‘Closing the urban water cycle’ integrated approach towards water reuse in Windhoek, Namibia

Water cycle analysis was performed for Gunja basin located in metropolitan Seoul using Aquacycle model in order to assess the problems of urban water cycle. From the water cycle analysis of Gunja basin, it was found that 75% of total rainfall occurred in the form of surface runoff, and groundwater recharge only accounted for about 7%. This suggests serious distortion of water cycle which can be attributed to urbanization. Feasibility analysis of reuse scenarios such as rainwater use and wastewater reuse was then performed to examine their influences on improving the water cycle. From the analysis of water reuse options, it was shown that imported water supply savings of 13% can be achieved through rainwater use, and water supply savings of 31% through wastewater reuse.

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Extending the water safety plan concept to the urban water cycle

Water Policy ◽

10.2166/wp.2013.137 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 16 (2) ◽

pp. 298-322 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

M. C. Almeida ◽

P. Vieira ◽

P. Smeets

Keyword(s):

Risk Management ◽

Water Supply ◽

Water Cycle ◽

Integrated Approach ◽

Urban Water ◽

Water Safety ◽

Adaptation To Climate Change ◽

Safety Plan ◽

Water Safety Plan ◽

Urban Water Cycle

The urban water cycle (UWC) is often managed by several stakeholders dealing with specific components of the cycle such as water supply, wastewater systems and water bodies management. Therefore, risk management in the UWC benefits from an integrated approach to incorporate the interdependencies between elements. The water cycle safety plan (WCSP) provides a common risk management framework for stakeholders in the UWC. It is based on the water safety plan (WSP) approach for water supply and incorporates the latest developments in risk management approaches, such as ISO 31 000:2009 and ISO Guide 73:2009. Apart from protection of public health, the WCSP also addresses public safety and protection of the environment. The proposed WCSP is divided into nine steps including stakeholders’ commitment and team assembling, establishment of scope of the plan, characterisation of water systems, identification of risks, risk analysis and evaluation, selection of risk reduction measures, development of protocols for communication, monitoring and review. The WCSP approach was developed in the PREPARED project with a focus on UWC adaptation to climate change but can be applied in a broader context. This preventive and systematic risk approach supports decisions on adaptive measures and strategies for the whole UWC based on the best available knowledge.

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Water reuse perceptions of students, faculty and staff at Western University, Canada

Journal of Water Reuse and Desalination ◽

10.2166/wrd.2015.126 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 5 (3) ◽

pp. 344-359 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

D. Velasquez ◽

E. K. Yanful

Keyword(s):

Water Resources ◽

Water Reuse ◽

Water Cycle ◽

Reclaimed Water ◽

Personal Contact ◽

Urban Water ◽

Faculty And Staff ◽

The University ◽

Urban Water Cycle ◽

University Community

Global fresh water resources are under increasing pressure from rapidly growing demands and changing climatic conditions. Wastewater reclamation is becoming an important alternative for sustainable water resources management and building climate change resiliency in many regions around the world. Public acceptance and trust of consumers in the quality of reclaimed water is considered by many to be the most important factor determining the outcomes of water reclamation projects. Knowledge of the urban water cycle and water reuse perceptions of student, faculty and staff at Western University were investigated. Results showed that members of the university community are more likely to accept reclaimed wastewater for applications that do not involve drinking or close personal contact. Knowledge of the urban water cycle and water resources in Canada is modest among the university community with a moderate (G = 0.303, p < 0.05) positive relationship between ‘water knowledge’ and ‘close contact acceptability’. The majority of the university community (75.8%) thinks that reclaiming water to provide an alternate source of water in southwestern Ontario is a good idea, but there are still concerns about the presence of chemicals such as pharmaceuticals from reclaimed water and the long-term effects on human health from exposure to these contaminants.

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Financial sustainability of urban water cycle services in developing countries: a case study in Mozambique

Water Science & Technology Water Supply ◽

10.2166/ws.2016.008 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 16 (4) ◽

pp. 1068-1076

Author(s):

A. Monteiro ◽

J. Matos ◽

F. Megre ◽

A. Silva ◽

A. Nunes ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Developing Countries ◽

Water Supply ◽

Water Cycle ◽

Action Plan ◽

Integrated Approach ◽

Financial Sustainability ◽

Urban Water ◽

Sanitation Services ◽

Urban Water Cycle ◽

Water Supply And Sanitation

A management strategy to achieve financial sustainability of urban water cycle services in developing countries is presented, based on the development of the Long Term Water Supply and Sanitation Services Investment Plan for the Water and Sanitation Infrastructure Administration (Administração de Infra-estruturas de Água e Saneamento (AIAS)) of Mozambique. AIAS is responsible for water supply and sanitation systems of 151 cities and towns (9.38 million inhabitants in 2015, 17.55 million expected in 2040). The needs in this sector are considerable, financial resources are scarce and, as a result, the Millennium Development Goals are still off track to be achieved. An integrated approach was applied to estimate the investments needs, considering differentiated levels of service depending on the urban area characteristics and taking into consideration the household income limitations, in order to achieve an economically sustainable increase in coverage and service level. The work developed resulted in an action plan aligned with the national strategy vision and adaptable to every city and town of Mozambique, including two decision support tools to enable stakeholders' decision making on potential investments: the Water and Wastewater Database (Base de Informação de Água e Saneamento) and the Dynamic Economic tool to support investments in water supply and sanitation services.

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