There are hundreds of technologies that may be part of the technological environment of your local water and sanitation system, depending on such factors as water sources available, water use (e.g. agriculture, industry, or domestic use), wastewater quality and wastewater reuse possibilities. The specific technologies that may be employed in your area depend on numerous environmental and social factors such as water availability, scale (e.g. household vs. community), rural vs. urban settings, degree of social change necessary and technical complexity of the technology.

In the scan of your technological environment, keep in mind the following questions: what technologies are currently in use? How do these technologies change and which opportunities for new technologies are emerging to reduce costs, improve quality, or lead to innovation?

(Pain 2016)