EU Horizon 2020 Research for A Sustainable Future: INNOQUA—A Nature-Based Sanitation Solution

Round 1

Reviewer 1 Report

This paper provides performance data for a nature-based decentralised wastewater treatment system across 7 pilot sites. The results are interesting and an impressive number of treatment performance tests are being reported on. Whilst the paper is commendably brief, it is probably a bit on the brief side.

The paper needs the following to be more complete:

Discussion about the context in which these systems are appropriate Review of literature and of similar/alternative types of systems that achieve nearly the same thing. How does this system build on previous knowledge? This is not clearly expressed in the paper. How does this system compare to others? An impressive array of parameters were tested for. Why these ones? Which did you not include? You need to provide more detail about how these systems work? It needs to be replicable. What are the practical implications of these systems? You will need enough material to allow others to repeat and replicate. You need more discussions about costs and operation and maintenance issues. You mention this in the discussion but surely this can be addressed in your paper more already? Are there any other issues? Smell, visual, logistics? etc? How did local communities perceive these systems?

As it stands, this reads more like a marketing brochure than a research paper, and so whilst the results and the system is very interesting the paper needs to be rewritten more as a scientific article. But I really do like the briefness of the paper too!

 

Author Response

Please see the attachment

Author Response File: Author Response.docx

Reviewer 2 Report

Dear Authors The document presented under the title "EU Horizon 2020 research for a sustainable future: INNOQUA - a nature-based sanitation solution" seems to me a brilliant work that presents a project of great interest. The text is well structured, the most relevant issues are presented in a simple and clear way, and it is easy to read and understand.
I only have a couple of questions to raise in order to improve its content.

First, the "Context" section seems too short. I don't think the context is properly collected. I think it is necessary to expand this section a bit so that the less expert reader can get an overall idea of what the current situation is, what the decentralized approaches consist of, what are the experiences carried out and why they are necessary.

In the "Opportunities and Challenges" section I miss the answer to questions such as:
Where does the technology tested in the project apply? (Are there requirements on population level, farm size, farm distribution, minimum amount of input, type of climate, etc ...)
For its application for irrigation in agriculture, has the amount of water that can be used without risk of salinity been considered? What were the water requirements of the crops considered, and what percentage of irrigation water could be met?

The text lists a series of aspects that will be explored in the framework of the INNOQUA project, such as capital cost, operational costs, etc. Are the financial economic viability of the installation included among these aspects? and the availability to accept by farmers? and the availability of payment? Is it possible that it is necessary and timely to subsidize this type of system by the administration? under what assumptions? Does the adoption of these types of systems have an impact on the economic-social sphere in terms of employment generation? What is the capacity of these systems to treat and meet water demands for agricultural irrigation, golf courses, domestic, etc?

 

 

Author Response

Please see the attachment

Author Response File: Author Response.docx