Estimation Of Water Consumption Research Articles

Assessment of water consumptions in small mediterranean islands\u2019 primary schools by means of a long-term online monitoring

A key challenge of our society is improving schools through the sustainable use of resources especially in countries at risk of desertification. The estimation of water consumption is the starting point for the correct dimensioning of water recovery systems. To date, unlike the energy sector, there is a lack of scientific information regarding water consumption in school buildings. Available data refer roughly to indirect estimates by means of utility bills and therefore no information on the role of water leakage in the internal network of the school is provided. In this context, the aim of the work was to define and implement an on-line monitoring system for the assessment of water consumptions in a small Mediterranean island primary school to achieve the following sub-goals: (1) definition of water consumption profile considering teaching activities and secretarial work; (2) direct assessment of water consumptions and leakages and, (3) quantification of the behaviour parameters. The installed monitoring system consisted of 33 water metres (3.24 persons per water metre) equipped with sensors set on 1-L impulse signal and connected to a data logging system. Results showed consumptions in the range 13.6–14.2 L/student/day and leakage equal to 54.8 % of the total water consumptions. Considering the behavioural parameters, the consumptions related to toilet flushing, personal, and building cleaning were, respectively, 54, 43 and 3 % of the total water ones. Finally, the obtained results could be used for dimensioning the most suitable water recovery strategies at school level such as grey water or rainwater recovery systems.

Structured water balance methodology for water consumption estimation for a mining operation in central Chile: seasonal temperature effect on evaporation, seepage and water demand

Due to rising demand, mining operations are facing increasing restrictions regarding freshwater intake. This research develops a general structured methodology to estimate freshwater requirements for a mill plant operation in central Chile. This involves determining water consumption using a general mass-balance algorithm, determination of evaporation and seepage rates, and development of a daily time-step water balance model that accounts for water demand, storage and losses in tailings. The water balance model is applied to estimate water well needs, being accurate in relation to the preceding operational year and thus useful for predicting water requirements.

Does the creation of a boreal hydroelectric reservoir result in a net change in evaporation?

Estimates of water consumption from hydroelectricity production are hampered by a lack of common methodological approaches. Studies typically use gross evaporation estimates which do not take into account the evaporative water loss from the pre-flooded ecosystems that would occur without the presence of a reservoir. We evaluate the net change in evaporation following the creation of a hydroelectric reservoir located in the Canadian boreal region. We use a direct measurement technique (eddy covariance) over four different ecosystems to evaluate the pre- and post-flood landscape water flux over a five-year period. The net effect of reservoir creation was to increase evaporation over that of the pre-flooded ecosystem. This change was dependent both on management and differences in the timing of the evaporation with nighttime and autumn contributing strongly to the reservoir evaporation. Managed reduction of water level, and thus the evaporating area, reduced the evaporation.

Water usage in rainwater harvesting households in Trinidad

Rainwater harvesting (RWH), which was previously undertaken more out of necessity than any commitment to autonomy, is now being heralded as a sustainable alternative for domestic water supply and flood control, and in disaster relief. In Trinidad and Tobago and the wider Caribbean region, RWH is included in water security and sustainability strategies. Despite the plethora of domestic RWH projects, estimates of water consumption in RWH-dependent households are unavailable, and project designers are left to assume values that are based on conventional water-supply systems. In the present study the per capita consumption (PCC) of domestic water in three RWH-dependent communities was quantified. For this purpose, households’ perceived and actual water consumption was investigated in three rural communities in Trinidad. It was found that perceived and actual consumption are 105–164 l per person per day (lpd) and 95–240 lpd, respectively. Householders’ perception of how much water is consumed was generally significantly different from the measured amount. While the sample of measured PCC was small, the results provide more realistic values for the design of RWH systems, which are being promoted in the region.

Biological and behavioral factors modify urinary arsenic metabolic profiles in a U.S. population.

BackgroundBecause some adverse health effects associated with chronic arsenic exposure may be mediated by methylated arsenicals, interindividual variation in capacity to convert inorganic arsenic into mono- and di-methylated metabolites may be an important determinant of risk associated with exposure to this metalloid. Hence, identifying biological and behavioral factors that modify an individual’s capacity to methylate inorganic arsenic could provide insights into critical dose-response relations underlying adverse health effects.MethodsA total of 904 older adults (≥45 years old) in Churchill County, Nevada, who chronically used home tap water supplies containing up to 1850 μg of arsenic per liter provided urine and toenail samples for determination of total and speciated arsenic levels. Effects of biological factors (gender, age, body mass index) and behavioral factors (smoking, recent fish or shellfish consumption) on patterns of arsenicals in urine were evaluated with bivariate analyses and multivariate regression models.ResultsRelative contributions of inorganic, mono-, and di-methylated arsenic to total speciated arsenic in urine were unchanged over the range of concentrations of arsenic in home tap water supplies used by study participants. Gender predicted both absolute and relative amounts of arsenicals in urine. Age predicted levels of inorganic arsenic in urine and body mass index predicted relative levels of mono- and di-methylated arsenic in urine. Smoking predicted both absolute and relative levels of arsenicals in urine. Multivariate regression models were developed for both absolute and relative levels of arsenicals in urine. Concentration of arsenic in home tap water and estimated water consumption were strongly predictive of levels of arsenicals in urine as were smoking, body mass index, and gender. Relative contributions of arsenicals to urinary arsenic were not consistently predicted by concentrations of arsenic in drinking water supplies but were more consistently predicted by gender, body mass index, age, and smoking.ConclusionsThese findings suggest that analyses of dose-response relations in arsenic-exposed populations should account for biological and behavioral factors that modify levels of inorganic and methylated arsenicals in urine. Evidence of significant effects of these factors on arsenic metabolism may also support mode of action studies in appropriate experimental models.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12940-016-0144-x) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Hybrid Analysis of Blue Water Consumption and Water Scarcity Implications at the Global, National, and Basin Levels in an Increasingly Globalized World.

As the fifth global water footprint assessment, this study enhanced previous estimates of national blue water consumption (including fresh surface and groundwater) and main economic activities with (1) improved spatial and sectoral resolution and (2) quantified the impacts of virtual water trade on water use and water stress at both the national and basin level. In 2007, 1194 Gm(3) of blue water was consumed globally for human purposes. The consuming (producing) of primary and manufactured goods and services from the sectors of "Primary Crops and Livestock", "Primary Energy and Minerals", "Processed Food and Beverages", "Non-food Manufactured Products", "Electricity", "Commercial and Public Services", and "Households" accounted for 33% (91%), ∼ 0% (1%), 37% (<1%), 13% (1%), 1% (2%), 15% (3%), and 2% (2%) of the world's total blue water consumption, respectively. The considerable differences in sectoral water consumption accounted for by the two perspectives (consumption- vs production-based) highlight the significance of the water consumed indirectly, upstream in the supply chain (i.e., > 70% of total blue water consumption) while offering additional insights into the water implications of critical interconnected economic activities, such as the water-energy nexus. With 145 Gm(3) (12%) of the blue water consumption embedded in the goods and services traded internationally, 89 countries analyzed were net blue water importers at the national level. On the basin level, the impacts of virtual water trade on water stress were statistically significant for basins across the world and within 104 countries; virtual water trade mitigated water stress for the basins within 85 of the 104 countries, including all of those where there are moderate and greater water stress countrywide (except Italy).

Estimating Water Consumption and Irrigation Requirements in a Long-Established Mediterranean Rural Community by Remote Sensing and Field Data

The present study illustrates an original methodology for estimating irrigation requirements and quantifying real water consumption in a long-established Mediterranean rural community (Delta Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain), combining data from remote sensing, field mapping and in situ measurements. Because of land fragmentation and crop diversification, SPOT-5 imagery was used, given its spatial and temporal resolution and spectral attributes. Simultaneously, four flow meters were installed in two representative locations to measure water inputs and outputs every 5 min. Conveyance and irrigation efficiency were estimated for the entire irrigation community. The average conveyance efficiency was 46.8% and the classical and net irrigation efficiency reached 26.4 and 59.8%, respectively, with half of the water volume (55% or 3.2 hm3) returned to the river or diverted to wetlands, the maximum percentage of estimated error being about 3.4%. These results indicate an exceptionally high water loss rate due to the irrigation system (flooding), the ageing conveyance network and urban infrastructure breakdown. The applied protocol proved useful for monitoring low-efficiency irrigation systems in small communities experiencing intense urban and industrial pressures. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Effect of β-asarone on diethylnitrosamine-induced hepatocellular carcinoma in rats

Aim: This study was designed to evaluate the effect of β-asarone on diethylnitrosamine (DEN) induced and phenobarbital-promoted hepatocellular carcinoma in rats. Materials and Methods: The experiments were carried out with two models, i.e., tumor initiation and promotion model. The effect of β-asarone was evaluated by the estimation of food and water consumption, body and liver weights, liver function indicators such as aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase, total and direct bilirubin, cancer indicators such as alpha-fetoprotein, DNA, RNA, and total liver protein content, and histopathological studies. Results: The results showed that the levels of liver function indicators were brought down to near normal level by β-asarone. Similarly, cancer indicators were also brought down to near normal level by β-asarone. A comparative histopathological study of liver, treated with β-asarone exhibited normal architecture, which was found to be disrupted in DEN-treated rats. Conclusion: The results indicate that the β-asarone has significant hepatoprotective effect and may potentially possess an anticancer activity.

Water consumption estimates of the biodiesel process in the US

As a renewable alternative to petroleum diesel, biodiesel has been widely used in the US and the world. However, its potential impact on water resources has not been much evaluated. This study investigates water consumption from the biodiesel process, which includes three stages: soybean irrigation, soybean-to-soybean oil processing, and biodiesel manufacturing, at both national and state levels. Mass-based allocation is performed and water consumption at the three stages is obtained on the basis of million gallons per year and gallon water per gallon biodiesel (gal/gal). The normalized water consumption (water intensity) of the irrigation, oil processing, and biodiesel production stages are 61.78, 0.17, and 0.31 gal/gal, respectively. The resulting total normalized water consumption is 62.26 gal/gal for the biodiesel process which is much lower than those reported in existing literature. It is shown that water consumption from the three stages varies significantly from state to state, which warrants the necessity of state-level water consumption analysis for better decision making in water resources management. Water consumption in potentially water-stressed states is also investigated and results show that currently these states represent 1.6 % of total water consumption associated with biodiesel production, 0.46 % of soybean harvest, and 27.61 % of biodiesel production capacity in the US.

Water Requirements for Shale Gas Fracking in Fuling, Chongqing, Southwest China

Techniques used to extract shale gas, hydraulic fracturing or fracking, do have draw-backs not least the large consumption of water. We provide the first estimate of water consumption in Chinese shale gas fracking. A case study from Fuling, Chongqing, Southwest China, shows that average water consumption is 27490 m3 per well, much higher (by 29%-160%) than in the USA. Data analysis indicates a significant correlation between water consumption and lateral length of wells (p<0.001, r2=0.47). Water usage for fracking can impact the local environment, and careful management will be required to avoid worsen the water stress.

Propagation of biases in humidity in the estimation of global irrigation water

Abstract. Future projections on irrigation water under a changing climate are highly dependent on meteorological data derived from general circulation models (GCMs). Since climate projections include biases, bias correction is widely used to adjust meteorological elements, such as the atmospheric temperature and precipitation, but less attention has been paid to biases in humidity. Hence, in many cases, uncorrected humidity data have been directly used to analyze the impact of future climate change. In this study, we examined how the biases remaining in the humidity data of five GCMs propagate into the estimation of irrigation water demand and consumption from rivers using the global hydrological model (GHM) H08. First, to determine the effects of humidity bias across GCMs, we ran H08 with GCM-based meteorological forcing data sets distributed by the Inter-Sectoral Impact Model Intercomparison Project (ISI-MIP). A state-of-the-art bias correction method was applied to the data sets without correcting biases in humidity. Differences in the monthly relative humidity amounted to 11.7 to 20.4 % RH (percentage relative humidity) across the GCMs and propagated into differences in the estimated irrigation water demand, resulting in a range between 1152.6 and 1435.5 km3 yr−1 for 1971–2000. Differences in humidity also propagated into future projections. Second, sensitivity analysis with hypothetical humidity biases of ±5 % RH added homogeneously worldwide revealed the large negative sensitivity of irrigation water abstraction in India and East China, which are heavily irrigated. Third, we performed another set of simulations with bias-corrected humidity data to examine whether bias correction of the humidity can reduce uncertainties in irrigation water across the GCMs. The results showed that bias correction, even with a primitive methodology that only adjusts the monthly climatological relative humidity, helped reduce uncertainties across the GCMs: by using bias-corrected humidity data, the uncertainty ranges of irrigation water demand across the five GCMs were successfully reduced from 282.9 to 167.0 km3 yr−1 for the present period, and from 381.1 to 214.8 km3 yr−1 for the future period (RCP8.5, 2070–2099). Although different GHMs have different sensitivities to atmospheric humidity because different types of potential evapotranspiration formulae are implemented in them, bias correction of the humidity should be applied to forcing data, particularly for the evaluation of evapotranspiration and irrigation water.

The Effect of Variations in Micro-components of Domestic Water Consumption Data on the Classification of Excessive Water Usage

Several studies have been conducted to explore the potential of using consumer data for the estimation of domestic water consumption. However, it is not an easy task to collect and record consumer data that precisely represent daily, weekly or monthly household water usage. This paper investigates the effect of variations in water consumption data on the classification of domestic water usage levels. Two datasets were used in this study. The first dataset consists of ten predictive variables related to household water usage. The second dataset was generated based on the first dataset where four generic features were created to represent water consumption based on four categories of activities related to water usage. Selected classification algorithms were used for classification task. The findings show that variations in consumer data have very little effect on classification outcomes suggesting that data collected from consumer suitable to be used for predicting excessive domestic water usage.

식품 소비 및 칼로리 공급 변화에 따른 가상수 소비량의 변화 분석

식품 소비 및 칼로리 공급 변화에 따른 가상수 소비량의 변화 분석

Probabilistic modeling and uncertainty estimation of urban water consumption under an incompletely informational circumstance

With a booming development characterized by new urbanization in current China, urban water consumption attracts growing concerns. An efficient and probabilistic prediction of urban water consumption plays a vital role for urban planning toward sustainable development, especially in megacities limited by water resources. However, the data insufficiency issue commonly exists nowadays and seriously restricts further development of urban water simulation. In this article, we proposed a consolidated framework for probabilistic prediction of water consumption under an incompletely informational circumstance to deal with the challenge. The model was constructed based on a state-of-the-art Bayesian neural networks (BNNs) technique. Three dominated influencing factors were identified and included into the BNN model. Future impact factors were generated by using a variety of methods including a quadratic polynomial model, a regression and auto-regressive moving average combination model and a Grey Verhulst model. Thereafter, water consumption projection (2013–2020) and uncertainty estimates was done. Results showed that the model matched well with observations. Through reducing the dependence on large amount of information and constructing a probabilistic means incorporating uncertainty estimation, the new approach can work better than conventional means in support of water resources planning and management under an incompletely informational circumstance.

Impact of Sowing Date on Yield and Water Use Efficiency of Wheat Analyzed through Spatial Modeling and FORMOSAT-2 Images

Regional analysis of water use efficiency (WUE) is a relevant method for diagnosing the performance of irrigation systems in water-limited environments. In this study, we investigated the potential of FORMOSAT-2 images to provide spatial estimates of WUE over irrigated wheat crops cultivated within the semi-arid Yaqui Valley, in the northwest of Mexico. FORMOSAT-2 provided us with a unique dataset of 36 images at a high resolution (8 m) encompassing the wheat growing season from November 2007 to May 2008. Time series of green leaf area index were derived from these satellite images and used to calibrate a simple crop/water balance model. The method was applied over an 8 × 8 km2 irrigated area on up to 530 wheat fields. It allowed us to accurately reproduce the time courses of Leaf Area Index and dry aboveground biomass, as well as evapotranspiration and soil moisture. In a second step, we analyzed the variations of WUE as the ratio of accumulated dry aboveground biomass to seasonal evapotranspiration. Despite the study area being rather small and homogeneous (soil, climate), we observed a large range in wheat biomass production, from 5 to 15 t·ha−1, which was primarily related to the timing of plant emergence. In contrast, the seasonal evapotranspiration only varied from 350 to 450 mm, with no evident link with sowing practices. A significant gain in crop water productivity was found for the fields sown the earliest (maximal WUE around 3.5 kg·m−3) compared to those sown the latest (minimal WUE around 1.5 kg·m−3). These results demonstrated the value of the FORMOSAT-2 images to provide spatial estimates of crop production and water consumption. The detailed information provided by such high space and time resolution imaging systems is highly valuable to identify agricultural practices that could enlarge crop water productivity.

Modifications for water management guidance based on an assessment of swimming pool water consumption of an operational facility in the UK

Water use is a significant operational cost factor for large swimming pool facilities, however it has been overshadowed by the recent focus on energy consumption and carbon emissions. Currently, it is difficult for operators to make decisions in relation to water efficiency due to the lack of information about the relationship between pool operation and water use. This study has started to address this issue by reviewing water use at a fully operational facility. The analysis of the consumption data has led to a proposal for a new water performance indicator, the water exchange deficit. Modifications to the method of estimating water consumption have also been proposed to enable enhanced water management guidance to be developed.

계획 신도시 물 사용량 및 이용 패턴 추정

계획 신도시 물 사용량 및 이용 패턴 추정

Comparing local and global water scarcity information in determining the water scarcity footprint of potato cultivation in Great Britain

In Great Britain (GB), more water is abstracted from surface and groundwater resources for the irrigation of potatoes than for any other crop. This abstraction occurs in the driest catchments and at the driest times of year, and therefore has the potential to exacerbate pressures on water supplies and aquatic ecology. The water scarcity footprint is a metric that describes the impact of an activity on the water scarcity in a locality. In this paper, we use the concept to estimate the volume of blue water consumed in potato production in an average year for the potato growing regions of GB. This has been contextualised by weighting the water consumption according to a global map of water scarcity (Ridoutt and Pfister, 2010) and a local assessment of water resource availability (Environment Agency, 2002). Average blue water consumption for the cultivation of potatoes in Great Britain is 61 Mm3 per year, equivalent to 11 m3/t. The global map of water scarcity was shown to be insufficient for identifying “hotspots”, however the combination of water consumption estimates and local water resource availability assessments allowed the identification of catchments where potato production may be contributing to water scarcity. The East of England was identified as a “hotspot” of water related risk for potato production due to the large area of production, high irrigation need and the fact that many of the catchments are already over abstracted or over licenced.

Evaluation of irrigation water use efficiency using remote sensing in the middle reach of the Heihe river, in the semi‐arid Northwestern China

AbstractIrrigation of agricultural oases is the main water consumer in semi‐arid and arid regions of Northwestern China. The accurate estimation of evapotranspiration (ET) on the oases is extremely important for evaluating water use efficiency so as to reasonably allocate water resources, particularly in semi‐arid and arid areas. In this study, we integrated the soil moisture information into surface energy balance system (SEBS) for improving irrigated crop water consumption estimation. The new approach fed with the moderate resolution imaging spectro‐radiometer images mapped spatiotemporal ET on the oasis in the middle reach of the Heihe river. The daily ET outputs of the new approach were compared with those of the original SEBS using the eddy correlation observations, and the results demonstrate that the modified SEBS remedied the shortcoming of general overestimating ET without regard to soil water stress. Meanwhile, the crop planting structure and leaf area index spatiotemporal distribution in the studied region were derived from the high‐resolution Chinese satellite HJ‐1/CCD images for helping analyse the pattern of the monthly ET (ETmonthly). The results show that the spatiotemporal variation of ETmonthly is closely related to artificial irrigation and crop growth. Further evaluation of current irrigation water use efficiency was conducted on both irrigation district scale and the whole middle reach of the Heihe river. The results reveal that the average fraction of consumed water on irrigation district scale is 57% in 2012. The current irrigation water system is irrational because only 52% of the total irrigated amount was used to fulfil plant ET requirement and the rest of the irrigation water recharged into groundwater in the oasis in 2012. However, in view of the whole middle reach of the Heihe river, the irrigation water use efficiency could reach to 66% in 2012. But pumping groundwater for reused irrigation wastes mostly energy instead of water. An improved irrigation water allocation system according to actual ET requirement is needed to increase irrigation efficiency per cubic meter water resource in an effort to save both water and energy. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley &amp; Sons, Ltd.

Hospital disaster response using business impact analysis.

The catastrophic Great East Japan Earthquake in 2011 created a crisis in a university-affiliated hospital by disrupting the water supply for 10 days. In response, this study was conducted to analyze water use and prioritize water consumption in each department of the hospital by applying a business impact analysis (BIA). Identifying the minimum amount of water necessary for continuing operations during a disaster was an additional goal. Water is essential for many hospital operations and disaster-ready policies must be in place for the safety and continued care of patients. A team of doctors, nurses, and office workers in the hospital devised a BIA questionnaire to examine all operations using water. The questionnaire included department name, operation name, suggested substitutes for water, and the estimated daily amount of water consumption. Operations were placed in one of three ranks (S, A, or B) depending on the impact on patients and the need for operational continuity. Recovery time objective (RTO), which is equivalent to the maximum tolerable period of disruption, was determined. Furthermore, the actual use of water and the efficiency of substitute methods, practiced during the water-disrupted periods, were verified in each operation. There were 24 activities using water in eight departments, and the estimated water consumption in the hospital was 326 (SD = 17) m³ per day: 64 (SD = 3) m³ for S (20%), 167 (SD = 8) m³ for A (51%), and 95 (SD = 5) m³ for B operations (29%). During the disruption, the hospital had about 520 m³ of available water. When the RTO was set to four days, the amount of water available would have been 130 m³ per day. During the crisis, 81% of the substitute methods were used for the S and A operations. This is the first study to identify and prioritize hospital operations necessary for the efficient continuation of medical treatment during suspension of the water supply by applying a BIA. Understanding the priority of operations and the minimum daily water requirement for each operation is important for a hospital in the event of an unexpected adverse situation, such as a major disaster.