolagen idag för att minska på dessa utsläpp? Syftet med studien är att undersöka VA-bolags kommunikationsmetoder för att minska utsläppen från hushåll till avloppsreningsverken. Frågorna som ställs är följande: - Vilka kommunikationsvägar finns och används för att förmedla information från VAbolagen till anslutna hushåll? - Hur arbetar VA-bolag med kampanjer samt huruvida mäts effektiviteten av kampanjer? - Finns det best practice hos VA-bolagen? Studien bestod av en litteratursammanställning samt en intervjuundersökning där fyra VAbolag medverkade: Stockholms vatten och avfall AB, Kalmar vatten AB, Vatten &amp; Miljö i Väst AB samt Laholmsbuktens VA. Syftet var att ta reda på hur de arbetar med miljökommunikation samt vilka kommunikationsmetoder de använder för att nå ut med information till anslutna hushåll och privatpersoner. I resultatet framkommer att HUR- och VAD- frågorna ligger till grund för miljökommunikation, samt att kommunikation kräver att fem punkter används för att budskap ska nå fram: vad, var, vem, hur och varför. För att skapa ett logiskt upplägg och skapa en helhet för en process bör arbetet läggas upp m.h.a. tre punkter: nulägesbeskrivning, framtidsvision samt en handlingsplan. VA-bolagen använder sig av flera olika kommunikationsvägar som ex. webbaserad hemsida, broschyrer, sociala medier, studiebesök, utskick samt kampanjer. På grund av tidsbrist och bristen på resurser lyckas inte kampanjer fylla de syften de är menade att nå. Det beror även på att kampanjerna inte utvärderas eller följs upp i tillräckligt stor utsträckning. VA bolagen anser att riktade mindre kampanjer och utskick mot rätt målgrupp är av de bättre kommunikationsmetoderna. Däremot framkommer det även att VA-bolagen inte aktivt arbetar med best practice samt att det inte finns något lagligt krav på att VA-bolagen måste informera sina användare om de regler och krav som finns. De slutsatser som kan dras är att VA-bolagen behöver skapa bättre strukturer i sina kampanjer samt att de måste utvärdera och följa upp alla insatser för att kunna göra framsteg i kommande insatser. Ett upplägg för best practice behöver tas fram för att VA-bolagen ständigt ska kunna utvecklas och hela tiden kunna jobba utefter de bästa metoderna för tillfället, utefter de resurser som tillhandahålls. Studien förordar även skärpta regelverk där inte bara verksamheter utan även hushållen kan drabbas och sanktioneras vid upptäckt av regelbrott.