Time to Get Serious About Wastewater Treatment Why WasteWater Treatment Innovations Like MABR Can Transform Our Water According to the fourth World Water Development Report, only 20% of global wastewater is treated (UNESCO, 2012). The vast majority of wastewater is discharged directly into the environment without any form of treatment. Worldwide wastewater treatment is clearly inadequate and failing both society and the environment. Urban populations are projected to nearly double in the next 40 years, from 3.4 billion to over 6 billion people - but already most cities fail to provide adequate wastewater management due to absent, inadequate or aging sewage infrastructure (World Water Council, 2012). According to a recent UN-Water Analytical Brief, a paradigm shift is urgently required in water politics the world over to prevent further damage to sensitive ecosystems, and to the aquatic environment.
