Sustainable urban water - analysis of the opportunities

This paper describes a major program of research by the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO) into urban water, wastewater and stormwater services. The intent of the program has been to identify opportunities for achieving more sustainable urban water services. The term “sustainable” has been interpreted to mean improvements in environmental and economic performance of systems which maintain inter- and intragenerational equity. It is evident from the conclusions of the feasibility stage of the Urban Water Program that such opportunities exist, particularly with regard to the design and configuration of water and wastewater systems. The structure of the UWP is described and examples of critical outcomes given.

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Systems analysis for environmental assessment of urban water and wastewater systems

Water Science & Technology ◽

10.2166/wst.2002.0671 ◽

2002 ◽

Vol 46 (6-7) ◽

pp. 121-129 ◽

Cited By ~ 26

Author(s):

U. Jeppsson ◽

D. Hellström

Keyword(s):

Material Flow ◽

Flow Analysis ◽

Material Flow Analysis ◽

Building Blocks ◽

Hazardous Substances ◽

High Tech ◽

Urban Water ◽

Urban Wastewater ◽

Wastewater Systems ◽

Water And Wastewater

In this paper, two fundamentally different urban wastewater systems are assessed from an environmental impact perspective. One system represents a centralised, high-tech, end-of-pipe structure whereas the second system is primarily based on source-separation strategies. Using material flow analysis in combination with evaluation methods based on life-cycle assessment the systems are evaluated by means of simulation and the results are discussed. A set of priority indicators for environmental assessments of urban water systems is suggested and applied in the analysis. Energy issues are also commented upon. The main intent of the paper is to present the principles of this type of assessment rather than detailed numbers for all possible environmental effects and hazardous substances emitted to air, water and soil. It represents one of several building blocks for a future multi-criteria decision-support system to evaluate urban water management from a sustainability perspective.

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Decision support tools for urban water and wastewater systems – focussing on hazardous flows assessment

Water Science & Technology ◽

10.2166/wst.2005.0221 ◽

2005 ◽

Vol 51 (8) ◽

pp. 41-49 ◽

Cited By ~ 17

Author(s):

P.-A. Malmqvist ◽

H. Palmquist

Keyword(s):

Decision Making ◽

Decision Support ◽

Sustainability Assessment ◽

Hazardous Substances ◽

Urban Water ◽

Combined System ◽

Chemical Safety ◽

Wastewater Systems ◽

Water And Wastewater ◽

Decision Support Process

The Swedish research programme Urban Water has developed a concept of a multi-criteria basis intended to support decision-making for urban water and wastewater systems. Five criteria groups were established for sustainability assessment of urban water systems: Health and Hygiene, Environment, Economy, Socio-culture, and Technology. Each criterion requires a set of indicators corresponding to quantifiable facts and figures, or qualitative data to comparatively assess the different alternatives in the decision process. The decision support process starts as a baseline study where the existing conditions are addressed. Alternative strategies of the future urban water system are developed and analysed by different tools and methodologies in assessing the five criteria groups. Eventually, the results and conclusions are integrated and synthesised into a basis for decision-making. As an example of a decision support basis for chemical safety, a barrier perspective was introduced to find out if and to what extent hazardous substances can be stopped, diverged, or transformed at various points in the wastewater system. A set of barriers was suggested, i.e. behaviour, systems design, process design, optional recipients, and organisational. The barrier approach was applied to two alternative municipal wastewater system designs – a combined wastewater system vs. a source separated system – analysing the fate of phosphorus, cadmium, and triclosan. The study showed that the combined system caused a higher substance flow to the receiving waterbody than the separated system. The combined system also brought more phosphorus and cadmium to the farmland than the separated system, but only half the amount of triclosan.

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Water supply and sanitation planning model: a management tool for large Brazilian cities

Water Science & Technology Water Supply ◽

10.2166/ws.2003.0140 ◽

2003 ◽

Vol 3 (1-2) ◽

pp. 469-476

Author(s):

S.R.A. Soares ◽

R.S. Bernardes

Keyword(s):

Water Supply ◽

Low Income ◽

Management Tool ◽

Urban Water ◽

Rapid Urbanization ◽

Modeling Approach ◽

Developing Cities ◽

Starting Point ◽

Water And Wastewater ◽

Water Supply And Sanitation

The sanitary problems promoted by the rapid urbanization process in developing cities are usually resulted from the absence of planning, high population concentration and inadequate water and wastewater infrastructure for low income people. Because the provision and planning of water supply and is a complex task, a modeling approach was used to enhance the understanding of the process and the aspects involved. In the development of a model, not only the technical aspects were taken into account, but other aspects related to the provision of drinking water and the water resources protection were also analyzed, such as institutional, financial, socioeconomic, environmental and public health. In the modeling process two different methods of conceptualization were used to describe the urban water flow through the water and wastewater systems linked to various aspects related to their implementation in large developing cities. The urban water systems of five large metropolitan areas in Brazil were also evaluated for the complete model. It is expected that the modeling approach developed in this paper consists of a valuable methodology for water supply and sanitation planning in Brazilian cities, and other developing cities with the same characteristics. The suggested conceptual model could, at least, provide more than a starting point for a useful urban water management tool.

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Using Classroom Curriculum to Educate Future Ratepayers on the Importance of Stormwater, Water, and Wastewater Systems

Proceedings of the Water Environment Federation ◽

10.2175/193864717822153111 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 2017 (15) ◽

pp. 841-846

Author(s):

Lara Isch

Keyword(s):

Wastewater Systems ◽

Water And Wastewater

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Legal Aspects of Urban Water and Sanitation Regulatory Services: An Analysis of How the Spanish Experience Positively Would Contribute to the Brazilian New Regulation

Water ◽

10.3390/w13081023 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (8) ◽

pp. 1023

Author(s):

Asensio Navarro Ortega ◽

Rafael Burlani Neves

Keyword(s):

Service Management ◽

Legal Aspects ◽

Natural Monopoly ◽

Wastewater Management ◽

Urban Water ◽

Water Services ◽

Public Intervention ◽

Economic Point ◽

General Terms ◽

Urban Water Services

This paper focuses on the legal and institutional framework of urban water services in Spain, emphasizing water sanitation by using proposals that would positively contribute to wastewater management in Brazil. The recent Brazilian Federal Law No. 14,026/20 aims to encourage investment in water sanitation, promoting public-private collaboration formulas so that service management is viable even in economically less-favored regions. In Spain, sanitation policies are aimed at fulfilling the set of obligations and objectives imposed by European Union Directives within the environmental policies of the Union. From an economic point of view, supply and sanitation water services are classified at European legal framework as “services of general economic interest” (SGEI), not subject to harmonized regulation and open to a natural monopoly provision regime, which they admit various types of management formulas, public and private, based on the ownership and public intervention of the service, both at national and European level. We believe that the Spanish experience in this field, beyond its singularities, can serve as a useful reference for Brazilian’s urban wastewater new regulation for several reasons: (1) Because of the decentralized political scheme that both countries share and the need to articulate an adequate system of competencies in consequence; (2) Because of the international experience that Spanish companies have at the sector’s technological forefront, they are very competitive; (3) Due to the adequate functioning of the Spanish legal and organizational framework since, despite its shortcomings, as we later will comment, it has managed to develop successful financing formulas and management models that, in general terms, have allowed to ensure with reasonable efficiency, continuity, stability and sustainability in the provision of urban water services.

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Monitoring and validation of decentralised water and wastewater systems for increased uptake

Water Science & Technology ◽

10.2166/wst.2013.168 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 67 (11) ◽

pp. 2576-2581 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

A. K. Sharma ◽

S. Cook ◽

M. N. Chong

Keyword(s):

Case Studies ◽

Energy Demand ◽

Climate Change Impacts ◽

Extended Period ◽

Design Guidelines ◽

Limited Information ◽

Actual Performance ◽

Decentralised Systems ◽

Wastewater Systems ◽

Water And Wastewater

Decentralised water and wastewater systems are being implemented to meet growing demand for municipal services either in combination with centralised systems or as standalone systems. In Australia, there has been increased investment in decentralised water and wastewater systems in response to the capacity constraints of existing centralised systems, an extended period of below average rainfall, uncertainly in traditional water sources due to potential climate change impacts, and the need to reduce the environmental impact of urban development. The implementation of decentralised water systems as a mainstream practice at different development scales is impeded by the knowledge gaps on their actual performance in a range of development types and settings. As the wide-spread uptake of these approaches in modern cities is relatively new compared to centralised approaches, there is limited information available on their planning, design, implementation, reliability and robustness. This paper presents a number of case studies where monitoring studies are under way to validate the performance of decentralised water and wastewater systems. The results from these case studies show the yield and reliability of these decentralised systems, as well as the associated energy demand and ecological footprint. The outputs from these case studies, and other monitoring studies, are important in improving decentralised system design guidelines and developing industry wide management norms for the operation and maintenance of decentralised systems.

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