Integrated Water Management Strategies Research Articles

Shallow groundwater and river baseflow: Interconnection evidences and integrated water management strategies. Case study in the upper Descoberto watershed, Federal District, Brazil

Aquifer discharge in the form of baseflow is intimate related to river replenishment. In this manner, it is reasonable that water management practices consider an integrated approach including surface and groundwater. Effective regulatory measures, however, require the understanding of the mechanisms and the degree of such interconnection. In the Federal District, capital of Brazil, research focused on this theme are scarce, despite the relevance addressed by some authors. In the present study, shallow groundwater of Upper Descoberto Watershed was monitored for four years (2019–2023). The area responds to 60% of local population public water supply and has been facing land use conflicts and water crisis. Data were collected with 2-h resolution and compared to fluviometric stations discharge and water height records. Graphical analyses demonstrate that river baseflow is highly dependent on shallow aquifer discharge. The decrease of the phreatic aquifer water level results, in a short period, in streams flow reduction. This result is contrasting to the former agreement that considered the connection would take more time to be established. Statistical correlation coefficients are as high as 0.920 for the entire monitoring range and 0.998 for the dry season. The results evidence that soils have important reservoir and regulatory functions, even though they might not be relevant for high water demand activities. In this way, water grant process should account for correlated components, such as territory planning, estimation of total extraction by sensitive areas and properly characterization of insignificant uses, alternative and independent water sources evaluation, and definition of environmental constraints. The mitigation practices of hydric problems must include the implementation of artificial recharge devices, use of sustainable farming methods and control of rainwater overland flow. It is desirable the maintenance and enlargement of the current monitoring net so that former patterns that culminated in water crisis can be early identified and mitigated.

Nitrite-dependent microbial utilization for simultaneous removal of sulfide and methane in sewers

Chemicals are commonly dosed in sewer systems to reduce the emission of hydrogen sulfide (H2S) and methane (CH4), incurring high costs and environmental concerns. Nitrite dosing is a promising approach as nitrite can be produced from urine wastewater, which is a feasible integrated water management strategy. However, nitrite dosing usually requires strict conditions, e.g., relatively high nitrite concentration (e.g., ∼200 mg N/L) and acidic environment, to inhibit microorganisms. In contrast to “microbial inhibition”, this study proposes “microbial utilization” concept, i.e., utilizing nitrite as a substrate for H2S and CH4 consumption in sewer. In a laboratory-scale sewer reactor, nitrite at a relatively low concentrations of 25–48 mg N/L was continuously dosed. Two nitrite-dependent microbial utilization processes, i.e., nitrite-dependent anaerobic methane oxidation (n-DAMO) and microbial sulfide oxidation, successfully occurred in conjunction with nitrite reduction. The occurrence of both processes achieved a 58 % reduction in dissolved methane and over 90 % sulfide removal in the sewer reactor, with microbial activities measured as 15.6 mg CH4/(L·h) and 29.4 mg S/(L·h), respectively. High copy numbers of n-DAMO bacteria and sulfide-oxidizing bacteria (SOB) were detected in both sewer biofilms and sediments. Mechanism analysis confirmed that the dosed nitrite at a relatively low level did not cause the inhibition of sulfidogenic process due to the downward migration of activity zones in sewer sediments. Therefore, the proposed “microbial utilization” concept offers a new alternative for simultaneous removal of sulfide and methane in sewers.

Implementing a systemic approach to water management: piloting a novel multi-level collaborative integrated water management framework in east London

ABSTRACT To address urban growth, resource competition, and environmental degradation, effective integrated water planning is crucial. In the UK, policy frameworks like the 25-Year Plan for the environment and the National Framework for Water Resources stress the need for a systemic approach. Despite efforts in stakeholder engagement and meta-models, integrating physical and human aspects in water management remains a challenge. This paper introduces a multi-level framework for regional water planning, demonstrated through London's Sub-Regional Integrated Water Management Strategy (SIWMS). The framework, depicted as an inverted triangle, starts with conceptual analysis, gathering stakeholder insights and data. Integrated modelling creates a baseline for scenario assessment, providing evidence through metrics and simulations. Integrated planning focuses on collaboration for option selection and implementation. Results show the framework's effectiveness for systems-level analysis at the river basin scale. The logical progression facilitates stakeholder engagement, enhancing shared understanding. The Water Systems Integration Modelling (WSIMOD) Framework allows simultaneous assessment of interventions on various indicators, aiding in prioritising multi-benefit schemes and identifying potential negative impacts. The study supports the prioritisation of schemes like Sustainable Drainage System (SuDS) and emphasises the importance of a multi-level collaborative approach for robust, stakeholder-supported regional water planning to achieve effective implementation of planning and environmental policies.

Chemical engineering and the circular water economy: Simulations for sustainable water management in environmental systems

In the face of escalating water scarcity and environmental degradation, the imperative for sustainable water management has never been more urgent. Chemical engineering emerges as a pivotal discipline in the pursuit of solutions to these pressing challenges. This review explores the role of chemical engineering in advancing the circular water economy paradigm through simulations aimed at fostering sustainable water management within environmental systems. The circular water economy concept advocates for the efficient utilization, recycling, and reclamation of water resources to minimize waste and maximize resource efficiency. Chemical engineering techniques play a fundamental role in realizing this vision through the design and optimization of water treatment processes, resource recovery systems, and advanced simulation methodologies. This review delves into the application of computational simulations within the realm of chemical engineering to model and analyze various aspects of the water cycle. Such simulations enable the assessment of complex environmental systems, aiding in the identification of optimal strategies for water resource allocation, pollution control, and ecosystem preservation. Key areas of focus include the simulation of wastewater treatment processes, such as biological, physical, and chemical treatment methods, to enhance pollutant removal efficiency and promote water reuse. Furthermore, advanced modeling techniques facilitate the evaluation of innovative technologies like membrane filtration, adsorption, and electrochemical processes for the purification and desalination of water resources. Moreover, chemical engineering simulations enable the assessment of integrated water management strategies, encompassing aspects of urban water systems, industrial processes, and agricultural practices. By considering the interconnectedness of various sectors, holistic approaches to water resource management can be formulated, promoting resilience and sustainability in the face of changing environmental conditions. The integration of chemical engineering simulations into the framework of the circular water economy offers a promising avenue for advancing sustainable water management practices. Through comprehensive modeling and analysis, informed decision-making can pave the way towards a more resilient and equitable water future, ensuring the long-term viability of our environmental systems.

Health Impacts of the 2023 Flood in Pakistan: A Comprehensive Case Study on Skin-related Ailments and Waterborne Diseases

The devastating flood that struck Pakistan in 2023 had profound ramifications for public health, leading to a surge in waterborne illnesses and skin-related ailments among the affected populace. This thorough case study delves into the post-flood health consequences, with a specific focus on the emergence of skin rashes, allergies, burns, and heat strokes as formidable challenges. The report underscores the urgent necessity for swift, well-coordinated medical interventions during disasters to effectively alleviate the repercussions on vulnerable communities. The following recommendations could be used to prevent future diseaster situation. Effective management of post-flood scenarios demands meticulous risk assessment and mitigation strategies [2]. Vital to this process is the cultivation of community resilience, achieved through strengthening local capacities, fostering awareness, and promoting community engagement [6]. Integrated water management strategies are imperative to thwart waterborne diseases in the aftermath of floods, encompassing enhanced sanitation infrastructure, secure water supply, and health education [7]. Climate change adaptation must be seamlessly integrated into disaster response plans to tackle the escalating frequency and intensity of floods [10]. Leveraging medical relief and telemedicine, including mobile clinics, can bridge gaps in healthcare access during disasters [9]. These innovations facilitate remote medical consultations and essential healthcare delivery. Recognizing the toll floods take on mental well-being, access to psychosocial support services is paramount [8]. Cross-border collaboration heightens disaster response and recovery [3]. Resource and expertise sharing enhances healthcare interventions in the aftermath of trans-boundary floods. Early warning systems are pivotal in preventing casualties and mitigating health impacts [5]. To ensure equitable outcomes, disaster management must prioritize vulnerable groups such as the elderly and children, tailoring interventions to their distinct needs [1].

Predicting the Effects of Land Use Land Cover and Climate Change on Munneru River Basin Using CA-Markov and Soil and Water Assessment Tool

It is important to understand how changing climate and Land Use Land Cover (LULC) will impact future spatio-temporal water availability across the Munneru river basin as it aids in effective water management and adaptation strategies. The Munneru river basin is one of the important sub-basins of the Krishna River in India. In this paper, the combined impact of LULC and Climate Change (CC) on Munneru water resources using the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) is presented. The SWAT model is calibrated and validated for the period 1983–2017 in SWAT-CUP using the SUFI2 algorithm. The correlation coefficient between observed and simulated streamflow is calculated to be 0.92. The top five ranked Regional Climate Models (RCMs) are ensembled at each grid using the Reliable Ensemble Averaging (REA) approach. Predicted LULC maps for the years 2030, 2050 and 2080 using the CA-Markov model revealed increases in built-up and kharif crop areas and decreases in barren lands. The average monthly streamflows are simulated for the baseline period (1983–2005) and for three future periods, namely the near future (2021–2039), mid future (2040–2069) and far future (2070–2099) under Representation Concentration Pathway (RCP) 4.5 and 8.5 climate change scenarios. Streamflows increase in three future periods when only CC and the combined effect of CC and LULC are considered under RCP 4.5 and RCP 8.5 scenarios. When compared to the CC impact in the RCP 4.5 scenario, the percentage increase in average monthly mean streamflow (July–November) with the combined impact of CC and LULC is 33.9% (near future), 35.8% (mid future), and 45.3% (far future). Similarly, RCP 8.5 increases streamflow by 33.8% (near future), 36.5% (mid future), and 38.8% (far future) when compared to the combined impact of CC and LULC with only CC. When the combined impact of CC and LULC is considered, water balance components such as surface runoff and evapotranspiration increase while aquifer recharge decreases in both scenarios over the three future periods. The findings of this study can be used to plan and develop integrated water management strategies for the basin with projected LULC under climate change scenarios. This methodology can be applied to other basins in similar physiographic regions.

Evaluating integrated water management strategies to inform hydrological drought mitigation

Abstract. Managing water–human systems during water shortages or droughts is key to avoid the overexploitation of water resources and, in particular, groundwater. Groundwater is a crucial water resource during droughts as it sustains both environmental and anthropogenic water demand. Drought management is often guided by drought policies, to avoid crisis management, and actively introduced management strategies. However, the impact of drought management strategies on hydrological droughts is rarely assessed. In this study, we present a newly developed socio-hydrological model, simulating the relation between water availability and managed water use over 3 decades. Thereby, we aim to assess the impact of drought policies on both baseflow and groundwater droughts. We tested this model in an idealised virtual catchment based on climate data, water resource management practices and drought policies in England. The model includes surface water storage (reservoir), groundwater storage for a range of hydrogeological conditions and optional imported surface water or groundwater. These modelled water sources can all be used to satisfy anthropogenic and environmental water demand. We tested the following four aspects of drought management strategies: (1) increased water supply, (2) restricted water demand, (3) conjunctive water use and (4) maintained environmental flow requirements by restricting groundwater abstractions. These four strategies were evaluated in separate and combined scenarios. Results show mitigated droughts for both baseflow and groundwater droughts in scenarios applying conjunctive use, particularly in systems with small groundwater storage. In systems with large groundwater storage, maintaining environmental flows reduces hydrological droughts most. Scenarios increasing water supply or restricting water demand have an opposing effect on hydrological droughts, although these scenarios are in balance when combined at the same time. Most combined scenarios reduce the severity and occurrence of hydrological droughts, given an incremental dependency on imported water that satisfies up to a third of the total anthropogenic water demand. The necessity for importing water shows the considerable pressure on water resources, and the delicate balance of water–human systems during droughts calls for short-term and long-term sustainability targets within drought policies.

Citizen science: An alternative way for water monitoring in Hong Kong.

Nowadays, citizen science has become increasingly popular, especially in Western countries. In Hong Kong, citizen science projects are mostly used for public education, while utilizing citizen scientists in published scientific research is very rare. On the other hand, with the increasing threats to global water security, Hong Kong requires new adaptation and strategy in facing the impairment of local freshwater systems. However, unfortunately, the number of full-scale urban river research appears to be declining. In this regard, citizen science can offer an alternative option as one of the new integrated water management strategies in Hong Kong. In this study, the water quality of seven rivers and streams in Hong Kong was studied monthly for two years by a group of citizen scientists. The main goal is to examine the reliability of data collected by citizen scientists by comparing it with the official data from the Environmental Protection Department of Hong Kong (EPD). Results show that the water temperature and conductivity data acquired by the citizen scientists were highly comparable to the official data. Also, moderate to strong correlations in water pH, turbidity, and dissolved oxygen levels were found between citizen scientists and official data. Since the citizen science data remained as high as 70% of relevance to the official data, we believe that this may serve as a supplement to the lacking official or professional water quality monitoring data in Hong Kong. Even though the use of volunteer data in water quality monitoring unavoidably exists with errors and bias, this study demonstrates a successful outcome of utilizing citizen science programme in urban river monitoring in Hong Kong.

Investigation of the Influence of Excess Pumping on Groundwater Salinity in the Gaza Coastal Aquifer (Palestine) Using Three Predicted Future Scenarios

The Gaza coastal aquifer (GCA) is the only source of water for about two million citizens living in Gaza Strip, Palestine. The groundwater quality in GCA has deteriorated rapidly due to many factors. The most crucial factor is the excess pumping due to the high population density. The objective of this article was to evaluate the influence of excess pumping on GCA’s salinity using 10-year predicted future scenarios based on artificial neural networks (ANNs). The ANN-based model was generated to predict the GCA’s salinity for three future scenarios that were designed based on different pumping rates. The results showed that when the pumping rate remains at the present conditions, salinity will increase rapidly in most GCA areas, and the availability of fresh water will decrease in disquieting rates by 2030. Only about 8% of the overall GCA’s area is expected to stay within 500 mg/L of the chloride concentration. Results also indicate that salinity would be improved slightly if the pumping rate is kept at 50% of the current pumping rates while the improvement rate is much faster if the pumping is stopped completely, which is an unfeasible scenario. The results are considered as an urgent call for developing an integrated water management strategy aiming at improving GCA quality by providing other drinking water resources to secure the increasing water demand.

Holistic Water Management at the Community Level, Case Study Jabung District, Malang Regency, Indonesia

Access to safe water as a basic infrastructure is still a major problem throughout the world, and it is the main concentration to be solved as stated in SDGs pillars 6 and 9. Availability access to basic needs such as infrastructure of water is also one important homework to deal with for the Indonesian government along with the Universal Access 100-0-100. The research aim is to measure the Water Poverty Index (WPI) through the 5-component to propose a poverty eradication strategy of the water infrastructure at the community level. Jabung District in Malang Regency is chosen as the case study, wherein at about 33, 19% and 16% of households are the receiver of Raskin (Poor Rice) program and Program Keluarga Harapan (Family Hopes Program) – the poverty alleviations programs in Indonesia. Both field observation and depth interviews are conducted towards 548 heads of households at the compiling data. The WPI measurement indicates that 1 of the 15 villages have the low safe value of WPI. Among the fifth component, the environment shows the worst scale of the WPI whereby 14 villages have a value of 49, 16 (unsafe value), so integrated water management strategy by incorporating water balance for both domestic and non-domestic purposes is indispensable.

The pristine nature of river Ganges: its qualitative deterioration and suggestive restoration strategies.

The river Ganges, the National Heritage, and the lifeline of millions of Indians, unfortunately, ranked the second most polluted rivers of the world in 2017. This review reveals the current trends of the water quality of the Ganges assessed around 36 stretches during 2012-2016, to indicate an improvement around 6 (16.7%), deterioration around 14 (38.9%), and non-significant changes around 16 (44.4%) stretches. An increase in dissolved oxygen and a decrease in biochemical oxygen demand were observed at six stretches (Devprayag [S5], Rishikesh upstream [S7], Varanasi upstream [S19], Mokama upstream [S25], Mokama downstream [S26], and Munger [S27]). The total and fecal coliform contamination decreased at seven stretches (Rudraprayag [S2 and S3], Devprayag [S5 and S6], Rishikesh [S7], Varanasi upstream [S19], and Munger [S27]) due to improved hygienic conditions, but it increased subsequently at eight stretches (Haridwar [S8], Kanpur [S15], Raibareili [S16], Prayagraj [S17 and S18], Patna [S24], Berhampore [S30], and Serampore [S31]) due to improper defecation and mass bathing during 2007-2016. Dissolved oxygen level declined significantly, and biochemical oxygen demand increased (> 3 ppm), alarmingly at places receiving heavy untreated sewage water. The water quality of the Ganges was good up to Rishikesh, because of an undisrupted flow of the uncontaminated water from the higher altitudes (≥ 372 m) with higher forest cover, lower temperatures (< 21 °C), and higher dissolved oxygen (≥ 8.5 ppm) and due to the dissolution of antipathogenic chemical constituents of the medicinal herbs, pollutant degrading alkaline phosphatase, and bacteriophages. The present review is a systematic collection of data on river pollution, its scientific analyses, and its relationship with 6Ps (namely population, poverty, pollution, precipitation, plantation, and periodicity). Not only that, but the river water restoration measures have also suggested through the novel interlinked water working groups for implementing integrated water management strategies.

Integrated technological and management solutions for wastewater treatment and efficient agricultural reuse in Egypt, Morocco, and Tunisia.

Mediterranean-African countries (MACs) face a major water crisis. The annual renewable water resources are close to the 500 m3 /capita threshold of absolute water scarcity, and water withdrawals exceed total renewable water resources by 30%. Such a low water availability curbs economic development in agriculture, which accounts for 86% of freshwater consumption. The analysis of the current situation of wastewater treatment, irrigation, and water management in MACs and of the research projects targeted to these countries indicates the need for 1) an enhanced capacity to analyze water stress, 2) the development of water management strategies capable of including wastewater reuse, and 3) development of locally adapted water treatment and irrigation technologies. This analysis shaped the MADFORWATER project (www.madforwater.eu), whose goal is to develop a set of integrated technological and management solutions to enhance wastewater treatment, wastewater reuse for irrigation, and water efficiency in agriculture in Egypt, Morocco, and Tunisia. MADFORWATER develops and adapts technologies for the production of irrigation-quality water from drainage canals and municipal, agro-industrial, and industrial wastewaters and technologies for water efficiency and reuse in agriculture, initially validated at laboratory scale, to 3 hydrological basins in the selected MACs. Selected technologies will be further adapted and validated in 4 demonstration plants of integrated wastewater treatment and reuse. Integrated strategies for wastewater treatment and reuse targeted to the selected basins are developed, and guidelines for the development of integrated water management strategies in other basins of the 3 target MACs will be produced. The social and technical suitability of the developed technologies and nontechnological tools in relation to the local context is evaluated with the participation of MAC stakeholders and partners. Guidelines on economic instruments and policies for the effective implementation of the proposed water management solutions in the target MACs will be developed. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2018;14:447-462. © 2018 The Authors. Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of Society of Environmental Toxicology & Chemistry (SETAC).

Water footprint and water pinch analysis techniques for sustainable water management in the brick-manufacturing industry

Brick-manufacturing is an intensive water-consuming industry that requires a sustainable and integrated water management strategy to reduce reliance on freshwater consumption. This study aims to develop a rigorous analytical tool based on water footprint principles and water pinch analysis techniques that can be used to manage and optimise water consumption. By performing thorough water audits, the water consumption footprint (the sum of blue and green water footprints) and the theoretical water pollution footprint (grey water footprint) were quantified. The total water consumption footprint of a brick is determined as 2.02 L, of which blue water is identified as 1.71 L (84.8%) and green water as 0.31 L (15.2%). The theoretical grey water footprint of a brick was found to be 1.3 L, a value that would have been higher if in-situ wastewater treatment had not been operated before effluent discharge. In order to reduce the water footprint of a brick, water pinch analysis techniques were applied for the brick-manufacturing processes. Two water recovery schemes were explored, i.e. direct re-use/recycle and water regeneration. For the former, water targeting was first carried out using the material recovery pinch diagram. Next, an algebraic technique was utilised for the targeting of water regeneration, where an interception unit is used to partially purify the water sources for further re-use/recycle. The network that fulfils the water flow rate targets was then designed using the nearest neighbour algorithm. The calculation indicates that direct re-use/recycle scheme reduces with the standard water consumption footprint reduced only by 15.6%. Water regeneration scheme, on the other hand improved the current value (which relies on an unsystematic water regeneration scheme) by 56.4%. The analysis clearly shows that the water consumption footprint of a brick is improved when the brick-manufacturing industry operates sustainable water management strategies. This study, a first of its kind, demonstrates that integration of water pinch analysis coupled with water footprint concepts, provides a robust and effective tool for the manufacturing industries that aim for sustainable water consumption.

Financing Integration of Urban Water Systems: From Service Provision to Resource Management

Cities seeking to reform water management practices that degrade sustainability are challenged by limited resources, financial needs of legacy infrastructures, institutional barriers, and rigid regulatory environments. Stakeholders in urban water programs report that financial aspects of One Water top their list of concerns. As shown by local initiatives, integrated water management strategies based on the One Water concept can help to mitigate these problems and provide additional benefits and co-benefits. Experiences reported by cities identify practices that facilitate financial solutions to ongoing concerns. Drawing from three sets of One Water cases, 36 examples were shown to include significant financial innovation. Analysis of them pointed to strategies that involve organizational approaches, regional shared governance, partnerships, resource conservation, and corporate social responsibility. Financial innovation in each category requires further study to identify new opportunities and to validate feasibility, along with benefits and co-benefits.

Integrated water resource assessment for the Adelaide region, South Australia

Abstract. South Australia is the driest state in the driest inhabited country in the world, Australia. Consequently, water is one of South Australia's highest priorities. Focus on water research and sources of water in the state became more critical during the Millenium drought that occurred between 1997 and 2011. In response to increased concern about water sources the South Australian government established The Goyder Institute for Water Research – a partnership between the South Australian State Government, the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), Flinders University, University of Adelaide and University of South Australia. The Goyder Institute undertakes cutting-edge science to inform the development of innovative integrated water management strategies to ensure South Australia's ongoing water security and enhance the South Australian Government's capacity to develop and deliver science-based policy solutions in water management. This paper focuses on the integrated water resource assessment of the northern Adelaide region, including the key research investments in water and climate, and how this information is being utilised by decision makers in the region.

Integrated crop water management might sustainably halve the global food gap

As planetary boundaries are rapidly being approached, humanity has little room for additional expansion and conventional intensification of agriculture, while a growing world population further spreads the food gap. Ample evidence exists that improved on-farm water management can close water-related yield gaps to a considerable degree, but its global significance remains unclear. In this modeling study we investigate systematically to what extent integrated crop water management might contribute to closing the global food gap, constrained by the assumption that pressure on water resources and land does not increase. Using a process-based bio-/agrosphere model, we simulate the yield-increasing potential of elevated irrigation water productivity (including irrigation expansion with thus saved water) and optimized use of in situ precipitation water (alleviated soil evaporation, enhanced infiltration, water harvesting for supplemental irrigation) under current and projected future climate (from 20 climate models, with and without beneficial CO2 effects). Results show that irrigation efficiency improvements can save substantial amounts of water in many river basins (globally 48% of non-productive water consumption in an ‘ambitious’ scenario), and if rerouted to irrigate neighboring rainfed systems, can boost kcal production significantly (26% global increase). Low-tech solutions for small-scale farmers on water-limited croplands show the potential to increase rainfed yields to a similar extent. In combination, the ambitious yet achievable integrated water management strategies explored in this study could increase global production by 41% and close the water-related yield gap by 62%. Unabated climate change will have adverse effects on crop yields in many regions, but improvements in water management as analyzed here can buffer such effects to a significant degree.

An Approach for Sustainable Industrial Water Management: A Case Study

This study is to evaluate the present water management practices followed at an industry by conducting facility survey and preliminary water audit. Based on the observation and audit, opportunities for water conservation, by adopting an integrated water management strategy was suggested. Also water Acts related to industrial water management was studies to understand its role in pressurizing industries for water stewardship. The work demonstrated that many opportunities existed to improve water conservation through technical, cultural and behavioural adaptations. These included the use of alternate water sources such as rainwater runoff, reuse of water within process units, and need for an overarching water policy to minimise water use and effluent discharge. A conceptual model for water metering and accounting was developed. To involve all the stakeholders for sustainable water management, an awareness program for the employees, interview with the water managers were conducted and their view and opinion on water management were given importance.

Environmental Flows in a Human-Dominated System: Integrated Water Management Strategies for the Rio Grande/Bravo Basin

Water management in the transboundary Rio Grande/Bravo (RGB) Basin, shared by the US and Mexico, is complicated by extreme hydrologic variability, overallocation, and international treaty obligations. Heavy regulation of the RGB has degraded binationally protected ecosystems along the Big Bend Reach of the RGB. This study addresses the need for integrated water management in Big Bend by developing an alternative reservoir operation policy to provide environmental flows while reducing water management trade-offs. A reach-scale water planning model was used to represent historical hydrology (1955–2009), water allocation, and reservoir operations, and key human water management objectives (water supply, flood control, and binational treaty obligations) were quantified. Spatially distributed environmental flow objectives and an alternative reservoir rule curve were developed. We simulated current and alternative water management policies and used an iterative simulation–evaluation process to evaluate alternative policies based on water system performance criteria with respect to specified objectives. A single optimal policy was identified that maximized environmental flows while maintaining specified human objectives. By changing the timing but not the volume of releases, the proposed reservoir re-operation policy has the potential to sustain key ecological and geomorphic functions in Big Bend without significantly impacting current water management objectives. The proposed policy also improved water supply provisions, reduced average annual flood risk, and maintained historical treaty provisions. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Water End-Uses in Low-Income Houses in Southern Brazil

Knowing water consumption patterns in buildings is key information for water planning. This article aims to characterize the water consumption pattern and water end-uses in low-income houses in the region of Florianópolis, Southern Brazil. Data were collected by interviewing householders, as well as by measuring the flow rate of existing water fixtures and appliances. The results indicated that the shower was the fixture with the largest water consumption in households, i.e., about 30%–36% of total water consumption on average, followed by the toilet (18%–20%). The surveyed households consumed from 111 to 152 L/capita·day on average, based on different income ranges. No correlation was found between income and water consumption. The results of this study can be used to estimate the consumption of water for new buildings, as well as to develop integrated water management strategies in low-income developments, in Florianópolis, such as water-saving plumbing fixtures, rainwater harvesting, and greywater reuse. Likely, there would be a deferral of capital investments in new water assets for enhancing water and wastewater services by saving water in low-income houses.

An approach to industrial water conservation – A case study involving two large manufacturing companies based in Australia

This study presents the application of an integrated water management strategy at two large Australian manufacturing companies that are contrasting in terms of their respective products. The integrated strategy, consisting of water audit, pinch analysis and membrane process application, was deployed in series to systematically identify water conservation opportunities. Initially, a water audit was deployed to completely characterize all water streams found at each production site. This led to the development of a water balance diagram which, together with water test results, served as a basis for subsequent enquiry. After the water audit, commercially available water pinch software was utilized to identify possible water reuse opportunities, some of which were subsequently implemented on site. Finally, utilizing a laboratory-scale test rig, membrane processes such as UF, NF and RO were evaluated for their suitability to treat the various wastewater streams. The membranes tested generally showed good contaminant rejection rates, slow flux decline rates, low energy usage and were well suited for treatment of specific wastewater streams. The synergy between the various components of this strategy has the potential to reduce substantial amounts of Citywater consumption and wastewater discharge across a diverse range of large manufacturing companies.