Abstract
Sustainable Urban Water Management (SUWM) is a paradigm in which decentralisation is key. There has been little work directed towards the large-scale possibilities of decentralised water systems and their implications on the functioning of the centralised (potable) water system. This study includes both a historical and future (scenario) analysis of decentralised developments. Integrated morphological socio-technical scenarios are combined with quantitative water flows for a case study (the Province of Limburg, the Netherlands) and examined by a transdisciplinary group of experts. The study shows how SUWM measures which focus on climate adaptation and circularity can have a significant impact on existing centralised potable water systems. In turn, influencing the total water and peak demands and thus resulting in different utilisation rates. This can result in more system failures (e.g., longer residence time, bacterial growth, reduced self-cleaning capacity), significant changes in the centralised infrastructure (e.g., more wells), increasing water bills (e.g., inequalities), and the preservation of aquifers for future generation. Different scenarios either have regime-reproducing or regime-diversifying impacts. SUWM measures are studied in isolation and thus externalities are not fully considered. Therefore, when planning for decentralised SUWM solutions, a systems thinking approach is recommended, which takes into account externalities.
Highlights
Since the 19th Century, centralised water and sewer infrastructures have been built to address and solve issues related to hygiene and have, resulted in a significant reduction of diseases [1].Centralised water systems are characterised by large treatment facilities, a distribution network which connects distant water sources and households and a top-down governance model [2]
The different types of niches identified in the Netherlands concerning decentralised water systems are (1) market niches, (2) social niches, (3) playgrounds such as pilot projects, and (4) research spaces for the development of promising sustainable technologies
The historical transition analysis indicates that decentralised water niches are currently happening beneath the surface outside the potable water regime and waiting for a window of opportunity before they take-off in the Netherlands
Summary
Since the 19th Century, centralised water and sewer infrastructures have been built to address and solve issues related to hygiene and have, resulted in a significant reduction of diseases [1]. Centralised water systems are characterised by large treatment facilities, a distribution network which connects distant water sources and households and a top-down governance model [2]. This system has been optimised by a myriad of incremental changes over the past decades. Most countries spend between 1% to 6% of their annual GDP on centralised water infrastructure [3], resulting in substantial sunk expenditures, full dependency on these water services and, a lock-in situation [4] in which transformative water management alternatives are impeded.
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