The main innovation of SWAMP is to see the wastewater as part of a complete process and to examine not only the wastewater evacuation and treatment but, in order to better utilise the wastewater, to look into the whole water consumption process. Sustainable water and wastewater management means using water efficiently, avoiding hazardous substances, recycling nutrients, treating wastewater cost-effectively and reclaiming the treated outflow for selected domestic or irrigation purposes. Thus wastewater, instead of being a substance to be evacuated, becomes a resource of water and useful nutrients, mainly nitrogen and phosphorus.

This approach shall allow to design the different parts with a view to optimising the system as a whole. The elements of such a sustainable water and wastewater management systems are discussed in more detail:

> Water consumption   > Separate collection   > Wastewater treatment    > Reclamation or release