# Assessing Seismic Vulnerability and Pollution Risks of Wastewater Treatment Plants
## 1 Introduction
Qualitative methods have been developed for the rapid seismic assessment of WWTPs [29], investigating the seismic vulnerability that potentially affects the area's soil resources and water. Combining these results with the seismicity from the regions provides valuable data to government and local authorities regarding effective management. The European Environment Agency (EEA) and the Openquake platform utilize GIS technology [30] to record settlements and WWTPs [31]. Previous efforts utilizing the expert judgment methodology have not focused on critical infrastructure, such as WWTPs, except for a study conducted in Oregon that primarily addressed structural damages [32]. The present study specifically examines the potential for pollution resulting from seismic impacts. Geospatial techniques are employed to detect vulnerable areas prone to contamination, which involves collecting samples and investigating laboratory data on coastal water and sediment pollutants [33]. These studies primarily focus on contaminants rather than the underlying cause of pollution, which is the vulnerability of the infrastructure itself. In contrast, the present study adopts a more qualitative methodology to reveal the potential for pollution caused by seismic vulnerability. It utilizes the results of questionnaires and generates overlays for critical layers in GISs, such as the SHM. Additionally, the geochemistry and spatial distribution of chemical concentrations in the United States of America have been studied [34], without focusing on the geospatial distribution of pollution due to the facilities' vulnerabilities. The risk associated with pharmaceuticals has been assessed by combining spatial data with empirical data from experts' judgment to develop a screening tool for the contamination of rivers and lakes [35]. Efforts to visualize soil erosion assessment have been undertaken using topographic maps [36], without connecting the introduced data with the regions, and GISs in specific areas of Greece have been carried out [37; 38; 39], without covering the whole territory. Other efforts have focused on water resources, including groundwater [40], drainage water management, and even the effects of climate change. These are also focused on specific areas and incorporate laboratory methodologies, including a sample without having a qualitative approach. A gap in the research is the lack of an overall view of the soil and water pollution across extensive areas, such as entire counties, because studies typically focus on specific geographic regions or hazardous elements. Another gap is the absence of the implementation of qualitative methods' results coming from questionnaires. The use of a GIS in the present study is to complete the analytical research on pollution and to distribute the experts' judgment. According to index and statistical methods, a GIS is used to reveal groundwater vulnerability [41]. More programmable implementations have been created to visualize seismic vulnerability in these systems, considering criteria such as geotechnical, structural, socio-economic, and physical distance from danger [42]. Similar studies have identified water infrastructure inequalities for certain cities using a GIS [43]. The previous analysis presents the need to focus on critical infrastructure, such as WWTPs, and the visualization of scientific results through a GIS. Standard criteria might exist as geotechnical and structural data among these GIS entries, and others might need to be added (as non-structural data of the infrastructure). These facilities must comply with safety and health standards, as a severe seismic event could have multiple impacts on society and the surrounding environment. This involves adhering to legal requirements such as national, European, and global levels. Climate change, in conjunction with seismic events in Greece, necessitates rapid and effective research on the seismic vulnerability of infrastructure.