Advantages

• Decentralized solutions are considered “green” and “sustainable”. When properly designed and maintained, they reduce the pollution load to natural water resources, and also, encourage the reuse of the effluent for “green” solutions

• The wastewater is treated, reused or disposed at close vicinity to its source, thus avoiding the need for transporting the wastes at long distance

• The reuse of the effluent is logical and necessary, because often it is difficult to dispose of the effluent in vicinity

• The water reuse leads to a reduced volume of the fresh water consumption

• Independence from corrupt or incompetent practices of local authorities

• Last but definitely not least - these solutions do not require large investments, as it is in the case of centralized sewerage

Disadvantages

• It is difficult to control the proper maintenance of large number of treatment units therefore the risk for public health problems increases

• The expenses of building the treatment and storage or disposal units, together with an additional network for the gray water and the water to be reused, increases the cost of the building and in many cases cannot be recovered by the cost of saved water

• The O&M process is an additional burden to the owner in terms of costs and time