Model-based evaluation of stormwater management alternatives for a new development

This is the final version of the article. Available from NOVATECH via the URL in this record.This case study analyses and compares the performance of different stormwater management options for a future residential development located in the Czech Republic. The drainage alternatives are developed from the original design proposed earlier by a team of consultants using conventional drainage design approaches. The potential shortcomings of the original design as well as the performance of its alternatives are analysed with the use of a rainfall-runoff simulation model built specifically for this purpose. Four design scenarios were considered: design provided by the consultancy with oversized sewer and source control measures; modified design with on-line detention tank and source control measures; conventional drainage with on-line detention tank; conventional drainage without any detention facilities. All design scenarios are compared and evaluated in terms of their hydraulic performance and construction costs. The results indicate that even when the system layouts are adjusted for the same level of service given by the return period of the rainfall, they can perform differently under extreme rainfall conditions. Moreover, present findings suggest that a decentralized distribution of storage capacity within the catchment could contribute to cost savings when compared to centralized downstream flow control

Optimal Design Approach of Solar Powered Rural Water Distribution Systems in Developing Countries

This is the author accepted manuscript.In many rural parts of the developing world reliable access to clean water and electrical power is constrained. In this study, methods of integrating estimations of power outputs from solar photovoltaic arrays into gravity-fed water distribution network modelling are investigated. The effects of powering a rural water distribution system that is replenished with groundwater pumps that use solar power, and the effect of this on other network design decisions, are investigated. A rural community of an estimated 2,800 people with 28 standpipes from a borehole was chosen to develop the optimisations. The water storage tank and pipework were the focus on the water distribution system. EPANET and generic algorithms were used to run network optimisation simulations of: water tank location, elevation and volume; pipe diameter and configuration; and optimal system design in terms of cost. Different scenarios were included producing supply, demand and required water storage curves, which could have practical application for rural water distribution system design. Indicative costs for theoretical water distribution networks for rural communities in The Gambia were generated

An integrated model to evaluate water-energy-food nexus at a household scale

ArticleThis is the author accepted manuscript. The final version is available from Elsevier via the DOI in this record.To achieve a sustainable supply and effectively manage water, energy and food (WEF) demand, interactions between WEF need to be understood. This study developed an integrated model, capturing the interactions between WEF at end-use level at a household scale. The model is based on a survey of 419 households conducted to investigate WEF over winter and summer for the city of Duhok, Iraq. A bottom-up approach was used to develop this system dynamics-based model. The model estimates WEF demand and the generated organic waste and wastewater quantities. It also investigates the impact of change in user behaviour, diet, income, family size and climate. The simulation results show a good agreement with the historical data. Using the model, the impact of Global Scenario Group (GSG) scenarios was investigated. The results suggest that the ‘fortress world’ scenario (an authoritarian response to the threat of breakdown) had the highest impact on WEF.This work was financially supported by the Human Capacity Development Program in Higher Education (HCED) in Kurdistan, Iraq. We acknowledge the support for this work provided by Dr. Sarah Ward and Ziyad Ahmed

Representation of Septic Tanks in Stormwater Management Model (SWMM)

This is the author accepted manuscript.Septic tank systems are commonly used for treating domestic wastewater and an essential part of decentralized wastewater management systems. Many studies have considered septic tanks in terms of their design, performance and their impact on the environment. However, studies that have modelled septic tanks to test their performance for the removal of biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) and total suspended solids (TSS) are scant. This paper presents an approach to model septic tanks using the Stormwater Management Model (SWMM).The developed approach has been then applied to assess the influence of septic tank design configurations on pollution reduction.The authors are grateful to the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research in Libya for the financial support to this PhD studies

Economic implications of water efficiency measures II: cost effectiveness of composite strategies

This is the final version of the article. Available from the publisher via the DOI in this record.This paper briefly describes the development and application of a tool for generating micro-components (e.g. baths, taps, showers, WCs, washing machines and dishwashers) based water efficient composite strategies and assesses their cost effectiveness using a number of economic assessment methods. A composite strategy is defined as a combination of micro-components that could deliver a given water efficiency level. The assessment results suggest that the economic performance of water efficient composite strategies varies considerably. There is no linear relationship between water and energy consumption and the total cost associated with the strategies. Additionally, conventional cost assessment methods appear to be unsuitable for identifying the least cost options to consumers.The work was funded by the UK Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) and its support is thankfully acknowledged

Economic Implications of Water Efficiency Measures II: Cost Effectiveness of Composite Strategies

This is the final version of the article. Available from the publisher via the DOI in this record.This paper briefly describes the development and application of a tool for generating micro-components (e.g. baths, taps, showers, WCs, washing machines and dishwashers) based water efficient composite strategies and assesses their cost effectiveness using a number of economic assessment methods. A composite strategy is defined as a combination of micro-components that could deliver a given water efficiency level. The assessment results suggest that the economic performance of water efficient composite strategies varies considerably. There is no linear relationship between water and energy consumption and the total cost associated with the strategies. Additionally, conventional cost assessment methods appear to be unsuitable for identifying the least cost options to consumers.The work was funded by the UK Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) and its support is thankfully acknowledged

An Integrated Optimal Approach for Solar Powered Rural Water Distribution Systems in the Gambia

This is the final version. Available on open access from Scientific Research Publishing via the DOI in this recordIn the Gambia and across sub-Saharan Africa, reliable access to clean water and electrical power is constrained. As many rural water supply systems are already built, enhanced understanding of efficiencies and optimisation is required. Here, methods of integrating estimations of power outputs from solar photovoltaic arrays into gravity-fed water distribution network modelling are investigated. The effects of powering a rural water distribution system that is replenished with groundwater pumps that use solar power are investigated, along with the effect of this on other network design decisions. The water storage tank and pipework of a rural community with an estimated 2800 people and 28 standpipes from a borehole was selected. EPANET modelling software and genetic algorithms were used to run network optimisation simulations of: water tank location, elevation and volume; pipe diameter and configuration; and optimal system design in terms of cost. Different scenarios included producing supply, demand and required water storage curves, which could have practical application for rural water distribution system design. Indicative costs for theoretical water distribution networks will be useful for decision makers and planners

Radial Primary Angioplasty The Gold Standard Treatment for STEMI Patients∗

This is the author accepted manuscript.There is another ORE record for this publication: http://hdl.handle.net/10871/30367Challenges such as water scarcity and ever-increasing demand put an additional strain onto water distribution networks. Better asset management through leakage mitigation and demand forecasting can offset the current and future implications of these challenges. This paper shows how new high-resolution logging (e.g. 1 litre ticks) is able to enhance traditional methods of investigating leakages (e.g. minimum night flows) and instantiate novel methods for demand prediction (through micro-component analysis). Machine learning or other statistical analytical techniques coupled with the high-resolution data can be used in an adaptive way for leakage detection and demand forecasting. As a proof of concept, this paper investigates example datasets obtained from a UK based water company. The analyses suggest that it is possible to: extrapolate leakage from night flow time series data; predict water consumption patterns for different types of households and create consumption profiles based upon water user characteristics/behaviour.The authors would like to thank the EPSRC funding from WISE Centre for Doctoral Training. The authors also acknowledge the provision of anonymised data and financial support from South West Water, UK

An Implementation of a Decision Support Tool to Assess Treatment of Emerging Contaminants in India

This is the final version. Available on open access from Scientific Research Publishing via the DOI in this recordEmerging contaminants have been increasingly studied over the past decade to improve the understanding of their fate, occurrence and toxicological effects on the environment and human health. Originally wastewater treatment plants were not designed to remove these pollutants of emerging concern. However, research is now focusing on determining which existing treatment unit processes are suited to their removal. This research sets out to determine suitable treatment options for thirty nine emerging contaminants including various Pharmaceuticals and Personal Care products. The treatment options used in this study are taken from a developed decision support tool (WiSDOM) which formulates wastewater trains/packages for treatment of wastewater in India. The tool also evaluates the performance of each optimal solution in terms of removal of conventional pollutants (such as biochemical oxygen demand, chemical oxygen demand, total nitrogen, total phosphorous, faecal coliform etc.), using multi-objective genetic algorithms and multi-criteria decision analysis. An Excel Spreadsheet Program (ESP) was developed as an add-on to the tool, allowing the ESP to take an initial concentration of any of the thirty nine emerging contaminant and pass it through the treatment trains (generated/selected by the WiSDOM tool) to determine the removal efficiency. Three scenarios were developed to analyse the removal of emerging contaminants in India. The scenarios were designed to capture the influence of different socio-economic contexts and wastewater characteristics on the treatment technology selection. The tool generated results suggest that the use of constructed wetlands can remove a large proportion of emerging contaminants, resulting in low energy requirements and operational costs and wildlife habitats. However, the land requirement for this process is not always suited to urban areas in India. Advanced oxidation processes were also efficient at removing emerging contaminants. However, the energy requirements for this process were high. Emerging contaminants have different physical and chemical properties; therefore, future evaluations of each chemical should be monitored separately to generate suitable technologies suited to optimal removal.Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC)European CommissionNatural Environment Research Council (NERC

Integrated Model for Water, Food, Energy, and Human Development

This is the author accepted manuscriptWater, Food, and Energy (WFE) are basic needs crucial to human survival but also pervade many aspects of human development. Systemically, they are vastly interdependent. A system dynamics model was constructed to evaluate the dynamics behavior of WFE systems and their linkages to human development. The model was constructed, calibrated and tested against Indonesia national data on yearly basis from 1990 to 2015. System model comprising five modules, W-F-E sectors, demographic and human development. Analysis of error using Mean-Square Error (MSE), Root Means Square Percent Error (RMSPE), and Inequality statistics were used for model behavioral test. Preliminary results show that some variable like population size, GDP per capita, and Human Development Index (HDI) match historical trends and have low RMSPE (less than 10%). However, some variables pose greater error like Industrial water demands so it need to be reconstructed. Energy and Food module are being constructed. As part of the future work, once the model is fully constructed, it will be applied to assess the impact of a range of policy scenarios and implications on WFE and human development