Assessment of urban water metabolism based on integrated analysis of available and virtual water: a case of Xiamen in China

In the past three decades, scientific research has focused on the preservation of water resources, and in particular, on the polluting impact of urban areas on natural water bodies. One approach to this research has involved the development of tools to describe the phenomena that take place on the urban catchment during both wet and dry periods. Research has demonstrated the importance of the integrated analysis of all the transformation phases that characterise the delivery and treatment of urban water pollutants from source to outfall. With this aim, numerous integrated urban drainage models have been developed to analyse the fate of pollution from urban catchments to the final receiving waters, simulating several physical and chemical processes. Such modelling approaches require calibration, and for this reason, researchers have tried to address two opposing needs: the need for reliable representation of complex systems, and the need to employ parsimonious approaches to cope with the usually insufficient, especially for urban sources, water quality data. The present paper discusses the application of a bespoke model to a complex integrated catchment: the Nocella basin (Italy). This system is characterised by two main urban areas served by two wastewater treatment plants, and has a small river as the receiving water body. The paper describes the monitoring approach that was used for model calibration, presents some interesting considerations about the monitoring needs for integrated modelling applications, and provides initial results useful for identifying the most relevant polluting sources.

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WaterMet2: a tool for integrated analysis of sustainability-based performance of urban water systems

Drinking Water Engineering and Science Discussions ◽

10.5194/dwesd-7-1-2014 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 7 (1) ◽

pp. 1-26 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

K. Behzadian ◽

Z. Kapelan ◽

G. Venkatesh ◽

H. Brattebø ◽

S. Sægrov

Keyword(s):

Water Supply ◽

Water System ◽

Planning Horizon ◽

Intervention Strategies ◽

Integrated Analysis ◽

Urban Water ◽

Time Step ◽

Urban Water System ◽

Wastewater Systems ◽

Step Over

Abstract. This paper presents the new "WaterMet2" model for long-term assessment of urban water system (UWS) performance which will be used for strategic planning of the integrated UWS. WaterMet2 quantifies the principal water-related flows and other metabolism-based fluxes in the UWS such as materials, chemicals, energy, greenhouse gas emissions. The suggested model is demonstrated through sustainability-based assessment of an integrated UWS of Oslo city for daily time step over a 30 yr planning horizon. The integrated UWS modelled by WaterMet2 includes both water supply and wastewater systems. Given a fast population growth, WaterMet2 calculates six quantitative sustainability-based indicators of the UWS. The result of the water supply reliability (94%) shows the need for appropriate intervention options over the planning horizon. Five intervention strategies are analysed in WaterMet2 and their quantified performance are compared with respect to the criteria. Multi-criteria decision analysis is then used to rank the intervention strategies based on different weights from the involved stakeholders' perspectives. The results demonstrate the best and robust strategies are those which improve the performance of both water supply and wastewater systems.

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The urban water metabolism of Cape Town: Towards becoming a water sensitive city

South African Journal of Science ◽

10.17159/sajs.2021/8630 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 117 (5/6) ◽

Author(s):

Ffion Atkins ◽

Tyrel Flügel ◽

Rui Hugman

Keyword(s):

Urban Landscape ◽

Water Cycle ◽

Cape Town ◽

Global South ◽

Spatially Explicit ◽

Urban Water ◽

Water Metabolism ◽

Groundwater Storage ◽

Quality Of Water ◽

The City

To improve its resilience to increasing climatic uncertainty, the City of Cape Town (the City) aims to become a water sensitive city by 2040. To undertake this challenge, a means to measure progress is needed that quantifies the urban water systems at a scale that enables a whole-of-system approach to water management. Using an urban water metabolism framework, we (1) provide a first city-scale quantification of the urban water cycle integrating its natural and anthropogenic flows, and (2) assess alternative water sources (indicated in the New Water Programme) and whether they support the City towards becoming water sensitive. We employ a spatially explicit method with particular consideration to apply this analysis to other African or Global South cities. At the time of study, centralised potable water demand by the City amounted to 325 gigalitres per annum, 99% of which was supplied externally from surface storage, and the remaining ~1% internally from groundwater storage (Atlantis aquifer). Within the City’s boundary, runoff, wastewater effluent and groundwater represent significant internal resources which could, in theory, improve supply efficiency and internalisation as well as hydrological performance. For the practical use of alternative resources throughout the urban landscape, spatially explicit insight is required regarding the seasonality of runoff, local groundwater storage capacity and the quality of water as it is conveyed through the complex urban landscape. We suggest further research to develop metrics of urban water resilience and equity, both of which are important in a Global South context.

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Food, Water and Society

The Oxford Handbook of Food, Water and Society ◽

10.1093/oxfordhb/9780190669799.013.52 ◽

2018 ◽

pp. 2-26

Author(s):

Brendan Bromwich ◽

Tony Allan ◽

Anthony Colman ◽

Martin Keulertz

Keyword(s):

Virtual Water ◽

Analytical Framework ◽

First Century ◽

Green Water ◽

Value Chains ◽

Integrated Analysis ◽

Global Environmental ◽

Set Up ◽

Food Value

Society’s greatest use of water is in food production, a fact that puts farmers centre stage in global environmental management. Management of food value chains, however, is not well set up to enable farmers to undertake their dual role of feeding a growing population and stewarding natural resources. This chapter introduces an analytical framework by which food, water, and society can be investigated. Food value chains comprise three market modes: production; trade and process; retail and consumption. The model demonstrates the interfaces between blue water, green water, virtual water, polluted drainage, and evapotranspiration. By categorizing social, cultural, and political influences on the three market modes the framework enables integrated analysis of food, water, and society . The combined management of food and water through redesign of food value chains emerges as a key challenge for the twenty-first century.

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Understanding urban water performance at the city-region scale using an urban water metabolism evaluation framework

Water Research ◽

10.1016/j.watres.2018.01.070 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 137 ◽

pp. 395-406 ◽

Cited By ~ 13

Author(s):

Marguerite A. Renouf ◽

Steven J. Kenway ◽

Ka Leung Lam ◽

Tony Weber ◽

Estelle Roux ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Evaluation Framework ◽

Urban Water ◽

City Region ◽

Water Metabolism ◽

Region Scale ◽

The City

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Dynamic simulation of urban water metabolism under water environmental carrying capacity restrictions

Frontiers of Environmental Science & Engineering ◽

10.1007/s11783-014-0669-6 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 10 (1) ◽

pp. 114-128 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

Weihua Zeng ◽

Bo Wu ◽

Ying Chai

Keyword(s):

Dynamic Simulation ◽

Carrying Capacity ◽

Urban Water ◽

Water Metabolism ◽

Environmental Carrying Capacity ◽

Water Environmental Carrying Capacity

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A multi-source virtual water metabolism model for urban systems

Journal of Cleaner Production ◽

10.1016/j.jclepro.2020.124107 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 275 ◽

pp. 124107 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Xiaogui Zheng ◽

Guohe Huang ◽

Lirong Liu ◽

Boyue Zheng ◽

Xiaoyue Zhang

Keyword(s):

Virtual Water ◽

Urban Systems ◽

Water Metabolism ◽

Metabolism Model

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Performance assessment of water reuse strategies using integrated framework of urban water metabolism and water-energy-pollution nexus

Environmental Science and Pollution Research ◽

10.1007/s11356-019-05465-8 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 27 (5) ◽

pp. 4582-4597 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Oriana Landa-Cansigno ◽

Kourosh Behzadian ◽

Diego I. Davila-Cano ◽

Luiza C. Campos

Keyword(s):

Performance Assessment ◽

Energy Saving ◽

San Francisco ◽

Water Conservation ◽

Water Reuse ◽

Ghg Emissions ◽

Domestic Wastewater ◽

Planning Horizon ◽

Urban Water ◽

Water Metabolism

Abstract This paper evaluates the metabolism-based performance of a number of centralised and decentralised water reuse strategies and their impact on integrated urban water systems (UWS) based on the nexus of water-energy-pollution. The performance assessment is based on a comprehensive and quantitative framework of urban water metabolism developed for integrated UWS over a long-term planning horizon. UWS performance is quantified based on the tracking down of mass balance flows/fluxes of water, energy, materials, costs, pollutants, and other environmental impacts using the WaterMet2 tool. The assessment framework is defined as a set of key performance indicators (KPIs) within the context of the water-energy-pollution nexus. The strategies comprise six decentralised water reuse configurations (greywater or domestic wastewater) and three centralised ones, all within three proportions of adoption by domestic users (i.e. 20, 50, and 100%). This methodology was demonstrated in the real-world case study of San Francisco del Rincon and Purisima del Rincon cities in Mexico. The results indicate that decentralised water reuse strategies using domestic wastewater can provide the best performance in the UWS with respect to water conservation, green house gas (GHG) emissions, and eutrophication indicators, while energy saving is almost negligible. On the other hand, centralised strategies can achieve the best performance for energy saving among the water reuse strategies. The results also show metabolism performance assessment in a complex system such as integrated UWS can reveal the magnitude of the interactions between the nexus elements (i.e. water, energy, and pollution). In addition, it can also reveal any unexpected influences of these elements that might exist between the UWS components and overall system.

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