Implementation Readiness of Integrated Communal Wastewater and Faecal Sludge Treatment

Decentralized wastewater treatment systems, which predominate in settlement areas, face challenges in the periodic management of faecal sludge due to limited access to centralized faecal sludge treatment facilities. This study assessed the implementation readiness of communal wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) integrated with on-site faecal sludge treatment system (SIPALT) in settlement areas within the Citarum Watershed. Wastewater quality was analyzed at 15 communal WWTPs using the Wastewater Quality Index (WWQI), which showed that effluent quality was categorized as moderately to slightly polluted. Faecal sludge from most communal WWTPs indicated low organic pollution according to the Organic Pollution Index (OPI) but high contamination according to the Contamination Index (CI). The performance of most communal WWTPs, assessed using the Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) method, yielded scores above 40%, indicating potential for improvement through SIPALT implementation. Cluster analysis (CA) and multiple discriminant analysis (MDA) were used to prioritize SIPALT technologies and classify implementation readiness into three categories based on technical, environmental, and community-related factors. Communal WWTPs categorized as less ready or not ready for SIPALT implementation require improvements, particularly in effluent quality, water supply, faecal sludge quality, land use, community perceptions, and community participation.