Comparative Life Cycle Assessment Study on Carbon Footprint of Water Treatment Plants: Case Study of Indonesia and Taiwan

Access to clean and safe water is essential to sustain human life. With the growth of the world population, the demand for clean water is also increasing. Water Treatment Plants (WTPs) are among the highest electricity consumers, thus causing damage to the environment and human health by producing solid waste and sludge as by-products, along with air pollution and noise. With the fourth highest population in the world, Indonesia faces a high demand for clean water. The country has pledged to reach net zero by 2060 or sooner, requiring effort in all sectors of the economy. Taiwan is relatively small compared to Indonesia but has a higher average clean water supply per capita than Indonesia. This study assessed and compared the Carbon Footprint (CF) emitted from four WTPs in Indonesia and Taiwan. A Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) was used, employing a cradle to gate as the methodology. The results showed that the Indonesian WTPs emit more CF than the Taiwanese ones. Electricity consumption from the intake operation and screening process mainly contributes to the CF in most of the studied WTPs. While chemical usage is related to the amount of treated water and the water quality regulations, their consumption has more impact on ecosystem services in Taiwan. Using both renewable energy and good chemical management will be a better solution to lessen the environmental impact of all of these WTPs.