Abstract
Onsite, small-scale and decentralised wastewater treatment systems are widely used around the world (for example serving a quarter of the population in the United States), and are perhaps symbolised by the septic tank and associated soak well or leach drain as used for domestic wastewater treatment in rural areas.
More recent innovations have taken advantage of our growing understanding of the fundamental physical, chemical and biological processes of wastewater treatment. Innovation has also been driven by a desire to recycle the water and nutrients to achieve environmental sustainability. Onsite, small scale and decentralised systems assist with achieving the recycling objective.
IWAﾒs 6th Specialised Conference on Small Water and Wastewater Systems and 1st Specialised Conference on Onsite Wastewater Treatment and Recycling drew well over two hundred delegates to discuss these issues, and from over 150 platform and poster papers 40 have been selected for these proceedings following peer review.