A Practitioner's Guide
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A Practitioner’s Guide For OCEAN WASTEWATER POLLUTION #REIMAGINEYOURWASTE Ocean Wastewater Pollution: A Practitioner’s Guide Executive Summary .................................................................1 Introduction ..............................................................................3 Objectives ................................................................................4 Human Waste & Taboo ...........................................................4 A Note About Terminology .....................................................4 Understanding the Problem ....................................................5 Pollution as a Matter of Practice ..........................................6 Scale of Wastewater Pollution ..............................................6 Wastewater Impacts on Oceans ......................................... 7 Wastewater Impacts on People ...........................................8 Climate Change and Wastewater .......................................10 Cross-Sector Collaboration .................................................15 Key Sectors for Collaboration .............................................16 The Policy Component ...........................................................19 Laws, Regulations, and Codes ............................................22 Monitoring .............................................................................23 National and Regional Policy Examples .............................24 Understanding the Opportunities ........................................29 Solution Space ......................................................................30 Role of Behavioral Science and Design ..............................38 Funding Landscape ..............................................................39 Research and Technology Priorities ....................................41 Knowledge Gaps ...................................................................42 Technology Needs ................................................................42 Tool Needs .............................................................................42 Sanitation 101 ........................................................................ 45 Basic Sanitation Terminology ............................................. 46 System Types ........................................................................ 47 Degrees of Treatment ......................................................... 48 Overview of Sanitation Systems ........................................ 49 Treatment Technologies ......................................................52 Appendix ................................................................................... 57 Appendix 1: Case Studies ....................................................58 Appendix 2: Glossary ............................................................62 TABLE OF TABLE CONTENTS References .............................................................................. 64 02 Ocean Wastewater Pollution It’s time to look at your pee and poo with fresh new eyes © DAVID CLODE / UNSPLASH/ CLODE DAVID © A Practitioner’s Guide 01 sion-makers need a reference to give them a funda- mental understanding of the problem, the impacts, the solutions, and the individuals and entities that are major players in the world of ocean wastewater pollution. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Because this threat has been largely ignored, there are limited resources and guides available to help address these local problems. This report, and other associated resources, are aiming to change that. We outline a few of the initiatives and resources Ocean wastewater pollution is serious, pervasive, under development at the time of publication. We and overlooked. Ignoring ocean wastewater pollution will update as needed. has consequences which threaten local and national The Our Shared Seas portal now has an Ocean economies, public health, fisheries, and coastal Sewage Pollution Hub, that includes a primer, expert security, and can even amplify the impacts of climate interviews, and research digests, and will continue change. Efforts to improve ocean health have most to be updated. This resource focuses on donor and recently focused on establishing marine protected NGO audiences to educate and encourage engage- areas, improving fisheries management, and restor- ment on important ocean health topics. ing coastal habitats. However, all this work is depen- The Reef Resilience Network recently created dent on good water quality in order to succeed. By a Wastewater Pollution Toolkit that presents continuing to ignore the threat of ocean wastewater resources and curriculum designed for a conser- pollution, we put our past and future investments at vation practitioner audience. They currently host risk. While there is significant interest from conser- a webinar series on ocean sewage pollution and vation practitioners to address this threat—because share information, including case studies and liter- the problem has been neglected—there is minimal ature summaries. In the near feature, they will be guidance on how to proceed. This report synthesizes sharing audience-specific topic briefs and an orga- what we know about the impacts of ocean wastewa- nization and project database. There also will be ter pollution, provides a primer for those unfamiliar a web-based guide and supplemental resources with management of human waste and the water, for sanitation managers interested in using natural sanitation, and hygiene sector (WASH), and points solutions, such as constructed wetlands. The Reef to opportunities to address the threat so both people Resilience Network is currently working to develop and oceans benefit. a searchable directory to support organizations The perfect treatment solution does not yet exist. around a specific expertise or geography. Existing There is no silver bullet or prescription for every case studies can be found on their Case Studies site. place. We understand the problem, and, in most Please contact us if you have a case study to share. instances, we have the knowledge and technology Finally, the Ocean Sewage Alliance officially to solve it. The greatest challenge is to foster better launched in June 2021. The Alliance is a collabo- understanding and buy-in so that we can mobilize rative partnership of academic researchers and the public, industry, and government to take action organizations from wide-ranging sectors, includ- to address this threat. Additionally, by employing ing conservation, WASH, technology, public health, solutions that treat human waste not as trash, but and development. From this partnership, we expect as a valuable resource, far greater benefits can be collaboration around problem solving, fundraising, achieved than just eliminating wastewater pollu- scientific research, project implementation, commu- tion. The potential to provide energy, water, fertilizer, nications, and outreach. An awareness campaign jobs, climate solutions, and opportunities for some was one of the first products of the Alliance, with of the poorest and most marginalized populations is implementation beginning in 2021 and continuing substantial and makes the case for addressing this through 2022. The Ocean Sewage Alliance welcomes threat all the more compelling. all parties interested in solving this diffi cult challenge Meeting the challenge is, in essence, the reason using the most sustainable and beneficial methods this report was created. If you are someone work- possible. Please reach out to us at info@oceansew- ing in ocean conservation and/or natural resource agealliance.org for more information. management, and if these are all new topics to you, then you are the audience for this document. This document is meant to be an overview for people unfamiliar with management of human waste and its impacts on marine environments and to help in becoming fluent in terminology around wastewater treatment and management. When addressing any aspect of sanitation and wastewater pollution, deci- 02 Ocean Wastewater Pollution A Practitioner’s Guide 03 INTRODUCTION Wastewater pollution is a serious threat to ocean health and, in turn, to the health of the planet and its inhabitants. Wastewa- ter pollution and lack of proper sanitation in general is also a threat to human health and well-being. Yet how human waste is managed and disposed of is not well regulated at the municipal, national, or international scale. It has been a largely invisible problem. It becomes visible when people begin to get sick, fish- eries become impaired, beaches have to close, and toxic algal blooms wreak havoc and start making the news. But right now, there is a great opportunity to solve this problem once and for all. This report synthesizes what we know about the impacts of ocean wastewater pollution, provides a primer for those new to the sanitation space, and points to opportunities to address the threat so both people and oceans benefit. The conservation sector has multiple roles to play to address ocean wastewater pollution. First, conservation practitioners serve as a voice for the ocean. This voice is critical given that it is currently lacking in places where plans and designs are under- way, technology is being developed, and decisions are being made. Natural resource management and conservation profes- sionals share deep knowledge about how vulnerable ecosys- tems function, how they are impacted, and what steps need to be taken to avoid damage to those ecosystems. Conservation practitioners