scholarly journals Exploring the technical and economic feasibility of using the urban water system as a sustainable energy source

2008 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 35-50 ◽  
Author(s):  
Graaf de ◽  
de van ◽  
Ivo Miltenburg ◽  
Bert van ◽  
de van ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Energy Source ◽  
Surface Water ◽  
Water Temperature ◽  
Alternative Energy ◽  
Sustainable Energy ◽  
Water System ◽  
Economic Feasibility ◽  
Balance Model ◽  
Urban Water ◽  
Urban Water System

The objective of this paper is to determine the technical and economic feasibility of an alternative energy system in which the urban water system functions as a source for sustainable energy supply. It is demonstrated that aquifer thermal energy storage supplemented with surface water heat collection in summer, yields sufficient heat to compensate total heat demand of a residential district. Using the urban water system as energy source makes natural gas supply obsolete, provides a CO2 reduction of 60% and is preferable in terms of costs compared to conventional gas based central heating installations. The feasibility of the urban groundwater system, urban surface water system, and the economic feasibility are determined in this paper. The local groundwater feasibility to supply the design discharge is determined by soil and aquifer characteristics from the national groundwater database, reference projects, and bore-hole data. A heat balance model is used to quantify effects on the water system. Internal rate of return calculation for the investments and full lifetime exploitation costs are used to determine the economic feasibility of the concept. In summer, there is a net water temperature decrease of 1.5-1.6 ?C. Water quality and ecological improvement take place because a lower temperature results in increasing oxygen content. Moreover, the expected water temperature increase by climate change can be prevented. The concept is economically feasible. Considering the full lifetime and all investment and exploitation costs, the concept is more profitable than a conventional system.

scholarly journals Managing Apparent Loss and Real Loss from the Nexus Perspective Using System Dynamics

Water ◽  
2022 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 231
Author(s):  
Seo Hyung Choi ◽  
Bongwoo Shin ◽  
Eunher Shin
Keyword(s):  
System Dynamics ◽  
Water Loss ◽  
Management Strategies ◽  
Water System ◽  
Economic Feasibility ◽  
Water Utilities ◽  
Urban Water ◽  
Water Losses ◽  
Urban Water System ◽  
Apparent Loss

When water utilities establish water loss control programs, they traditionally focus on apparent loss rather than real loss when considering economic feasibility in the water sector. There is an urgent need for new management approaches that can address complex relationships and ensure the sustainability of natural resources among different sectors. This study suggests a novel approach for water utilities to manage water losses from the water-energy (WE) Nexus perspective. The Nexus model uses system dynamics to simulate twelve scenarios with the differing status of water loss and energy intensities. This analysis identifies real loss as one of the main causes of resource waste and an essential factor from the Nexus perspective. It also demonstrates that the energy intensity of each process in the urban water system has a significant impact on resource use and transfer. The consumption and movement of resources can be quantified in each process involved in the urban water system to distinguish central and vulnerable processes. This study suggests that the Nexus approach can strongly contribute to quantifying the use and movement of resources between water and energy sectors and the strategic formulation of sustainable and systematic water loss management strategies from the Nexus perspective.

Combining multimedia models with integrated urban water system models for micropollutants

2010 ◽  
Vol 62 (7) ◽  
pp. 1614-1622 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. De Keyser ◽  
V. Gevaert ◽  
F. Verdonck ◽  
I. Nopens ◽  
B. De Baets ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Surface Water ◽  
Environmental Assessment ◽  
Transport Model ◽  
Water System ◽  
Reference Scenario ◽  
Urban Water ◽  
Combined Model ◽  
Dynamic Surface ◽  
Urban Water System ◽  
Integrated Environmental Assessment

Integrated urban water system (IUWS) modeling aims at assessing the quality of the surface water receiving the urban emissions through sewage treatment plants, combined sewer overflows (CSOs) and stormwater drainage systems. However, some micropollutants tend to appear in more than one environmental medium (air, water, sediment, soil, groundwater, etc.). In this work, a multimedia fate and transport model (MFTM) is “wrapped around” a dynamic IUWS model for organic micropollutants to enable integrated environmental assessment. The combined model was tested on a hypothetical catchment using two scenarios: on the one hand a reference scenario with a combined sewerage system and on the other hand a stormwater infiltration pond scenario, as an example of a sustainable urban drainage system (SUDS). A case for Bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) was simulated and resulted in reduced surface water concentrations for the latter scenario. However, the model also showed that this was at the expense of increased fluxes to air, groundwater and infiltration pond soil. The latter effects are generally not included in IUWS models, whereas MTFMs usually do not consider dynamic surface water concentrations,; hence the combined model approach provides a better basis for integrated environmental assessment of micropollutants' fate in urban environments.

scholarly journals Stress-Testing Framework for Urban Water Systems: A Source to Tap Approach for Stochastic Resilience Assessment

Water ◽  
2022 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 154
Author(s):  
Dionysios Nikolopoulos ◽  
Panagiotis Kossieris ◽  
Ioannis Tsoukalas ◽  
Christos Makropoulos
Keyword(s):  
Water Distribution ◽  
Stress Testing ◽  
Water Cycle ◽  
Water System ◽  
Operating Conditions ◽  
Distribution Model ◽  
Generation Model ◽  
Urban Water ◽  
Testing Framework ◽  
Urban Water System

Optimizing the design and operation of an Urban Water System (UWS) faces significant challenges over its lifespan to account for the uncertainties of important stressors that arise from population growth rates, climate change factors, or shifting demand patterns. The analysis of a UWS’s performance across interdependent subsystems benefits from a multi-model approach where different designs are tested against a variety of metrics and in different times scales for each subsystem. In this work, we present a stress-testing framework for UWSs that assesses the system’s resilience, i.e., the degree to which a UWS continues to perform under progressively increasing disturbance (deviation from normal operating conditions). The framework is underpinned by a modeling chain that covers the entire water cycle, in a source-to-tap manner, coupling a water resources management model, a hydraulic water distribution model, and a water demand generation model. An additional stochastic simulation module enables the representation and modeling of uncertainty throughout the water cycle. We demonstrate the framework by “stress-testing” a synthetic UWS case study with an ensemble of scenarios whose parameters are stochastically changing within the UWS simulation timeframe and quantify the uncertainty in the estimation of the system’s resilience.

PLANNING URBAN WATER SYSTEM RESPONSES TO MEGADROUGHT

2019 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
pp. 1-11
Author(s):  
Danielle Verdon-Kidd ◽  
Russell Beatty ◽  
Kathryn Allen
Keyword(s):  
Water System ◽  
Urban Water ◽  
Urban Water System

Coordination Degree Assessment Model for Regional Industrial Water Utilization Structure

2014 ◽  
Vol 955-959 ◽  
pp. 3343-3346
Author(s):  
Jing Chen ◽  
Da Wei Yan
Keyword(s):  
Economic Benefit ◽  
Environmental Effect ◽  
Water System ◽  
Assessment Model ◽  
Urban Water ◽  
Industrial Water ◽  
Water Utilization ◽  
Urban Water System ◽  
Set Up ◽  
Coordination Degree

More reasonable management for water resources use may be critical to survive water crisis and realize sustainable development of urban-water system. This work attempts to set up a assessment model for regional industrial water utilization structure based on synergetics theory and grey method. In this model, both economic benefit and environmental effect are considered.

scholarly journals Green Infrastructures for Urban Water System: Balance between Cities and Nature

Water ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (5) ◽  
pp. 1456
Author(s):  
Robert Sitzenfrei ◽  
Manfred Kleidorfer ◽  
Peter M. Bach ◽  
Taneha Kuzniecow Bacchin
Keyword(s):  
Green Infrastructure ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Rainwater Harvesting ◽  
Water System ◽  
Green Roofs ◽  
Community Services ◽  
Urban Water ◽  
Local Climate ◽  
Urban Water System ◽  
Climate Resilience

Urban water systems face severe challenges such as urbanisation, population growth and climate change. Traditional technical solutions, i.e., pipe-based, grey infrastructure, have a single purpose and are proven to be unsustainable compared to multi-purpose nature-based solutions. Green Infrastructure encompasses on-site stormwater management practices, which, in contrast to the centralised grey infrastructure, are often decentralised. Technologies such as green roofs, walls, trees, infiltration trenches, wetlands, rainwater harvesting and permeable pavements exhibit multi-functionality. They are capable of reducing stormwater runoff, retaining stormwater in the landscape, preserving the natural water balance, enhancing local climate resilience and also delivering ecological, social and community services. Creating multi-functional, multiple-benefit systems, however, also warrants multidisciplinary approaches involving landscape architects, urban planners, engineers and more to successfully create a balance between cities and nature. This Special Issue aims to bridge this multidisciplinary research gap by collecting recent challenges and opportunities from on-site systems up to the watershed scale.

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