scholarly journals Time of use tariffs: implications for water efficiency

2012 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 90-100 ◽  
Author(s):  
Graham Cole ◽  
Kelvin O'Halloran ◽  
Rodney A. Stewart

Water utilities undertake long term planning for water source security, often with forecast cycles of 20–30 years. Whilst this planning is generally involved with investigations of source water abstraction security and the need to build dams or to increase the recharge rate of groundwater aquifers, planning for water efficiency gains occurs at annual intervals. Most water utilities in Australia are heavily engaged in water efficiency initiatives with rebate schemes for domestic water-efficient devices being ubiquitous across the industry. Wide Bay Water Corporation (WBWC) also engages in these activities but is increasingly interested in the concept of Time of Use Tariffs (TOUTs) to target high water users in order to reduce their demand on the system. In 2006, WBWC introduced smart metering technology across the city which captures hourly use data. Interrogation of this data has led to the ability to identify water use patterns for every domestic and commercial water customer and to design specific interventions to encourage water efficiency, such as a TOUT for domestic customers. A TOUT has been developed that imposes a penalty on all individual consumption greater than 600 L in any hourly interval of any day in the year. The tariff was designed to reduce both the annual peak hour and peak day demand. The ability to reduce both of these infrastructure design parameters may have the potential to deliver substantial savings in infrastructure planning and deployment. This paper details the design process of this tariff, examines the infrastructure savings potential derived by network modelling and explores the regulatory framework hurdles to be overcome in order to implement such tariffs in the water industry.

Urban Science ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 19
Author(s):  
Karen Simpson ◽  
Chad Staddon ◽  
Sarah Ward

In the UK, water supplies are under pressure from climate, population and lifestyle change. Showering is the largest component of domestic water consumption. Young adults are high water-users at a transitional life-stage, when practices are dynamic, and habits shaped. This paper presents the methodology, early findings and reflections on challenges of working with different data types and scales, to explore real-world water-saving through a mixed-methods approach, focusing on showering patterns of first year university students in campus accommodation at the University of the West of England, Bristol, UK. Combining household meter, logged water-fixture micro-component, personal-use questionnaire, user diary and stakeholder focus group data with the Scottish Government Individual-Social-Material model, typical showering demand reduction interventions were evaluated and insights into alternative interventions were generated. Results indicate Estates’ routine equipment maintenance and database management affect data quality and consistency. Despite these issues a profile of daily student water use was derived (equivalent to 114 litres per person per day) but with high variability between different households (from 83 to 151 litres per person per day). Average shower durations (self-reported 10–12 minutes) were higher than reported UK norms, although frequency was similar to the UK daily shower norm. Average measured shower volumes (51 litres in one house) were not excessive, indicating shower fixtures provided a contribution to water saving.


Author(s):  
P. Bykova ◽  
I. Egorova ◽  
A. Strelkov ◽  
L. Talovyria ◽  
O. Nesterenko ◽  
...  

При изучении качества воды источника водоснабжения г. Самары Саратовского водохранилища особое внимание было уделено основным показателям, влияющим на выбор реагентной обработки: мутность, перманганатная окисляемость и цветность. Сезонные изменения качества воды водохранилища требуют постоянной корректировки дозы реагентов с целью достижения нормативных требований к качеству очищенной воды. Приводятся результаты производственных исследований изменения качества воды Саратовского водохранилища в створе водозаборов г. Самары за 20172019 годы по мутности, перманганатной окисляемости и цветности. В связи с аномальными температурными перепадами и наступлением осеннего паводка (конец декабря 2019 г. и январь 2020 г.) резко изменилось качество воды водохранилища по цветности и перманганатной окисляемости. Отмечено, что увеличение указанных показателей потребовало повышения дозы реагентов при очистке исходной воды. Оптимальная доза реагентов постоянно коректируется в зависимости от состава исходной воды на флокуляторе Lovibond ЕТ-750 . Регулярное проведение пробного коагулирования позволило поддерживать качество очищенной воды в соответствии с нормативными требованиями СанПиН 2.1.4.1074-01 Питьевая вода. Контроль качества , кроме цветности и железа общего, так как превышение этих показателей наблюдалось в пределах погрешности методов измерения.While studying the water quality of the water source of the city of Samara the Saratov water reservoir, special attention was paid to the main indicators that influence the choice of chemical treatment: turbidity, permanganate index and color. Seasonal changes in the water quality of the water reservoir require constant adjustment of the chemical dose in order to meet the regulatory requirements to the quality of treated water. The results of the studies of changes in the water quality of the Saratov reservoir at the water abstraction points of the city of Samara for 20172019 by turbidity, permanganate index and color are presented. Due to the abnormal temperature differences and onset of autumn flood (end of December 2019 and January 2020), the water quality in the water reservoir dramatically changed in color and permanganate index. It was noted that an increase in these indicators required an increase in the dose of chemicals during the source water purification. The optimal dose of chemicals is selected with Lovibond ET-750 flocculator depending on the composition of the source water. Regular test coagulation allowed maintaining the quality of purified water in accordance with the regulatory requirements of SanPiN 2.1.4.1074-01 Drinking water. Quality control , except for color and total iron since the values of these indicators were increased within the measurement accuracy.


Water ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (9) ◽  
pp. 1158
Author(s):  
Yanting Zheng ◽  
Huidan Yang ◽  
Jinyuan Huang ◽  
Linjuan Wang ◽  
Aifeng Lv

The overexploitation of groundwater in China has raised concern, as it has caused a series of environmental and ecological problems. However, far too little attention has been paid to the relationship between groundwater use and the spatial distribution of water users, especially that of manufacturing factories. In this study, a factory scatter index (FSI) was constructed to represent the spatial dispersion degree of manufacturing factories in China. It was found that counties and border areas between neighboring provinces registered the highest FSI increases. Further non-spatial and spatial regression models using 205 provincial-level secondary river basins in China from 2016 showed that the scattered distribution of manufacturing plants played a key role in groundwater withdrawal in China, especially in areas with a fragile ecological environment. The scattered distribution of manufacturing plants raises the cost of tap water transmission, makes monitoring and supervision more difficult, and increases the possibility of surface water pollution, thereby intensifying groundwater withdrawal. A reasonable spatial adjustment of manufacturing industry through planning and management can reduce groundwater withdrawal and realize the protection of groundwater. Our study may provide a basis for water-demand management through spatial adjustment in areas with high water scarcity and a fragile ecological environment.


Water ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (10) ◽  
pp. 1999
Author(s):  
Da-Peng Yue ◽  
Jing-Bo Zhao ◽  
Yan-Dong Ma ◽  
Xiao-Gang Huang ◽  
Tian-Jie Shao ◽  
...  

Four distinctive but poorly documented landforms in the Badain Jaran megadunes were studied: arcuate steps, multi-stage fans, depressions formed by runoff erosion, and groundwater overflow zones around lakes. The development of these four landform types indicates the following: (1) The hydrological balance in the sand layers of the megadune areas is positive; (2) After evaporation and transpiration, precipitation is able to infiltrate the deep sand layers; (3) Precipitation is a source for the groundwater and for many of the lakes of the area. The groundwater recharge mechanism is characterized by intense precipitation events that provide a water source, high infiltration rate, shallow evaporation depth, and low water retention. These factors together enable the precipitation to be transformed into groundwater. The energy of gravity water and the high water film pressure of adsorbed water together provide the forces necessary for effective water recharge.


2014 ◽  
Vol 18 (5) ◽  
pp. 1653-1662 ◽  
Author(s):  
X. Chen ◽  
D. Naresh ◽  
L. Upmanu ◽  
Z. Hao ◽  
L. Dong ◽  
...  

Abstract. China is facing a water resources crisis with growing concerns as to the reliable supply of water for agricultural, industrial and domestic needs. High inter-annual rainfall variability and increasing consumptive use across the country exacerbates the situation further and is a constraint on future development. For water sustainability, it is necessary to examine the differences in water demand and supply and their spatio-temporal distribution in order to quantify the dimensions of the water risk. Here, a detailed quantitative assessment of water risk as measured by the spatial distribution of cumulated deficits for China is presented. Considering daily precipitation and temperature variability over fifty years and the current water demands, risk measures are developed to inform county level water deficits that account for both within-year and across-year variations in climate. We choose political rather than watershed boundaries since economic activity and water use are organized by county and the political process is best informed through that unit. As expected, the risk measures highlight North China Plain counties as highly water stressed. Regions with high water stress have high inter-annual variability in rainfall and now have depleted groundwater aquifers. The stress components due to agricultural, industrial and domestic water demands are illustrated separately to assess the vulnerability of particular sectors within the country to provide a basis for targeted policy analysis for reducing water stress.


2006 ◽  
Vol 54 (3) ◽  
pp. 231-238 ◽  
Author(s):  
F.A.S. Gualberto ◽  
L. Heller

Cryptosporidium is a well-known cause of diarrhoea in humans. Little is known about risk factors associated with endemic cryptosporidiosis, which constitutes the majority of cases. We carried out meta-analyses to verify if drinking water is also associated with endemic infection and to assess the magnitude of the associations. The global meta-analysis suggests that there is an increased risk of Cryptosporidium infection among unsafe water users (OR 1.40 [1.15, 1.72]). Studies were stratified, according to the exposure to different sources of safe drinking water, due to the heterogeneity presented. The consumption of non-well and unboiled water was associated with an increased chance of endemic cryptosporidiosis, though only the latter was significant (OR 1.45 [0.95, 2.20]; OR 1.61 [1.09, 2.38]). Drinking non-bottled water did not present a risk factor associated with endemic cryptosporidiosis (OR 0.87 [0.72, 1.05]). These meta-analyses present results that could be useful to clarify the epidemiology of Cryptosporidium. We recommend that other risk factors could also be studied by this approach.


2011 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
pp. 527-533 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cara Beal ◽  
Rodney A. Stewart ◽  
Anneliese Spinks ◽  
Kelly Fielding

Studies have shown that householders' perceptions of their water use are often not well matched with their actual water use. There has been less research, however, investigating whether this bias is related to specific types of end use and/or specific types of socio-demographic and socio-demographic household profiles. A high resolution smart metering study producing a detailed end use event registry as well as psycho-social and socio-demographic surveys, stock inventory audits and self-reported water diaries was completed for 250 households located in South-east Queensland, Australia. The study examined the contributions of end uses to total water use for each group identified as ‘low’, ‘medium’ or ‘high’ water users. Analyses were conducted to examine the socio-demographic variables such as income, percentage of water efficient stock, family size and composition, that characterise each self-identified water usage group. The paper concludes with a discussion of the general characteristics of groups that overestimate and underestimate their water use and how this knowledge can be used to inform demand management policy such as targeted community education programmes.


2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (7) ◽  
pp. 1855-1868
Author(s):  
Stephanie L. Gora ◽  
Tim Anaviapik Soucie ◽  
Nicole E. McCormick ◽  
C. Carolina Ontiveros ◽  
Vincent L'Hérault ◽  
...  

Drinking water samples were collected from the water source, water delivery truck, domestic water storage tanks, and at the point of use in a decentralized drinking water system in Pond Inlet, Nunavut, a predominantly Inuit community in Canada's Arctic region.


2002 ◽  
Vol 2 (5-6) ◽  
pp. 1-8 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. Irmscher ◽  
I. Teermann

Hygiene standards and parasites have been a special focus of drinking water utilities for several years. In this context the development of new, high-tech water treatment methods is often taken into consideration. However, we have been applying riverbank filtration as an inexpensive, natural method in Düsseldorf for over 130 years. Indeed it had been introduced for “hygiene reasons” at the time and, according to our experience, riverbank filtration is well suited to meet these “new” hygiene challenges. We have intensively examined the infiltration of river water into the aquifer. We view this core process as the prerequisite for the sustained function of riverbank filtration. It is closely linked with the retention of turbid matters in the riverbed and the shearing forces on the subsurface. In addition, we have investigated the effectiveness of bank filtration as regards the elimination of microorganisms over recent years. According to these examinations, bacteria are reduced by an average of 3 log orders by bank filtration; individual breakthroughs correlate with high water events. According to our measurements Giardia and Cryptosporidium have been completely eliminated in riverbank passage. The retention of three examined types of viruses was also found to be almost completely accomplished.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document