scholarly journals Water management from the environmental certification perspective: a new proposal of criteria and weight rates for application in Brazilian regions

2019 ◽  
Vol 24 (4) ◽  
pp. 655-666
Author(s):  
Celso Silva Bastos ◽  
João Luiz Calmon ◽  
Ricardo Franci Gonçalves
Keyword(s):  
Water Management ◽  
Drinking Water ◽  
Water Use ◽  
Water Distribution ◽  
Environmental Certification ◽  
Work Systems ◽  
Operational Phase ◽  
Alternative Sources ◽  
International Knowledge ◽  
Water Work

ABSTRACT Several countries have developed tools with criteria and evaluations to grant, through the environmental certification, a more sustainable undertaking, with quality and productivity for its users. The tools were developed for different needs and objectives, which makes it difficult to make a direct comparison, in addition to having specific demands for each region. This study aims to make a comparative analysis between some tools of greater international knowledge and to propose new parameters for the water use and management category, taking into account the design and operational phase, the water distribution, and the demands for 2025. Consequently, this study proposed the creation of an exclusive environmental tool for the management and water use, providing a seal that may be applied to any project and adopted by water work systems as an incentive to reduce the consumption of drinking water, to use alternative sources, and to decrease liquid effluents.

scholarly journals An integrated energy, carbon, water, and economic analysis of reclaimed water use in urban settings: a case study of Austin, Texas

2011 ◽  
Vol 1 (4) ◽  
pp. 208-223 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ashlynn S. Stillwell ◽  
Kelly M. Twomey ◽  
Rusty Osborne ◽  
David M. Greene ◽  
Dan W. Pedersen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Drinking Water ◽  
Wastewater Treatment ◽  
Water Use ◽  
Carbon Emissions ◽  
Water Reuse ◽  
Distribution Systems ◽  
Water Distribution ◽  
Reclaimed Water ◽  
Integrated Analysis ◽  
Capital Costs

As water supplies become strained, some municipalities have turned to reclaimed water as a potential source to meet non-potable needs. Such reclaimed water – wastewater effluent treated to appropriate quality standards – is not suitable for human consumption without additional treatment, but can be used for purposes such as irrigation and cooling. One reclaimed water distribution system of particular interest is at the University of Texas at Austin (UT), USA, which receives treated effluent from City of Austin wastewater treatment plants. Depending on the embedded energy of existing water sources, existing levels of wastewater treatment, and the extent of the relevant distribution network, water reuse can save energy and carbon emissions compared with conventional drinking water distribution systems, at the expense of higher capital costs. Our analysis uses EPANet modeling software and historical datasets to examine the embedded energy and carbon emissions in drinking water and reclaimed water for non-potable applications at UT. We then examine the overall economics of reclaimed water use, including capital and operating costs for a variety of amortization periods, financing costs, and externality costs using a levelized-cost of water methodology. This integrated analysis serves as the basis for developing principles of sustainable water reuse.

Geoinformation technology for increasing the sustainability of agricultural production and water security in the Aral Sea Basin

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher Conrad ◽  
Muhammad Usman ◽  
Lucia Morper-Busch ◽  
Sarah Schönbrodt-Stitt
Keyword(s):  
Water Management ◽  
Remote Sensing ◽  
Land Use ◽  
Water Use ◽  
Water Distribution ◽  
Water Security ◽  
Aral Sea ◽  
Irrigated Agriculture ◽  
Climate Data ◽  
Aral Sea Basin

<p>Extensive over-exploitation of land and water resources is characterizing irrigated agriculture in the Aral Sea Basin (ASB). Over decades, inefficient and excessive water use had remarkable negative impacts on the groundwater and soil quality, hence on crop production. The countries sharing to the ASB look for opportunities to increase the sustainability in the water intensive agricultural sector that is of utmost importance for the densely populated oases as well as for the ecosystems along the river systems. This is also of urgent pressure as there is high evidence that climate change will deplete natural storages such as glaciers. One major bottleneck for spatially targeted decision and policy-making is the absence of scientific information and tools that would allow for informed decisions, e.g. on the implementation of water saving technologies, alternative land use options or water allocation. A review on scientific literature published in the period 2008-2019 underpins the potentials of remote sensing technology in combination with climate data and further geospatial information to close this gap. However, the key question is how to increase the sustainability of irrigated agriculture and water security using this technology in reality? This contribution aims to outline requirements and challenges to bring knowledge from remote sensing into practice. This will be done using the example of the online-tool Water Use Efficiency Monitor for Central Asia (WUEMoCA, http://wuemoca.net/) developed within the German Water Initiative in Central Asia (https://www.cawa-project.net/).</p><p>It was observed that remote sensing-based results remain isolated as long as they are not integrated into accessible databases, thus are unlinked from regional knowledge and information platforms, e.g., providing commonly applied approaches to water distribution. The tool WUEMoCA combines the remote sensing knowledge with climate data and socio-economic information and serves as an online database with hydrological and land-use indicators requested by regional decision-makers. To increase the ownership of the WUEMoCA tool by potential users (water management authorities and governments) and to account for the sensitivity of data in transnational water management, a toolbox is integrated allowing for user-specific own calculations and development of local databases. By doing so, users can decide by themselves to share information with others or not. So far, user feedback from the water distribution sector and governmental departments in Uzbekistan, but also from other countries assessed WUEMoCA as an important regional data source and database, but also a calculation tool for supporting informed decisions-making, highlight the tool’s relevance for increasing water security in the ASB.</p><p>Technically, the next steps may include the development of early warning systems, e.g. for droughts. Yet, it must be clear to the responsible users from the region that long-running tools from research projects can never take over important national tasks. Long-term cooperation is required. In addition, for a sustainable development of such tools, national scientific institutions require a strengthening of the capacity in the application of geoinformation technology. The latter is indicated by the fact that almost all of the published articles were submitted under affiliations from abroad.</p>

Review of research in the field of hygiene safety of recreational and drinking water use of the population of the Top Don basin

2020 ◽  
pp. 63-72
Author(s):  
Igor Mekhantiev
Keyword(s):  
Drinking Water ◽  
Water Use ◽  
Current System ◽  
Water Supply Systems ◽  
State Monitoring ◽  
Scientific Publications ◽  
Chemical Indicators ◽  
State Of Water ◽  
Supply Systems ◽  
Regional Problems

The article provides an overview of regional studies addressing the hygienic safety of recreational and drinking water use of the population of the Upper Don basin, conducted on the territory of the Voronezh region. The results of dissertation research for 1997–2019 and materials of modern scientific publications on the studied problem for 2015–2019, showing priority regional problems of water use of the population of the Upper Don Basin are considered. The data of scientific and practical work and state monitoring on the inconsistency of water quality with current standards in places of recreation at water bodies and drinking water of centralized water supply systems for sanitary and chemical indicators and microbiological safety indicators are presented. A description of the current system for monitoring the state of water resources is presented and attention is drawn to the need for its improvement.

The assessment of biofilm community composition on plumbing materials in filtered and unfiltered water distribution systems

2003 ◽  
Vol 3 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 187-191
Author(s):  
M.M. Critchley ◽  
N.J. Cromar ◽  
H.J. Fallowfield
Keyword(s):  
Drinking Water ◽  
Fatty Acid ◽  
Community Composition ◽  
Distribution Systems ◽  
Water Distribution ◽  
Water Distribution Systems ◽  
Polymer Materials ◽  
Fatty Acid Profiles ◽  
Water Supplies ◽  
Drinking Water Distribution Systems

Biofilms have been extensively characterised within drinking water distribution systems. However, the significance of materials on biofilm species diversity is not established. This study investigated the community composition of biofilms on plumbing materials receiving filtered and unfiltered water supplies. Biofilms were extracted from polybutylene, polyethylene, cross-linked polyethylene, unplasticised polyvinyl chloride and copper tubes in sampling rigs receiving Murray-Onkaparinga water before or after filtration. Biofilms were extracted and analysed for fatty acid composition using the FAME™ methodology. There were differences in the fatty acid profiles of biofilms and the respective water supplies, indicating differences in the attached and planktonic communities. The results also showed significant differences in the fatty acid profiles of biofilms on the polymer materials compared to copper, suggesting variations in biofilm populations on the different materials. The potential for materials to select for microbial populations has significant implications for the ecology of drinking water biofilms.

Assessment of Lisbon drinking water distribution network biofilm colonization and associated hazards

2008 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 421-426
Author(s):  
J. Menaia ◽  
M. Benoliel ◽  
A. Lopes ◽  
C. Neto ◽  
E. Ferreira ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Drinking Water ◽  
Distribution System ◽  
Water Distribution ◽  
Water Distribution System ◽  
Water Distribution Network ◽  
Storage Tanks ◽  
Water Pipe ◽  
Cultural Methods ◽  
Drinking Water Distribution ◽  
And Storage

Concerns arise from the possible occurrence of pathogens in drinking water pipe biofilms and storage tank sediments. In these studies, biofilm samples from pipes and sediments from storage tanks of the Lisbon drinking water distribution system were analyzed. Protein determinations and heterotrophic counts on pipe biofilm samples were used to assess the Lisbon network sessile colonization intensity and distribution. Indicator and pathogenic microorganisms were analyzed in pipe biofilm samples, as well as in storage tanks biofilm and sediments, by using cultural methods and PCR, to assess risks. Results have shown that the Lisbon network sessile colonization is relatively weak in intensity. In addition, no meaningful hazards were apparent for both the network biofilm and the storage tanks biofilm and sediments.

Nitrite and Nitrate Levels in Groundwater, Water Distribution Network, Bottled Water and Juices in Iran : A systematic Review

2020 ◽  
Vol 21 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maasoumeh Marhamati ◽  
Asma Afshari ◽  
Behzad Kiani ◽  
Behrooz Jannat ◽  
Mohammad Hashemi
Keyword(s):  
Drinking Water ◽  
Water Distribution ◽  
Scientific Information ◽  
Distribution Network ◽  
Water Distribution Network ◽  
The Body ◽  
International Standards ◽  
Nitrogen Fertilizers ◽  
Nitrate Content ◽  
Nitrate And Nitrite

Background: Nitrate and nitrite can get into the body through the consumption of contaminated water either directly or indirectly. The accumulation of these compounds in the body, in the long run, leads to health problems, for example, digestive disorders, cancers, and even death threats in children. The aim of this review is to investigate nitrate and nitrite pollution levels in drinking water and fruit juices in Iran. Methods: In this review data were collected through searching the Scientific Information Database, Science-Direct, Scopus, PubMed, Google Scholar, and Magiran databases using the keywords Nitrate, Nitrite, Drinking water, Drinking Water Resources, Juice and Iran. Finally, the location of the studies was geocoded through the Google My Maps (https://www.google.com/mymaps) software. Results: Studies clearly indicated that the juices are safe in terms of nitrate. Nitrate and nitrite values were less than the national and international standards in all samples of bottled drinking water except for a few of the studies. The results of the reviewed studies also indicated that the nitrate content was higher than that written on the label in 96% of the samples, and nitrite was not labeled in 80% of them. The nitrate quantity was higher than the permissible limit, in the water distribution network of Bushehr, Gilan and Mazandaran Provinces. Talesh, Ardabil, Hashtgerd, Divandareh, and Kerman cities had high nitrate levels in more than 50% of wells. Conclusion: Using nitrogen fertilizers and lack of a wastewater treatment system were the main reasons for the presence of nitrate and nitrite.

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