Industrial Wastewater Treatment Configuration: Insights from a Northern Italy Textile Manufacturing District

Industrial wastewater treatment is getting increased attention from academics, practitioners and regulators, due to the environmental hazard of discharging poorly treated wastewater into the environment. This paper analyzes the case of Como’s textile district in Italy, to explore what factors are considered by firms in selecting the most appropriate wastewater treatment system configuration. The case studies highlighted that Como’s wastewater consortium benefits the firms in the district, and it is a better solution compared to the presence of suboptimal private treatment plants. The firms mentioned internal stakeholders, factors related to the wastewater and technology, and economics as the most relevant.