Community participation and technical design for wastewater management in Cassava Agro-Industry in Cauca, Colombia

ABSTRACT Cassava processing requires substantial water, producing an effluent with organic pollutants and cyanide. This study sought to improve wastewater management in the cassava agro-industry in Cauca, Colombia, by integrating community participation with technical design. The integration was achieved by finding sustainable water management strategies that considered technical, social, and environmental criteria. Five cassava processing plants were involved, using participatory action research to characterize the production system, analyze water discharges, and select management strategies. The community identified a suitable water management option. This preferred option includes primary treatment for solids separation, secondary treatment using anaerobic reactors to reduce the organic load and cyanide content, and tertiary treatment for further purification. We concluded that integrating community knowledge with technical expertise is essential for developing sustainable environmental solutions. Incorporating participatory methodology into decision-making is expected to significantly improve wastewater management by highlighting the importance of socio-ecological considerations in engineering practices. Furthermore, our collaborative approach is expected to promote local ownership and empowerment, ensuring long-term sustainability and compliance with the proposed strategies. This holistic approach demonstrates how community participation can be used to achieve effective and lasting environmental management solutions.