Efficient Water Consumption Research Articles

Estimated Impacts of Smart Water Meter Implementation on Domestic Hot Water Consumption and Related Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Case Studies

This study investigates the water–energy–carbon (WEC) nexus in cities across four countries, namely the United Kingdom (UK), the United States of America (USA), Australia (AUS), and South Korea (KOR), over a decade, from 2011 to 2021. The primary objective is to assess the impact of smart water metering (SWM) implementation on the WEC nexus, with a specific focus on domestic hot water (DHW) consumption and associated greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The analysis of the collected data reveals diverse patterns among cities with varying levels of SWM implementation. Notably, cities with higher SWM implementation demonstrated significant reductions in water consumption, indicating the effectiveness of the efficient water consumption and demand management achieved through SWM. The study emphasizes the importance of addressing GHG emissions related to water heating, with the carbon intensity of water heating identified as a critical factor in this context. To achieve net reductions in GHG emissions, intensive efforts are required to simultaneously decrease both DHW consumption and the carbon intensity of water heating. The research findings highlight the potential for substantial GHG emissions reductions by combining SWM implementation with the decarbonization of water heating. By recognizing the interdependencies within WEC systems, this study underscores the significance of SWM in advancing toward a carbon-neutral society. In conclusion, this study contributes valuable insights into the WEC nexus and emphasizes the role of SWM in achieving sustainability goals. It advocates for integrated policies to effectively address the interconnected issues of the WEC nexus for effective climate change mitigation.

Determination of water requirement and crop coefficient for strawberry using lysimeter experiment in a semi-arid climate

Abstract This research is aimed at measuring the water requirement, crop coefficient, and strawberry canopy coverage for efficient water consumption management. Two volumetric lysimeters were installed during the growing season of 2018 and 2019 at an agricultural research station in Kurdistan provinces, Iran. In one of the lysimeters, the grass crop was cultivated as the reference crop. Queen Elisa, the dominant strawberry cultivar of the study area, was planted in the other lysimeter. To determine the crop coefficient, strawberry and grass evapotranspiration at different stages of plant growth was measured and evaluated. The results showed that the average evapotranspiration of strawberries was 3.8 mm/day and the amount of water consumed during the whole growing season was 873.4 mm. The evapotranspiration of grass was calculated as 1143.5 mm with an average of 4.7 mm/day. Initial, middle, and ultimate crop coefficients were measured as 0.45, 0.86, and 0.8, respectively. During the growing season, the strawberry canopy cover increased by 73% and then decreased by 65%. There was a linear relationship (R2 = 0.94) between crop coefficient and strawberry canopy coverage.

Kajian Pelaksanaan Operasional dan Pemeliharaan Sarana Air Bersih di Desa Citalang Kabupaten Purwakarta

Proper practice of operations and maintenance of water supply system is necessary to ensure the fulfillment of community’s water need while maintaining the continuity of functionality of the water facility. This study aims to explore the practice of operations and maintenance of water facilities in Citalang Village. Data collection is done through deep interviews with operator and beneficiaries of four water facilities in Citalang Village and field observation. This study uses qualitative approach with inductive analysis, referring to the analysis of Miles and Huberman model and Spradley model. Result of the finding shows a degree of how operations and maintenance of water facility conducted in four different locations. The implementation of technical procedures is important to achieve the proper practice of water facility operations, while maintenance need to be carried out through routine and periodic inspection and restoration. Evidence also suggests several factors that hamper the potential sustainability of the water supply system, namely the absence of routine maintenance mechanism and the absence of tariff structure supporting it, the absence of operator rotation, the absence of collective agreement on efficient water consumption, and finally financial limitations of beneficiaries.

IoT Based Smart Agriculture Monitoring, Automation and Intrusion Detection System

Manual irrigation is still widely used in agricultural field using traditional drip and can watering. However, traditional irrigation systems are inefficient and inexact, leading to either insufficient or excessive watering. Moreover, it is difficult for farmers to predict suitable quantities at the appropriate time. Manual monitoring of the crop field may also lead to human error and is potentially risky for rural areas. Farmers may also not be aware of intrusions if they are not on location. Therefore, this project is designed to develop a smart monitoring and automated irrigation system to provide not only efficient water consumption based on specific conditions, but also enables real-time monitoring of the environment. Furthermore, this system prevents damage to plants and reduces the likelihood of plant theft. This system uses NodeMCU ESP32 as a microcontroller that collects environmental data such as humidity, temperature, soil moisture levels from sensors. The NodeMCU is integrated with a relay and RTC module to irrigate plants at specific times and is also equipped with a passive infrared sensor to detect intruders near the crop-field. Upon detection, an ESP32 camera is used to automatically capture the current conditions and farmers will be subsequently notified. Warnings are also sent to farmers upon detection of unwanted circumstances such as extreme temperature, which could prevent instances of open burning. The utility of the developed prototype is evident in the way it automatically irrigates the crop field without human intervention. Farmers may monitor and manually control the irrigation process using an attached Android application. Additionally, they may manually activate a buzzer warn off any potential malicious actors.

Environmental Improvement of Saline and Alkali Soils in the Kamyshlovskaya Valley and Revival of Natural Grassland Efficiency

Agricultural use of saline soils is possible only through implementing reclamation measures on their desalinization. The removal of salt from soils is a cost-demanding and time-consuming process. Expenses related to the treatment of saline soils are connected with a desalinization method and include costs of water supply to a saline area and its drainage. A reasonable project cost, as well as efficient water consumption depends on the use of natural environment conditions. The reported paper presents the assessment of water recourses in the drainage area of the valley valley, it is focused on the restoration of water bodies in the Kamyshlovsky log, stabilization of their balance, and environmental improvement; the study suggests economic perspectives of saline and alkali soils. The latter is essential to revive the efficiency of natural grasslands in the valley and its use as a disposal of production and household waste water from surrounding rural settlements.

Optimized energy consumption in electrochemical-based regeneration of RAS water

The rapid expansion of the aquaculture industry and seawater recirculating aquaculture systems (SW-RAS) parallel to the human growth require more efficient water consumption while preserving water resources. Cost-effective purification technologies to remove the highly toxic ammonia nitrogen (TAN), whose accumulation is produced by the fish metabolism, are fundamental to this goal. The high chloride concentration in seawater is at the same time an obstacle to conventional biological technologies and an opportunity to apply the chlorine-based oxidation of TAN. Thus, this work focuses on TAN oxidation by electrogenerated chlorine and considers alternative process configurations, (i) one-step electrochemical oxidation and, (ii) two-steps breakpoint oxidation after chlorine electrogeneration.The experimental assessment highlights that both process alternatives are effective in the total removal of ammonia and combined chlorine, when model SW with TAN concentration of 10 mg NH4+/L is treated. The specific energy intensity defined as kWh/mg NH4+ has been calculated for both configurations; being the two-stage process 2 times more energy efficient. Thus, this work provides the guidelines for the design of optimized electrochemical RAS water remediation with minimum energy consumption.

Dual models and technological platforms for efficient management of water consumption

The social and environmental challenges facing the planet require changes in consumption patterns. It is common in the literature to propose growth models of growth and persuasive technology to respond to the scarcity of resources from an efficient management of demand. In this situation, the paper analyzes the facilitator and inhibitor factors (dual models) which affect the intention to use and the effective use of a platform that monitors water consumption. A focus group with 7 participants and a survey with a sample of 401 people brought to light that the intention to use efficient water consumption platforms is determined by performance expectancy, habit and facilitating conditions. In terms of inhibitors, resistance that affects the intention to use mediates the impact of sunk costs, inertia, perceived value, transition costs and uncertainty. The paper proposes some theoretical and managerial implications related to the use of efficient water consumption devices, as well as to the development of individual prosocial habits. This paper's main theoretical contribution is to raise awareness on the need to supplement traditional models from a dual perspective. Likewise, confirmation is sought on the applicability of efficient water consumption platforms in the means of monitoring consumer habits and behavioral patterns.

River Sharing: Implementation of Efficient Water Consumption

We examine the river sharing problem with a novel focus on implementing efficient outcomes. We introduce a class of two-stage games in which agents first announce desired levels of consumption and then bargain over monetary compensations. An outside observer with partial information connects the two stages by conditioning agents’ recognition probabilities in the second stage on the allocation realized in the first stage. We identify ways of setting recognition probabilities that give agents incentives to choose the efficient allocation of water all the while ensuring that the surplus obtained from efficient water usage ends up being shared in a fair way. In particular, we take an axiomatic approach to determine three new and implementable solutions.

M2M system for efficient water consumption in sanitary services, based on intelligent environment

Este documento describe el proceso investigativo cumplido para el desarrollo de un sistema inteligente para el uso eficiente del agua en unidades sanitarias del entorno doméstico. Fundamentalmente la investigación se centró en dos procesos, en primer lugar, el desarrollo de un sistema de alta confiabilidad para monitorear los consumos reales de las unidades sanitarias y en segundo lugar el desarrollo de un sistema realzado para el control inteligente de los consumos de la misma unidad sanitaria. La investigación destaca la constitución de una solución tecnológica M2M, de alta precisión que impacta la sostenibilidad ambiental, por medio de la generación de conciencia respecto al uso racional del recurso hídrico en las acciones cotidianas de higiene personal.

Framework for Assessing Efficient Water Consumption Attributes and Their Relative Importance in Office Complexes

Framework for Assessing Efficient Water Consumption Attributes and Their Relative Importance in Office Complexes

Water resource management in Central Asia: a Japanese attempt to promote water resource efficiency

ABSTRACTThis paper examines one instance of a capacity-building attempt by Japan to reduce water demand and increase the efficiency of scarce water resource use in Central Asia. Focusing on Japanese involvement in Uzbekistan, this paper demonstrates how Japan attempted to define priority areas, assistance principles and approaches to address this issue. Through its involvement, Japan attempted to place a great degree of trust and confidence in this region. The outcomes of these efforts to create water demand reduction and management schemes have been only partially successful. The Japanese “Integrated Water Resources Management” (IWRM) proposal met with limited success because of its various logistical and conceptual weaknesses. However, the demand for a water reduction agenda and the efficient consumption of water were well received by all participants and stakeholders.

Environmental protection in civil engineering with regard to the use of eco and nano materials

The looks of any environment, the identity of which is expressed through its form, structure and color, is one of the most significant characteristics of any area. The first structures that catch the observer's eye are buildings and urban structures. People have always attached importance to the choice of building materials and interior design. Materials used have been specific for certain regions. In the era of modern technology and the expansion of new technical advances, the man and his environment require materials which are going to enrich living space, while constructions and shaped volumes will be made richer and more content aware. Materials should fulfill criteria which allow comfort, provide efficient energy consumption, healthy living conditions and preserve the environment. Buildings significantly change our environment. Most of such man-made objects do not comply with the needs of environmental protection because they are energetically inefficient, too cold or too hot and expensive to maintain. They are mostly built of materials which have a negative effect on health and environment. About 40% of stone and small and big aggregate are used for their production, as well as 25% of timber. Such objects waste 40% of energy and 16% of water worldwide. The use of eco-friendly materials results in objects with a minimal influence on the environment and at the same time such materials are more economical and healthier for living. Environmental protection and construction means the maximum utilization of natural site conditions, usage of healthy materials, efficient consumption of water and energy for building and use of water. In the process of European integration of Serbia, there is a harmonization of the national regulations regarding the environmental protection with the EU regulations. This process includes the transfer of a significant part of jurisdiction in this field to the local government level, including jobs which refer to global environmental problems. The influence of ecology is an important global issue. There is a huge pressure from many sides to minimize influence - requests often come from governments, trade associations and other social and financial stakeholders. The implementation of 'ecologically eligible products', i.e. materials used in construction and consistent with the protection of the environment, is one of the first steps towards the realization of the concept of sustainable development and environmental protection. These materials are flexible, reliable, durable, and suitable for repeated use. Environmental compatibility of materials is of great importance in the context of the production of consumable resources. The focus of the production is to create wasteless methodologies that optimize production and maximize environmental performances. The basic features are: - reduced amount of materials used, - use of recycled materials, - use of materials from the immediate environment, - increased energy efficiency, - increased longevity of the product, - use of materials with less impact on the environment, - reduced amount of waste, - property of re-recycling (recyclability), - capable of measuring carbon footprint, and - applied principles of sustainable development. The reduction of an environmental.

Sustainable Urban Public Landscapes: A Study of Water as a Sensitive Landscape Element in Design Of Cairo Public Landscapes

Urban public landscapes are an area of land or body of water to which the public has physical and/or visual access. Its importance has been known for centuries, lately, more comprehensive knowledge has become available on the wide range of benefits they provide. Good quality public landscapes contribute to individual wellbeing, and through their social, economic and environmental values.

Sustainable Mobility System – a Challenge for Kaunas University of Technology

Nowadays more and more universities include sustainability into their strategies and intergrate this concept into their activities. Kaunas University of Technology (KTU) seeks to gain the status of a sustainable university, therefore, in addition to already common ranges of sustainable management of waste, efficient consumption of water and energy, the importance of the transport sector impact on sustainability is continuously increasing. Based on the mentioned above and analyzing good practices of other EU universities, an attempt to develop sustainable mobility system platform for KTU has been made.Evaluation is done on the KTU current situation, safety of traffic, pollution and noise from cars and other aspects. Also, there is a review of communication by public transport, bicycles and on foot. KTU sustainable mobility system, based on other sustainable universities good practices, is provided. The suggested KTU sustainable mobility system focuses on private cars reduction, public transport, car-pooling, car sharing, cycling and encouragement to walking. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5755/j01.erem.64.2.3155

Analysis on the ecological benefits of the stream water conveyance to the dried-up river of the lower reaches of Tarim River, China

This paper analyzes the monitored data of the 4 times of stream water conveyances to the river section where the stream flow was cut-off, of 9 groundwater-monitoring sections and 18 vegetation plots in the lower reaches of Tarim River. The results show that the groundwater depth in the lower reaches of Tarim River rose from 9.87 m before the conveyances to 7.74 m and 3.79 m after the first and second conveyances, 3.61 and 3.16 m after the 2 phases of the third conveyance, and 2.66 m after the fourth conveyance. The transverse response scope of groundwater level was gradually enlarged along both sides of the channel of conveyances, i.e., from 450 m in width after the first conveyance to 1050 m after the fourth conveyance, but the response degree of groundwater level was reduced with the increase of the distance away from the channel of conveyances. The composition, distribution and growth status of the natural vegetation are directly related to the groundwater depth. The indexes of Simpson’s biodiversity, McIntosh’s evenness and Margalef’s richness, which reflect the change of the quantity of species and the degree of biodiversity, are reduced from 0.70, 0.48 and 0.90 to 0.26, 0.17 and 0.37 respectively along with the drawdown of groundwater level from the upper reaches to the lower reaches. After the stream water conveyances, the natural vegetation in the lower reaches is saved and restored along with the rise of groundwater level, the response scope of vegetation is gradually enlarged, i.e., from 200-250 m in width after the first conveyance to 800 m after the fourth conveyance. However, there is still a great disparity to the objective of protecting the “Green Corridor” in the lower reaches of Tarim River. Thus, it is suggested to convey the stream water in double-channel way, combine the conveyance with water supply in surface scope, or construct the modern pipe-conveyance network systems so as to save the natural vegetation in an intensive way, achieve the efficient water consumption and speed up the restoration and regeneration of the damaged ecosystems in the lower reaches of Tarim River.

Conservation feebates

A combination of fees and rebates—“feebates”—offers the economic efficiency of marginal cost pricing but keeps revenues equal to costs.Municipal water rates are expected to satisfy three objectives: efficiency, revenue neutrality to the utility, and distributional equity. Unfortunately, adjusting rates to efficiently achieve use and conservation targets would ordinarily generate excessive revenues. Rather than mold one tool to the service of three masters, this article suggests combining three separate tools. The first sets the water rate to cover the utility's costs. The second assigns customers allotments to water use. The third either charges a fee for use that exceeds the customer's allotment or hands out rebates for consumption below that allotment. The fees pay for the rebates—thus the term “feebate.” The outcome is (1) revenues to the utility just sufficient to cover costs, (2) efficient water consumption by municipal water customers without conservation mandates, and (3) revenue effects that can be spread fairly across various categories of customers.