Development of Criteria for Categorization of Wastewater Treatment Innovativeness: Case Study in North Sala Daeng Community and Bang Pharog Community

Abstract

The objective of this research is to develop criteria for categorizing innovativeness for community wastewater treatment knowledge transfer by using characteristics of people who develop community wastewater treatment projects. The methodology used in this study consists of four steps: 1) to find people who have successfully developed wastewater treatment models in their communities; 2) to determine the characteristics of those people who have successfully developed wastewater treatment models through in-depth interview; 3) to understand the characteristics of people who participate in community wastewater treatment projects through in-depth interview; and 4) to utilize the characteristics of those people who participate in wastewater treatment projects to develop criteria for categorizing wastewater treatment innovativeness. The results of the study show that four characteristics can describe people involved in wastewater treatment projects: creation; cooperation; intellection; and observation (in order of involvement). The study also identifies four groups of people who participate in community wastewater treatment projects: 1) people who adopt usage of wastewater treatment facilities before other people in their community; 2) people who follow the first group; 3) people who do not adopt usage of wastewater treatment facilities in their community; and 4) people who follow the third group.