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.

Stochastic stress-testing approach for assessing resilience of urban water systems from source to tap

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dionysios Nikolopoulos ◽  
Panagiotis Kossieris ◽  
Christos Makropoulos
Keyword(s):  
Stress Testing ◽  
Water Cycle ◽  
Spatial Scales ◽  
Water System ◽  
Water Systems ◽  
Distribution Model ◽  
Generation Model ◽  
Urban Water ◽  
Urban Water Systems

<p>Urban water systems are designed with the goal of delivering their service for several decades.  The infrastructure will inevitably face long-term uncertainty in a multitude of parameters from the hydroclimatic and socioeconomic realms (e.g., climate change, limited supply of water in terms quantity and acceptable quality, population growth, shifting demand patterns, industrialization), as well as from the conceptual realm of the decision maker (e.g., changes in policy, system maintenance incentives, investment rate, expansion plans). Because urban water systems are overly complex, a holistic analysis involves the use of various models that individually pertain to a smaller sub-system and a variety of metrics to assess performance, whereas the analysis is accomplished at different temporal and spatial scales for each sub-system. In this work, we integrate a water resources management model with a water distribution model and a water demand generation model at smaller (household and district) scale, allowing us to simulate urban water systems “from source to tap”, covering the entire water cycle. We also couple a stochastic simulation module that supports the representation of uncertainty throughout the water cycle. The performance of the integrated system under long term uncertainty is assessed with the novel measure of system’s resilience i.e. the degree to which a water system continues to perform under progressively increasing disturbance. This evaluation is essentially a framework of systematic stress-testing, where the disturbance is described via stochastically changing parameters in an ensemble of scenarios that represent future world views. The framework is showcased through a synthesized case study of a medium-sized urban water system.</p><p><strong>Acknowledgement</strong></p><p>This research is carried out / funded in the context of the project “A resilience assessment framework for water supply infrastructure under long-term uncertainty: A Source-to-Tap methodology integrating state of the art computational tools” (MIS 5049174) under the call for proposals “Researchers' support with an emphasis on young researchers- 2nd Cycle”. The project is co-financed by Greece and the European Union (European Social Fund- ESF) by the Operational Programme Human Resources Development, Education and Lifelong Learning 2014-2020.”</p>

scholarly journals Experimenting Transition to Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems – Identifying Constraints and Unintended Processes in a Tropical Highly Urbanized Watershed

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fernando Chapa ◽  
María Pérez ◽  
Jochen Hack
Keyword(s):  
Green Infrastructure ◽  
Water Cycle ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
Water System ◽  
Urban Environments ◽  
Urban Systems ◽  
Urban Water ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Urban Water System ◽  
Local Decision

Green Infrastructure promotes the use of natural functions and processes as potential solutions to reduce negative effects derived from anthropocentric interventions such as urbanization. In cities of Latin America, for example, the need for more nature-sound infrastructure is evident due to its degree of urbanization and degradation of ecosystems, as well as the alteration of the local water cycle. In this study, an experimental approach for implementation of a prototype is presented. The experiment took place in a highly urbanized watershed located in the Metropolitan Area of Costa Rica. Initially, understanding the characteristics of the study area at different scales was achieved by applying the Urban Water System Transition Framework to identify the existing level of development of the urban water infrastructure, and potential future stages. Subsequently, preferences related to spatial locations and technologies were identified from different local decision-makers. Those insights were adopted to identify a potential area for implementation of the prototype. The experiment consisted on an adaptation of the local sewer to act as a temporal reservoir to reduce the effects derived from rapid generation of stormwater runoff. Unexpected events, not considered initially in the design, are reported in this study as a means to identify necessary adaptations of the methodology. Our study shows from an experimental learning-experience that the relation between different actors advocating for such technologies influences the implementation and operation of non-conventional technologies. Furthermore, the perception of security associated to green spaces was found as a key driver to increase the willingness of residents to modify their urban environments. In consequence, those aspects should be carefully considered as factors of designs of engineering elements when they are related to complex socio-ecological urban systems.

scholarly journals Multi Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) Framework for the Integrated Urban Water System

2018 ◽  
Vol 7 (3.6) ◽  
pp. 290
Author(s):  
Pooja Shrivastava ◽  
M K. Verma ◽  
Meena Murmu ◽  
Ishtiyaq Ahmad
Keyword(s):  
Water Management ◽  
Water Distribution ◽  
Water System ◽  
Past Century ◽  
Urban Water ◽  
Water Infrastructure ◽  
Dynamic Feedback ◽  
Decentralized System ◽  
Urban Water System ◽  
Spatially Distributed

Over the past century urban water system of developed and developing cities are under increasing stress as water dearth.  The estimation of possible solutions for water management in megacities requires the spatially distributed dynamic and grid-based replication of the evolution of public water infrastructure under consideration of changes (e.g. climate, global, environment, economy, and land-use). These simulations can be realized with the help of frameworks for integrated urban water system. The MCDA framework for integrated approaches of urban water system is characterized as single system (COMBINED SEWER SYSTEM) and entire system (WATER DISTRIBUTION, SEWER NETWORK etc.) investigation with consideration of decentralized system and spatial-temporal interactions and the dynamic feedback of population models to water infrastructure. Urban water system needs the frame work which will meet the sustainable needs of future. The present work identifies the best solutions for existing problems in urban water infrastructure while making interaction with stakeholders to reach sustainable framework for urban water management in this water dearth regions. This framework will provide new knowledge of sustainable integration system between the social and environmental issues.  

The scope of integrated modelling: system boundaries, sub-systems, scales and disciplines

2006 ◽  
Vol 54 (6-7) ◽  
pp. 405-413 ◽  
Author(s):  
T.G. Schmitt ◽  
W.C. Huber
Keyword(s):  
System Analysis ◽  
Water Cycle ◽  
Water System ◽  
Integrated Modelling ◽  
Urban Drainage ◽  
Urban Water ◽  
System Boundaries ◽  
Urban Water System ◽  
System Project ◽  
Modelling System

Integrated modelling has become an urgent issue of urban drainage and wastewater treatment planning. The scope of integrated modelling, system boundaries and disciplines to be involved are addressed in view of future developments and new paradigms in urban drainage, demanding the inclusion of the full urban water cycle. A system analysis is demonstrated to identify relevant sub-systems and components, processes and interactions within the urban water system. The permissibility to exclude subsystems or neglect interactions is evaluated. Integrated modelling of urban water system is characterised as an ambitious task in regard to system complexity, heterogeneous scales and interface problems. The methodical status quo is characterised in preliminary approaches towards integrated modelling. It is concluded that it does not seem promising to create and apply one entity model for the scope of integrated urban water modelling. Instead, the development of adequate and efficient IT frameworks is identified as the key issue of integrated modelling. Harmonising interfaces to facilitate the linking of existing models is presented as the objective of a European research project HarmonIT and the U.S. EPA Multimedia Integrated Modelling System project MIMS.

Sustainability of urban water system: examples from Fukuoka, Japan

Water Policy ◽  
2008 ◽  
Vol 10 (5) ◽  
pp. 501-513 ◽  
Author(s):  
Justyna Czemiel Berndtsson ◽  
Kenji Jinno
Keyword(s):  
Water Management ◽  
Water Distribution ◽  
Reclaimed Water ◽  
Water System ◽  
Holistic Approach ◽  
Management Policy ◽  
Urban Water ◽  
Urban Water Management ◽  
Water Shortages ◽  
Urban Water System

Urban water management policy in Japan, with examples from Fukuoka city, is described and the potential for sustainability of Fukuoka's urban water system is discussed. A framework of the qualitative characteristics of a sustainable system (including social, environmental and economic factors) is developed and used in the analyses presented here. The Fukuoka example shows that technically advanced solutions for use of reclaimed water and rainwater in buildings can be practically and economically feasible. Regarding the organization it is shown that the wastewater sector has a somewhat lower status than the water sector. It is argued that merging the water and wastewater sectors could stimulate the development of a holistic approach to urban water management, contribute to increasing resources availability for the wastewater sector and, in this way, the overall sustainability of the urban water system. Tackling water shortages through controlling water demand, investments in increasing water distribution efficiency and utilization of reclaimed water and rainwater in Fukuoka are all in line with increasing sustainability of the urban water 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.

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

The Water Lords: Speculators in Water

2004 ◽  
Author(s):  
Erik Swyngedouw
Keyword(s):  
Urban Population ◽  
Water Distribution ◽  
Water System ◽  
Late Nineteenth Century ◽  
Urban Water ◽  
Master Plans ◽  
Common Activity ◽  
Public Water System ◽  
Water Provision ◽  
Eighteenth And Nineteenth Centuries

As already documented in Chapter 3, more than 600,000 of Guayaquil’s inhabitants depend on the ‘tanqueros’ for their daily supply of water. Private water vending is of course not a recent phenomenon. It was a common activity in the time of the Incas, and became the standard means of urban water provision in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. With the introduction of urban water engineering systems in the late nineteenth century water distribution became increasingly organized by the state, while new engineering practices aimed to provide the entire city with access to water. However, with the exception of a few years after the opening of the La Lolita treatment station in 1928, Guayaquil never really succeeded in achieving the objective of full coverage. Nevertheless, the aim of providing unlimited quantities of potable water for all of the urban population at a marginal (highly subsidized) price was never abandoned, and has been built into successive Master Plans until this very day. The political economic realities of Guayaquil’s urbanization process ran counter to this objective, for reasons discussed in previous chapters. Although the plans always held up the promise of unlimited and guaranteed water supply, a promise which served very important political and ideological functions as it deflected potential social unrest, cultivated clientelist political programmes, and contributed to legitimizing privatization, a growing number of people became systematically excluded from access to publicly provided water. Particularly during the period 1960–90, there was a growing gap in water coverage. Whereas 73% of the urban population was connected to the public water system in 1974, this declined to just 64% in 1990. In absolute terms, 222,269 people were deprived of connections in 1974, but by 1990 this number had risen to 596,013 (according to conservative INEC data). According to the 1980 Master Plan, 75 to 80% of the metropolitan population was connected to the supply system in 1980,while only 20% was serviced by tank lorries (224,964 people). This means that there has been an almost threefold increase in the number of people who are dependent on private water purchases in just over little more than a decade (EMAP-G 1980: Cuadro 4.4–16).

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