Spatially Integrated Water and Wastewater Management: A Model Design for Fish Markets in Sri Lanka

Abstract:

Fish markets in Sri Lanka, vital to the national economy, lack essential hygiene facilities such as washable floors, dedicated cutting and gutting stations, and enclosed drainage. These deficiencies, coupled with poor wastewater handling, severely impact surrounding environments, ecosystems, and public health. In most markets, waste management relies on a collect-and-dump approach, while wastewater often flows through clogged, foul-smelling drains, worsening hygiene and environmental issues. These conditions highlight the urgent need for an integrated water management strategy that addresses market operations and adapts to functional zones. This research develops a scalable framework for water and wastewater management in Sri Lankan fish markets. It draws on case studies of the Sydney Fish Market as a global best practice and the Peliyagoda Fish Market as a local practice, adapting international standards to the Sri Lankan context. Stakeholder engagement and field assessments revealed critical gaps, including the absence of greywater separation, inadequate drainage, poor solid waste filtering, limited reuse systems, and lack of smart monitoring The framework suggests dedicated zones for market functions—washing and sorting, wholesale and retail, cutting bays, and loading spaces—while integrating water supply and wastewater systems within each zone to ensure hygiene, spatial organization, and sustainability. It further recommends seawater ice for storage, rainwater harvesting for non-potable use, bunded wash zones with enclosed drainage, biofiltration units for treatment, and affordable smart technologies for monitoring. This systematic organization offers a replicable framework to upgrade Sri Lankan fish markets into hygienic, resource-efficient, and environmentally responsible urban facilities.

• Periodical: Advances in Science and Technology (Volume 177)
• Pages: 129-140
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.4028/p-9fKdL2
• Online since: May 2026
• Authors: Nesura T. Bulathsinghala, Jeeva Wijesundara*
• Keywords: Coastal Fish Markets, Smart Water Management, Spatial Zoning, Sri Lanka, Sustainable Market Design, Wastewater Treatment

References

[1] Asian Development Bank, Water Security in Sri Lanka's Coastal Urban Centers, Asian Development Bank, 2019.

[2] A. Perera, H. Kumari, D. Gunawardena, Adoption of hygienic practices in selected fish markets along the fish supply chain in Sri Lanka, 2022. Available at: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/360142902_Adoption_of_hygienic_practices_in_selected_fish_markets_along_the_fish_supply_chain_in_Sri_Lanka.

DOI: 10.26656/fr.2017.6(2).287

[3] C. Boyd, Aquaculture wastewater composition, World Aquaculture Magazine (2020). Available at: https://www.was.org/Magazine/ArticleContent/132.

[4] Sydney Fish Market, Corporate Social Responsibility, Sydney Fish Market. Available at: https://www.sydneyfishmarket.com.au/Corporate/CSR-Sustainability/Corporate-Social-Responsibility.

[5] Arup, Design with Water, Arup, 2019. Available at: https://www.arup.com/globalassets/ downloads/markets/water/design-with-water.pdf.

DOI: 10.11129/detail.9783955531416.8

[6] ClearFox®, Fish industry wastewater treatment plant design, 2023. Available at: https://clearfox.com/fish-industry-wastewater-treatment-plant-design/.

[7] IUCN Sri Lanka, Marine Pollution and Fisheries Waste Management, IUCN, 2020.

[8] Ministry of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Development (MFARD), Annual Fisheries Sector Report, MFARD, 2022.

[9] National Aquatic Resources Research and Development Agency (NARA), Assessment of Coastal Fish Market Infrastructure, NARA, 2021.

[10] P. Samarasinghe, Quality of water and ice use in the Sri Lanka fisheries sector, 2008. Available at: https://www.scribd.com/document/15909917/Quality-of-water-and-ice-use-in-the-Sri-Lanka-fisheries-sector.

[11] Sydney Fish Market, Sustainability Report, Sydney Fish Market, 2023.

[12] World Bank, Sri Lanka Urban Sanitation and Wastewater Management Study, World Bank, 2021.