River Water Supply Research Articles

Favoritism and flooding: Political alignment and allocation of irrigation water

Abstract Using a context where agriculture relies on uncertain rainfall and irrigation, I demonstrate that ruling party representatives counteract rainfall variability to benefit politically aligned regions through favorable irrigation water supply. First, I demonstrate average river water supply and flood incidence respond to the identity of the ruling party. I then exploit close elections to get random variation in a region’s alignment with the political party in power, exogenous rainfall shocks to measure drought/flood risk and river water flow rate as a measure of water supply at any location. I find that water supply is in favor of upstream districts and against downstream districts when upstream districts are aligned with the ruling party and vice versa when down-stream district are more aligned; consequently, floods (or droughts) are more likely to occur in downstream regions when the ruling party has lower incentives to favor them. Agricultural productivity in politically aligned areas responds positively to the preferential delivery of resources. I argue that the ruling party’s influence over autonomous agencies that monitor dam usage and water allotment allows its members to reward their constituents. The paper offers novel insights into how political factors determine resource allocation and into the resulting environmental and economic impact.

Metals and Arsenic in Water Supply for Riverine Communities Affected by the Largest Environmental Disaster in Brazil: The Dam Collapse on Doce River

Considered the worst environmental disaster in Brazilian history, the collapse of Samarco dam directly affected the Doce river. Inhabitants living along the river who relied mainly on Doce river's water supply for agriculture and human consumption faced risk from the mining residue exposure. This study aimed to investigate the disaster’s impact on small family farmers living in Minas Gerais and Espirito Santo States by water elemental quantification and evaluate the potential pathways of contamination by survey. In July 2016, 48 water points - including well, river and public distributed water - of 3 cities (Belo Oriente, Governador Valadares and Colatina) were sampled for determination of As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Hg, Mn, Ni, Pb, Sn and Zn elements. Ninety-eight percent of the inhabitants interviewed related Doce river water usage before the tragedy for diversified purposes, while only thirty-six per cent used it after the disaster, mainly for irrigation. Fe and Mn presented concentrations above the Brazilian legislation for drinking water and irrigation in all locations, but not in all samples. Pb concentration was above the drinking water legislation in one location. All the other elements concentrations were within safe limits. Colatina, the farthest city from the dam, presented the highest values, followed by Governador Valadares and Belo Oriente. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.17807/orbital.v10i4.1081

Comparision of photocatalysis and photolysis processes for arsenic oxidation in water

The oxidation of As(III) to As(V) in aqueous solution was evaluated using heterogeneous photocatalysis and photolysis. The influence of TiO2 as catalyst in different crystalline (rutile, anatase) and commercial forms was evaluated in a batch reactor and an insignificant difference was observed between them. The process by photocatalysis reached up to 97% As(III) oxidation and no significant difference was observed comparing to results obtained by photolysis. The photolysis experiments (UV radiation only), also carried out in a batch system, showed a high oxidation rate of As(III) (90% in 20min). The influence of different matrices (well water, river water and public water supply) were evaluated. Additionally, the effect of As(V) concentration, generated during the oxidation process, was studied. Continuous photolysis experiments using only UV radiation were performed, resulting in a high As(III) oxidation rate. Using a flow rate of 5mLmin−1 and an initial concentration of As(III) 200µgL−1, gave an oxidation percentage of As(III) of up to 72%, showing a simple and economical alternative to the oxidation step of As(III) to As(V) in the treatment of water contaminated with arsenic.

Reverse flow of urban pollutants in sewage irrigated crops in developing countries

Dwindling fresh water supplies in developing countries have led to increased interest in exploring alternative irrigation water sources including untreated or partially treated wastewater. Wastewater originates from a variety of sources including domestic sewage, mixed with industrial effluents, and stormwater. Wastewater irrigation benefits farmers and other stakeholders through better crop yields owing to reliable water and nutrient supply and pollution reduction of rivers and other surface water bodies. However, it poses health risks to farmers and consumers alike due to pathogens, build-up of chemical pollutants especially heavy metals in soils and groundwater contamination. A very small proportion of sewage water (SW) is treated in a few working sewage treatment plants (STPs) in developing countries. Many existing STPs are running above the capacity and only partially treat SW. Many studies on SW in developing countries show the presence of high metal and metalloid concentrations beyond maximum permissible limits. Likewise, several studies evidence increased concentrations of heavy metals in both groundwater and surface waters in developing countries. Repeated use of SW for irrigation may result in accumulation of heavy metals in soils, which can enter the food chain. Review of pertinent literature demonstrates heavy metal accumulation in soils and eventually in edible portion of crops grown in peri-urban areas. Site specific best management practices aimed at curtailing the bioavailability of pollutants in soil and eventual uptake and translocation to edible parts of the crops are required. New STPs and upgradation of the existing STPs are the need of hour. Developing countries need to develop pretreatment standards for industrial waste discharged to the STP collection systems.

Опыт информационного обеспечения регулирования режимов работы водохранилищ Москворецкой водной системы

Centre of registry and cadaster provides with the developed DSS information support for management of the Moscow River water supply system since 2009. Information support includes hydrological and water resources analysis, inflow predictions, evaluation of the current state of MRWSS and development of recommendations for water reservoirs management pattern for a next operation term. The developed recommendations are regularly presented at the sessions of interdepartmental working group of the Moscow-Oka river basin authorities. Analysis of current hydrological state is provided on the base of GIS-technologies. Water inflow is calculated by ECOMAG hydrological model describing the full hydrological cycle of the Moscow River watershed. The technique for prediction of water inflow to reservoirs, based on use of a set of weather scenarios, is presented. Water regimes for 5 water reservoirs and downstream branches of the Moscow, Ruza, Ozerna and Istra rivers for a next planning term, are developed with use of VOLPOW water resources system simulation model. Finally the ways of improvement of the discussed DSS for Moscow River water supply system management are proposed.

Sustainable Water Supply Strategy for Bangalore - A Model for Emerging Cities in India

Water supply for the city of Bangalore in India is always short against the total demand. Surface water is inadequate to meet the demand and the city has to depend on groundwater. Due to rapid urbanization, infiltration of rainwater into the subsoil has decreased drastically and recharging of groundwater has diminished. This scenario requires an alternative source to bridge the gap between demand and supply. Rainwater, which is easily available and is the purest form of water, would be an immediate source to augment the existing water supply by “catching water wherever it falls”. Recycling or reuse of treated water is another source for at least secondary purposes. Karnataka State Council for Science and Technology (KSCST) is actively participating in the socially relevant, environment friendly water conservation measures and has been providing cost effective solutions since its inception 1975. Rainwater Harvesting (RWH) Cell at KSCST is established to study the needs of the people and provide sustainable and simple solutions through innovation and implementation pertinent to Rainwater Harvesting and Ground water recharge. Since November 2005 RWH Cell has provided technical support for planning rainwater harvesting systems in over 300 institutions (Public and private sector, Multinationals and Educational Institutions) in Karnataka and other states of India. Several thousand visitors have personally visited KSCST and availed the benefit and technical knowledge on RWH, water conservation and ground water recharge. RWH cell established at KSCST is providing policy support to the Government departments for water conservation and rainwater harvesting programmes in Karnataka and other states in India. RWH App is developed with the support of UNESCO by KSCST for web and Mobile users. Blog Rain Man Speaks from Bengaluru is in the web since April 1st 2014 and has published 81 posts. Quiz and Debate programs are organised to build awareness on rainwater harvesting and water conservation measures among students and faculty of schools and colleges. Case Study 1: 'Sourabha' Ecofriendly home of Bangalore in India is on a plot area of 2400 Sq. ft. This house is entirely dependent on harvested rainwater for all its need including drinking since 1994. Case Study 2: The strategy for sustainable water supply plan for a city like Bangalore should have the combination of conventional river water supply augmented by the 'New Water' supply sources - a. Rainwater harvesting, b. Ground water recharge with sustainable withdrawal and c. Reuse of waste water through treatment.

THE SEX SYSTEM OF THE POPULATION OF SAGITTARIA SAITTIFOLIA AS AN INDICATOR OF THE ECOLOGICAL STATUS OF A RIVER

The ecological state of small rivers that define the water regime of the territory, as well as the water supply of larger rivers, the quality of their waters is a matter of a serious concern. The ecosystems of watercourses in urban areas exposed to pollution by industrial and domestic wastes are under the maximum anthropogenic load. Bioindicative methods, which let to assess directly the status of aquatic ecosystems and their individual components, occupy an important place in the system of ecological monitoring of water bodies. Plants respond to toxicants in an aquatic habitat by the abnormality of biosynthesis of chlorophyll, carotenoids and other pigments, change of mineral balance, phytohormones, which leads to a change in their reproductive differentiation.
 In this regard, water quality assessment was carried out on the basis of chemical analysis and bioindication concerning Sagittaria sagittifolia populations in the upper and middle stream ways of the river Tyosha flowing through the Nizhny Novgorod region.
 The article presents the results of some organoleptic and chemical parameters such as pH level of overall hardness, concentration of nitrates and nitrites, ions of ammonium, phosphates, mercury, concentration of oxygen and carbon dioxide in the water. It was detected that there were exceeding quantities of ammonium ions, nitrite ions, phosphates in the water of all ranges of the river Tyosha, and also high content of iron in the downstreams of the river. The findings suggest that the reproductive structure of arrowhead inflorescences can serve as a bio-indicator of the degree of water pollution. The harder the environmental conditions of the plant habitat in the water body, the more intensive is a shift in the ratio of flowers to the feminine side. It has been shown that due to the deterioration of environmental conditions, the number of compound inflorescences of the arrowhead and the numbers of whorls in them decrease and, on the other hand, there is an increase in the percentage of plants with simple typical inflorescences. A credible shift in the reproductive ratio of arrowhead inflorescences to the female side is spotted on the downstream river station near Lukoyanov and industrial community Shatky, where the complex of environmental factors for its growth is the least favorable. It was established that anthropogenic pollution of the river has a negative effect on the reproductive sphere of Sagittaria sagittifolia, causing a reduction in pollen fertility, which is confirmed by the chemical analysis of water.
 On the basis of the studies the assessment of the ecological status of the water in the Tyosha river was given.

Factors controlling sediment trapping in two freshwater tidal wetlands in the Biesbosch area, The Netherlands

PurposeA thorough understanding of mechanisms controlling sedimentation and erosion is vital for a proper assessment of the effectiveness of delta restoration. Only few field-based studies have been undertaken in freshwater tidal wetlands. Furthermore, studies that measured sediment deposition in newly created wetlands are also sparse. This paper aims to identify the factors controlling the sediment trapping of two newly created freshwater tidal wetlands.Materials and methodsTwo recently re-opened polder areas in the Biesbosch, The Netherlands are used as study area. Field measurements of water levels, flow velocities, and turbidity at both the in- and outlet of the areas were carried out to determine the sediment budgets and trapping efficiencies under varying conditions of river discharge, tide, and wind in the period 2014–2016.Results and discussionShort-term sediment fluxes of the two study areas varied due to river discharge, tide, and wind. A positive sediment budget and trapping efficiency was found for the first study area, which has a continuing supply of river water and sediment. Sediment was lost from the second study area which lies further from the river and had a lower sediment supply. The daily sediment budget is positively related to upstream river discharge, and in general, export takes place during ebb and import during flood. However, strong wind events overrule this pattern, and trapping efficiencies decrease for increasing wind strengths at mid-range river discharges and for the highest river discharges due to increased shear stress.ConclusionsDelta restoration, based on sedimentation to compensate for sea-level rise and soil subsidence, could only be effective when there is a sufficient supply of water and sediment. Management to enhance the trapping efficiency of the incoming sediment should focus on directing sufficient river flow into the wetland, ensuring the supply of water and sediment within the system during a tidal cycle, creating sufficiently large residence time of water within the polder areas for sediment settling, and decreasing wave shear stress by the establishment of vegetation or topographic irregularities.

Anchor Spacing Design of Pre-Stressed Tunnel Concrete Lining with Un-Bonded Annular Anchors for Songhua River Water Supply Project

At present, annular anchor pre-stressed tunnel Concrete lining is the main design method of poor -quality surrounding rocks, thin covering and high internal water pressure tunnel. Based on the contact of tendons and concrete, the annular anchor lining can be classified into bonded and un-bonded. Cable spacing is one of the key parameters in the design of the un-bonded annular anchors pre-stressed concrete lining. The optimal anchor spacing can not only meet the demand of the project, but also save the cost of construction. In this paper, the anchor spacing is studied in the design of pre-stressed tunnel concrete lining with un-bonded annular anchors for Songhua River water supply project. The equivalent load method and solid modeling method are combined in Flac3d 3D modeling. Numerical simulation of pre-stressed effects for different anchor spacing in tension and operation of the concrete lining were analyzed. The optimal anchor cable spacing is received, which is a reference for the design and construction of similar projects in the future.

Environmental fragility framework for water supply systems: a case study in the Paulista Macro Metropolis area (SE Brazil)

Water resources availability is increasingly constrained, considering the quality and quantity available for use. There is an urgent need of recovering this availability, focusing on the planning and management process of water supply systems. One of the main threats to water resources is related to erosion effects, namely widespread pollution load and the silting of watercourses and reservoirs useful life reduction. The objective of this study was to evaluate water supply systems environmental fragility within the Paulista Macro Metropolis area and to use the results to develop environmental zone classes to orient territorial planning. The study was conducted in seven superficial water supply systems of the aforementioned region. Environmental fragility evaluation was focused on four environmental variables that represent natural vulnerability to erosion, and 2015 land cover map to delineate human influence on erosive processes. Results indicate that Tiete River water supply systems, namely Piracicaba, Capivari and Jundiai (PCJ) and Itupararanga systems, can be considered the most fragile water supply systems in the study area. The environmental fragility map was used to derive the environmental zoning map, including conservation and priority areas, suitable regions for agriculture expansion, and areas with high needs for restoration efforts. In addition, environmental fragility framework herein can be viewed as a model with high replication potential for regional planning and management in that land cover can be manipulated to minimize environment natural vulnerability, guiding territorial occupation toward a more sustainable landscape design, which subsidizes water resources multiple uses.

Climate change impact assessment on Zhoshui River water supply in Taiwan

Climate change impact assessment on Zhoshui River water supply in Taiwan

Safety Levels of River Water Supply for the Irrigated Rice Paddy in the Early Modern Era of Korea

Safety Levels of River Water Supply for the Irrigated Rice Paddy in the Early Modern Era of Korea

Tiger re-establishment potential to former Caspian tiger (Panthera tigris virgata) range in Central Asia

Caspian tigers (Panthera tigris virgata), a now extinct subspecies genetically similar to the Amur tiger (P. t. altaica), occurred until the mid-1900s from modern day Turkey and Iran east through Central Asia into northwest China. A literature analysis we conducted revealed that Caspian tigers occupied ca. 800,000–900,000km2 historically, mostly within isolated patches of tugay- and reed-dominated riparian ecosystems at densities up to 2–3tigers/100km2. Herein we explored options to restore tigers to Central Asia using Amur tiger as an “analog” form. Spatial analyses based on remote sensing data indicated that options for Amur tiger introduction are limited in Central Asia but at least two habitat patches remain potentially suitable for tiger re-establishment, both in Kazakhstan, with a total area of <20,000km2. The most promising site—the Ili river delta and adjacent southern coast of Balkhash Lake—hosts ca. 7000km2 of suitable habitat that our tiger-prey population models suggest could support a population of 64–98 tigers within 50years if 40–55 tigers are translocated and current Ili river flow regimes are maintained. Re-establishment of tigers in Central Asia may yet be tenable if concerns of local communities in the Ili-Balkhash region are carefully addressed, prey population restoration precedes tiger introduction, Ili river water supplies remain stable, and the Amur tiger's phenotype proves adaptable to the arid conditions of the introduction site.

Genotyping of Giardia lamblia and Entamoeba spp from river waters in Iran.

In this study, DNA from 55 surface and river water samples, which were collected from some water sources of Tehran and the Guilan Province, Iran, were extracted and examined for Entamoeba spp. and Giardia lamblia by PCR and genotyping. Twenty-seven samples, which were concentrated using the immunomagnetic separation technology (IMS) method, were examined for Giardia alone. Twenty-eight samples, which were concentrated using the sucrose flotation (SF) method, were examined for both Giardia and Entamoeba species. The results showed that 27/55 (17/27 and 10/28) (49%), 4 /28 (14.28%) and 3/28 (10.7%) of the samples were positive for Giardia lamblia, Entamoeba spp and mixed infections (Entamoeba spp. and Giardia spp.), respectively. Sixteen out of 55 samples were negative. Entamoeba genus-specific PCR primers in single-round PCR were used to differentiate between the Entamoeba spp. (E. histolytica, E. dispar and E. moshkovskii). With respect to the 7 samples that were positive for Entamoeba, (14.28%) 4 out of 28 were positive for E. moshkovskii, (7.14%), 2 out of 28 were positive for E. histolytica and (3.57%) 1 out of 28 was positive for E. dispar. Genus-specific PCR primers in a semi-nested PCR assay was performed to genotype Giardia species. Of the 27 samples that were positive for Giardia, 10 samples were sequences. All 10 successfully sequenced samples contained assemblage B of Giardia lamblia.This is first study to investigate the G. lamblia genotypes in the water supply of the Tehran and Guilan provinces, and it is the first study to investigate Entamoeba species in the water supplies of Iran. The investigated river water supplies, which are used for agriculture, camping and animal farming, were heavily contaminated by the human pathogenic Entamoeba and Giardia parasites. There is a potential risk of waterborne outbreaks in humans and animals.

Physico-Chemical Consequences of Water-Level Decreases in Wetlands

Due to global change, many wetlands experience water level decreases and changes in their hydrological functioning, modifying their physico-chemical characteristics. Riverine wetlands are particularly complex within this framework because they are supplied by different water sources. This study assessed how long-term water level decreases in riverine wetlands relate to changes in their physico-chemical characteristics (temperature, oxygen, pH, conductivity and nutrient contents: nitrate, ammonium and phosphate). We hypothesized that 1) water level decreases have no effect on water nutrient contents because of the high water renewal by groundwater supplies, which may leach nutrients released from the sediment after the dewatering phase, and 2) the physico-chemical characteristics of the water would become increasingly similar to those of hillslope groundwater due to the increase in their water supplies in wetlands. We compared the surface water physico-chemical characteristics of nine riverine wetlands with contrasting water level decreases between 1993 and 2011. No increase in water nutrient contents occurred. However, depending on the wetland considered, the physico-chemical changes suggested either 1) increased connectivity with hillslope groundwater, 2) a lower rate of water renewal in wetlands or 3) increased river water supplies, potentially related to river lateral migration toward wetlands.

Future Water Budgets and Water Supply Stress under Climate Change and Urbanization in the Upper Neuse River Basin, North Carolina, USA

Urbanization and climate change are the two major threats to watersheds and the environment in the United States. It is imperative to understand the sensitivity of hydrologic responses to climate and urbanization across different physiographic regions in order to formulate sound watershed management strategies and policies. This study evaluated a watershed water balance model, Water Supply Stress Index (WaSSI), with measured historic streamflow data for the Upper Neuse River basin in central North Carolina. A user-friendly web version of the WaSSI model was applied to examine how climate change and potential urbanization over the next 50 years may affect streamflow (or water yield) of this river basin and water supply stress (water demand/water supply). Our simulation study suggested that urbanization could increase water yield (8%), while climate change could reduce (30%) water yield depending on future changes in precipitation and warming potential in the study basin. Climate change is likely to overwhelm the basin-wide impacts of urbanization in terms of its influences on water supply stress, but urbanization may aggravate the environmental problems by increasing stormflow and water quality degradation under a changing climate. Future climatic change models should reduce the uncertainty of climate projection in precipitation, a major control on watershed hydrology.

Cryptosporidium genotypes and subtypes distribution in river water in Iran.

Little is known about the diversity and public health significance of Cryptosporidium species in river waters in Iran. In the present study, we determined the genotype and subtype distribution of Cryptosporidium spp. in river water samples in Iran. A total of 49 surface water samples were collected from rivers and surface water in Guilan and Tehran provinces during 2009-2010. Water samples were filtrated through a 1.2-μm pore size membrane filter or by Filta-Max filter followed by immunomagnetic separation or sucrose purification methods. Genotype and subtype of Cryptosporidium were identified by sequence analysis of the 18S rRNA and 60 kDa glycoprotein (gp60) genes, respectively. A total of 24 (48.97%) water samples were positive for Cryptosporidium species by the 18sRNA-based polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-sequencing technique. DNA sequencing revealed the presence of five species of Cryptosporidium (C. parvum, C. hominis, C. muris, C. andersoni, and C. canis) in the water samples of the study area and, to our knowledge, the first report of C. muris in Iran. The results of GP60 gene analysis showed that all C. parvum and C. hominis isolates belonged to the IId and Id subtype families, respectively. The investigated river water supplies were heavily contaminated by pathogenic species of Cryptosporidium from humans and livestock. There is potential risk of waterborne cryptosporidiosis in humans and animals.

Trend analyses with river sediment rating curves

AbstractSediment rating curves, which are fitted relationships between river discharge (Q) and suspended‐sediment concentration (C), are commonly used to assess patterns and trends in river water quality. In many of these studies, it is assumed that rating curves have a power‐law form (i.e.C = aQb, whereaandbare fitted parameters). Two fundamental questions about the utility of these techniques are assessed in this paper: (i) how well to the parameters,aandb, characterize trends in the data, and (ii) are trends in rating curves diagnostic of changes to river water or sediment discharge? As noted in previous research, the offset parameter,a, is not an independent variable for most rivers but rather strongly dependent onbandQ. Here, it is shown thatais a poor metric for trends in the vertical offset of a rating curve, and a new parameter,â, as determined by the discharge‐normalized power function [C = â(Q/QGM)b], whereQGMis the geometric mean of theQ‐values sampled, provides a better characterization of trends. However, these techniques must be applied carefully, because curvature in the relationship between log(Q) and log(C), which exists for many rivers, can produce false trends inâandb. Also, it is shown that trends inâandbare not uniquely diagnostic of river water or sediment supply conditions. For example, an increase inâcan be caused by an increase in sediment supply, a decrease in water supply or a combination of these conditions. Large changes in water and sediment supplies can occur without any change in the parameters,âandb. Thus, trend analyses using sediment rating curves must include additional assessments of the time‐dependent rates and trends of river water, sediment concentrations and sediment discharge. Published 2014. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.Hydrological Processespublished by John Wiley &amp; Sons Ltd.

Regionalization of the territory of St. Petersburg and leningrad province in connection with the distribution of blood-sucking dipterans

Analysis of the species composition of the blood-sucking flies in different landscapes of St. Petersburg and Leningrad Province (the Region) was performed with the use of a specially developed database (DB), combining material of the collection of the Zoological Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, published data, and results of the recent studies (Aibulatov, 2009). In all, 165 species from 30 genera of blood-sucking mosquitoes, biting midges, blackflies, and horseflies are known from 255 localities in the Region. The gnus fauna of the eastern territories of Leningrad Province is still poorly known. The set of the commonest species is determined. The territory of the Region is subdivided into 10 subregions based on the parameters of the local climate, water supply, and natural drainage. The gnus fauna in each subregion is briefly characterized. The classification of the hydrolandscapes proposed earlier for Novgorod Province (Medvedev and Panyukova, 2005; Panyukova and Medvedev, 2008) is only partly applicable to the Region which lacks large lakes and rivers with floodlands where small water bodies providing places for larval development of bloodsucking insects can be formed. Constant population densities of certain species of the gnus complex are favored by underground water supply of the large rivers in the Region, whose tributaries run from the bogs and transitional mires in the interfluves.

Land management impacts on water quality following fire in a major water supply catchment

Salvage harvesting and land clearance to re-establish radiata plantations in the lower catchment followed the January 2003 bushfires in the Cotter River water supply catchment. We report impacts of post-fire catchment disturbance on water quality and preliminary results of a recently completed works program to improve water quality. Suspended sediment concentrations as high as 39,000 mg/L and massive annual specific sediment yields between 520 and 950 t/km2/a from the 42 km2 salvaged pine area occurred over three low-intensity rainfall years following the fire. In contrast, reservoir turbidity profiles in naturally-regenerated, upper-catchments returned to pre-fire conditions within 12 to 18 months.