This paper introduces a new approach to water management that is 'Safe & SuRe'. This includes pre... more This paper introduces a new approach to water management that is 'Safe & SuRe'. This includes presenting a conceptual framework to link the emerging threats of climate change and variability, rapid urbanization and population growth, energy constraint and tightening environmental regulation through to their consequences on social, economic and environmental recipients. The framework allows identification of the role and need for mitigation, adaptation and coping strategies. The paper proposes definitions and discusses what engineering, organizational and/or social options can potentially develop the degree of resilience and sustainability needed to deal with these 21st century threats. The paper goes on to propose how these approaches might be objectively assessed and identifies gaps in our knowledge that require further research.
Water science and technology : a journal of the International Association on Water Pollution Research, 2010
This paper summarises the physicochemical and microbiological quality of water from a rainwater h... more This paper summarises the physicochemical and microbiological quality of water from a rainwater harvesting (RWH) system in a UK-based office building. 7 microbiological and 34 physicochemical parameters were analysed during an 8 month period. Physicochemically, harvested rainwater quality posed little health risk; most parameters showed concentrations below widely used guideline levels for drinking water. However, RWH system components (e.g. fittings and down pipes) appear to be affected soft water corrosion, resulting in high concentrations of some metals (copper, zinc and aluminium). This suggests the material selection of such fittings should be considered keeping in view the hardness of rainwater of an area. Microbiologically, Cryptosporidium, Salmonella and Legionella were not present in the samples analysed. However, faecal coliform counts were high at the beginning of the study, but did decrease over time in weak correlation with increasing pH. Enterococcus faecalis displayed...
Urban regeneration can encourage more sustainable lifestyles by providing opportunity to recycle ... more Urban regeneration can encourage more sustainable lifestyles by providing opportunity to recycle land, clean up contaminated sites, and assist environmental, social and economic regeneration (EA, 2003). This paper assesses the potential impacts and constraints associated with a proposed urban regeneration development area in the North West of the UK with regard to the key issues of water resources and supply, water demand, wastewater quantity and quality, and runoff. Efficient use of water (greywater management) and sustainable drainage have been mentioned as two possible sustainability options in the planning guidance for the proposed site. However, the guidance lacks clarity on why they should be implemented and how they will be implemented considering local constraints. To ensure that the new development is consistent with the principle of sustainable development, alternative water conservation measures and options to minimise flood risk and impact on water infrastructure are investigated considering local conditions and constraints. This facilitates transition from linear urban water management practice, (where water is imported, processed and exported as waste by conveying wastewater and stormwater away from urban setting) to more sustainable circular urban water management, with reduced import of water, high rates of recycling and reduced wastewater and stormwater (Butler et al. 2011). Alternative supply and demand management options are compared, in terms of water savings/yield, energy usage and economic costs and benefits as well as their resilience to a range of changes in the future, to assist decision makers in their choice. It is concluded that despite being heavily constrained by local conditions, there is still incentive to incorporate some of these measures in the proposed urban regeneration development.
This paper introduces a new approach to water management that is 'Safe & SuRe'. This includes pre... more This paper introduces a new approach to water management that is 'Safe & SuRe'. This includes presenting a conceptual framework to link the emerging threats of climate change and variability, rapid urbanization and population growth, energy constraint and tightening environmental regulation through to their consequences on social, economic and environmental recipients. The framework allows identification of the role and need for mitigation, adaptation and coping strategies. The paper proposes definitions and discusses what engineering, organizational and/or social options can potentially develop the degree of resilience and sustainability needed to deal with these 21st century threats. The paper goes on to propose how these approaches might be objectively assessed and identifies gaps in our knowledge that require further research.
Numerous policy vehicles have been introduced in the UK promoting the use of rainwater harvesting... more Numerous policy vehicles have been introduced in the UK promoting the use of rainwater harvesting (RWH). However, an 'implementation deficit' exists where legislation limits action by failing to provide adequate support mechanisms. This study uses an interdisciplinary approach to construct a framework to address the issue of overcoming this deficit. Evidence bases have identified six deficit categories, which confirm a lack of enabling of stakeholders. Outline recommendations, such as coordinated information provision and reconsideration of incentive schemes are made in relation to these categories to complete the framework for supporting RWH in the UK.
Rainwater harvesting is increasingly becoming an integral part of the sustainable water managemen... more Rainwater harvesting is increasingly becoming an integral part of the sustainable water management toolkit. Despite a plethora of studies modelling the feasibility of the utilisation of rainwater harvesting (RWH) systems in particular contexts, there remains a significant gap in knowledge in relation to detailed empirical assessments of performance. Domestic systems have been investigated to a limited degree in the literature, including in the UK, but there are few recent longitudinal studies of larger non-domestic systems. Additionally, there are few studies comparing estimated and actual performance. This paper presents the results of a longitudinal empirical performance assessment of a non-domestic RWH system located in an office building in the UK. Furthermore, it compares actual performance with the estimated performance based on two methods recommended by the British Standards Institute - the Intermediate (simple calculations) and Detailed (simulation-based) Approaches. Results highlight that the average measured water saving efficiency (amount of mains water saved) of the office-based RWH system was 87% across an 8-month period, due to the system being over-sized for the actual occupancy level. Consequently, a similar level of performance could have been achieved using a smaller-sized tank. Estimated cost savings resulted in capital payback periods of 11 and 6 years for the actual over-sized tank and the smaller optimised tank, respectively. However, more detailed cost data on maintenance and operation is required to perform whole life cost analyses. These findings indicate that office-scale RWH systems potentially offer significant water and cost savings. They also emphasise the importance of monitoring data and that a transition to the use of Detailed Approaches (particularly in the UK) is required to (a) minimise over-sizing of storage tanks and (b) build confidence in RWH system performance.
Abstract Life cycle analyses (LCAs) show the main operational energy contribution for rainwater-h... more Abstract Life cycle analyses (LCAs) show the main operational energy contribution for rainwater-harvesting (RWH) systems come from ultraviolet (UV) disinfection and pumping rainwater from tank to building. Simple methods of estimating pump energy consumption do not differentiate between pump start-up and pump-operating energy or include pump efficiency parameters. This paper outlines an improved method incorporating these parameters that indirectly estimates pump energy consumption and carbon dioxide (CO 2) ...
Abstract Understanding the receptivity, including concerns and drivers, of water-users such as ho... more Abstract Understanding the receptivity, including concerns and drivers, of water-users such as householders, is vital in facilitating the promotion, appropriate installation, end-use and maintenance of rainwater harvesting (RWH) systems. This article presents the triangulated results of a literature review and survey, undertaken to increase policy-makers' understanding of householder receptivity to RWH. It was identified that overall receptivity to RWH is high, but that factors pertaining particularly to cost and maintenance pose threats ...
There is currently a window of opportunity in the UK, with respect to promoting sustainable water... more There is currently a window of opportunity in the UK, with respect to promoting sustainable water management (SWM). Periods of alternating drought and flooding have brought water management issues to the fore of UK media coverage and policy development. Unchallenged reliance on the historic legacy of piped infrastructure is declining, as its resilience and adaptability in the face of climate change become increasingly questioned. Despite its prevalence in other countries and a recent surge in sales, rainwater harvesting ...
Proceedings of the ICE - Engineering Sustainability, 2011
In the future, increasing pressure will inevitably be placed on the spatial planning system to im... more In the future, increasing pressure will inevitably be placed on the spatial planning system to improve its consideration of water management issues. Emerging challenges include designing for climatic extremes, reducing flood risk, managing increasingly scarce water resources and improving water quality. These issues need to be balanced with a range of other spatial planning priorities and objectives, including meeting new housing needs, facilitating economic growth, and creating and maintaining quality places. The sheer ...
Previous research into the acceptability of S/IWM measures has focused on characterising acceptab... more Previous research into the acceptability of S/IWM measures has focused on characterising acceptability, which can differ if referring to water-saving microcomponents (appliances) or alternative water technologies (e.g. rainwater harvesting). In contrast, limited research has focused on how to represent and integrate acceptability within decision support tools (DST). This paper describes the development of a methodology to represent the socio-cultural acceptability of microcomponents and alternative technologies within the 'Acceptability Function' (AF) model, which links to the 'Urban Water Optioneering Tool' (UWOT?) DST. Previously, acceptability was represented within UWOT? by a qualitative indicator between 0 (unacceptable) and 5 (acceptable) selected by the DST user. In order to provide a more comprehensive representation of acceptability, the model distinguishes between different components of acceptability determined using methods such as structural equation modelling and regression analysis. For alternative water technologies components of acceptability include subjective norms (social pressure to accept), fairness, health risks, system risks, trust and emotions. Incorporation of these components within the AF model requires a number of functionalities, such as weightings and scales and the development of a suitable graphical user interface (GUI). In essence, this paper describes a methodology for capturing 'soft' information in an essentially 'hard' modelling environment.
Water-Energy Interactions in Water Reuse, May 1, 2012
Globally, rainwater harvesting (RWH) technologies are being more readily adopted, as the desire f... more Globally, rainwater harvesting (RWH) technologies are being more readily adopted, as the desire for buildings to become more adaptable and resilient to climate change and population growth increases (White, 2010). However, it has been suggested that RWH can actually have a negative impact on the environment, with particular reference to energy consumption and carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions (Parkes et al. 2010). There are two forms of energy consumption related to RWH systems: embedded and operational. Embedded ...
Large water distribution systems (WDSs) are networks with both topological and behavioural comple... more Large water distribution systems (WDSs) are networks with both topological and behavioural complexity. Thereby, it is usually difficult to identify the key features of the properties of the system, and subsequently all the critical components within the system for a given purpose of design or control. One way is, however, to more explicitly visualize the network structure and interactions between components by dividing a WDS into a number of clusters (subsystems). Accordingly, this paper introduces a clustering strategy that decomposes WDSs into clusters with stronger internal connections than external connections. The detected cluster layout is very similar to the community structure of the served urban area. As WDSs may expand along with urban development in a community-by-community manner, the correspondingly formed distribution clusters may reveal some crucial configurations of WDSs. For verification, the method is applied to identify all the critical links during firefighting for the vulnerability analysis of a real-world WDS. Moreover, both the most critical pipes and clusters are addressed, given the consequences of pipe failure. Compared with the enumeration method, the method used in this study identifies the same group of the most critical components, and provides similar criticality prioritizations of them in a more computationally efficient time.
This paper introduces a new approach to water management that is 'Safe & SuRe'. This includes pre... more This paper introduces a new approach to water management that is 'Safe & SuRe'. This includes presenting a conceptual framework to link the emerging threats of climate change and variability, rapid urbanization and population growth, energy constraint and tightening environmental regulation through to their consequences on social, economic and environmental recipients. The framework allows identification of the role and need for mitigation, adaptation and coping strategies. The paper proposes definitions and discusses what engineering, organizational and/or social options can potentially develop the degree of resilience and sustainability needed to deal with these 21st century threats. The paper goes on to propose how these approaches might be objectively assessed and identifies gaps in our knowledge that require further research.
Water science and technology : a journal of the International Association on Water Pollution Research, 2010
This paper summarises the physicochemical and microbiological quality of water from a rainwater h... more This paper summarises the physicochemical and microbiological quality of water from a rainwater harvesting (RWH) system in a UK-based office building. 7 microbiological and 34 physicochemical parameters were analysed during an 8 month period. Physicochemically, harvested rainwater quality posed little health risk; most parameters showed concentrations below widely used guideline levels for drinking water. However, RWH system components (e.g. fittings and down pipes) appear to be affected soft water corrosion, resulting in high concentrations of some metals (copper, zinc and aluminium). This suggests the material selection of such fittings should be considered keeping in view the hardness of rainwater of an area. Microbiologically, Cryptosporidium, Salmonella and Legionella were not present in the samples analysed. However, faecal coliform counts were high at the beginning of the study, but did decrease over time in weak correlation with increasing pH. Enterococcus faecalis displayed...
Urban regeneration can encourage more sustainable lifestyles by providing opportunity to recycle ... more Urban regeneration can encourage more sustainable lifestyles by providing opportunity to recycle land, clean up contaminated sites, and assist environmental, social and economic regeneration (EA, 2003). This paper assesses the potential impacts and constraints associated with a proposed urban regeneration development area in the North West of the UK with regard to the key issues of water resources and supply, water demand, wastewater quantity and quality, and runoff. Efficient use of water (greywater management) and sustainable drainage have been mentioned as two possible sustainability options in the planning guidance for the proposed site. However, the guidance lacks clarity on why they should be implemented and how they will be implemented considering local constraints. To ensure that the new development is consistent with the principle of sustainable development, alternative water conservation measures and options to minimise flood risk and impact on water infrastructure are investigated considering local conditions and constraints. This facilitates transition from linear urban water management practice, (where water is imported, processed and exported as waste by conveying wastewater and stormwater away from urban setting) to more sustainable circular urban water management, with reduced import of water, high rates of recycling and reduced wastewater and stormwater (Butler et al. 2011). Alternative supply and demand management options are compared, in terms of water savings/yield, energy usage and economic costs and benefits as well as their resilience to a range of changes in the future, to assist decision makers in their choice. It is concluded that despite being heavily constrained by local conditions, there is still incentive to incorporate some of these measures in the proposed urban regeneration development.
This paper introduces a new approach to water management that is 'Safe & SuRe'. This includes pre... more This paper introduces a new approach to water management that is 'Safe & SuRe'. This includes presenting a conceptual framework to link the emerging threats of climate change and variability, rapid urbanization and population growth, energy constraint and tightening environmental regulation through to their consequences on social, economic and environmental recipients. The framework allows identification of the role and need for mitigation, adaptation and coping strategies. The paper proposes definitions and discusses what engineering, organizational and/or social options can potentially develop the degree of resilience and sustainability needed to deal with these 21st century threats. The paper goes on to propose how these approaches might be objectively assessed and identifies gaps in our knowledge that require further research.
Numerous policy vehicles have been introduced in the UK promoting the use of rainwater harvesting... more Numerous policy vehicles have been introduced in the UK promoting the use of rainwater harvesting (RWH). However, an 'implementation deficit' exists where legislation limits action by failing to provide adequate support mechanisms. This study uses an interdisciplinary approach to construct a framework to address the issue of overcoming this deficit. Evidence bases have identified six deficit categories, which confirm a lack of enabling of stakeholders. Outline recommendations, such as coordinated information provision and reconsideration of incentive schemes are made in relation to these categories to complete the framework for supporting RWH in the UK.
Rainwater harvesting is increasingly becoming an integral part of the sustainable water managemen... more Rainwater harvesting is increasingly becoming an integral part of the sustainable water management toolkit. Despite a plethora of studies modelling the feasibility of the utilisation of rainwater harvesting (RWH) systems in particular contexts, there remains a significant gap in knowledge in relation to detailed empirical assessments of performance. Domestic systems have been investigated to a limited degree in the literature, including in the UK, but there are few recent longitudinal studies of larger non-domestic systems. Additionally, there are few studies comparing estimated and actual performance. This paper presents the results of a longitudinal empirical performance assessment of a non-domestic RWH system located in an office building in the UK. Furthermore, it compares actual performance with the estimated performance based on two methods recommended by the British Standards Institute - the Intermediate (simple calculations) and Detailed (simulation-based) Approaches. Results highlight that the average measured water saving efficiency (amount of mains water saved) of the office-based RWH system was 87% across an 8-month period, due to the system being over-sized for the actual occupancy level. Consequently, a similar level of performance could have been achieved using a smaller-sized tank. Estimated cost savings resulted in capital payback periods of 11 and 6 years for the actual over-sized tank and the smaller optimised tank, respectively. However, more detailed cost data on maintenance and operation is required to perform whole life cost analyses. These findings indicate that office-scale RWH systems potentially offer significant water and cost savings. They also emphasise the importance of monitoring data and that a transition to the use of Detailed Approaches (particularly in the UK) is required to (a) minimise over-sizing of storage tanks and (b) build confidence in RWH system performance.
Abstract Life cycle analyses (LCAs) show the main operational energy contribution for rainwater-h... more Abstract Life cycle analyses (LCAs) show the main operational energy contribution for rainwater-harvesting (RWH) systems come from ultraviolet (UV) disinfection and pumping rainwater from tank to building. Simple methods of estimating pump energy consumption do not differentiate between pump start-up and pump-operating energy or include pump efficiency parameters. This paper outlines an improved method incorporating these parameters that indirectly estimates pump energy consumption and carbon dioxide (CO 2) ...
Abstract Understanding the receptivity, including concerns and drivers, of water-users such as ho... more Abstract Understanding the receptivity, including concerns and drivers, of water-users such as householders, is vital in facilitating the promotion, appropriate installation, end-use and maintenance of rainwater harvesting (RWH) systems. This article presents the triangulated results of a literature review and survey, undertaken to increase policy-makers' understanding of householder receptivity to RWH. It was identified that overall receptivity to RWH is high, but that factors pertaining particularly to cost and maintenance pose threats ...
There is currently a window of opportunity in the UK, with respect to promoting sustainable water... more There is currently a window of opportunity in the UK, with respect to promoting sustainable water management (SWM). Periods of alternating drought and flooding have brought water management issues to the fore of UK media coverage and policy development. Unchallenged reliance on the historic legacy of piped infrastructure is declining, as its resilience and adaptability in the face of climate change become increasingly questioned. Despite its prevalence in other countries and a recent surge in sales, rainwater harvesting ...
Proceedings of the ICE - Engineering Sustainability, 2011
In the future, increasing pressure will inevitably be placed on the spatial planning system to im... more In the future, increasing pressure will inevitably be placed on the spatial planning system to improve its consideration of water management issues. Emerging challenges include designing for climatic extremes, reducing flood risk, managing increasingly scarce water resources and improving water quality. These issues need to be balanced with a range of other spatial planning priorities and objectives, including meeting new housing needs, facilitating economic growth, and creating and maintaining quality places. The sheer ...
Previous research into the acceptability of S/IWM measures has focused on characterising acceptab... more Previous research into the acceptability of S/IWM measures has focused on characterising acceptability, which can differ if referring to water-saving microcomponents (appliances) or alternative water technologies (e.g. rainwater harvesting). In contrast, limited research has focused on how to represent and integrate acceptability within decision support tools (DST). This paper describes the development of a methodology to represent the socio-cultural acceptability of microcomponents and alternative technologies within the 'Acceptability Function' (AF) model, which links to the 'Urban Water Optioneering Tool' (UWOT?) DST. Previously, acceptability was represented within UWOT? by a qualitative indicator between 0 (unacceptable) and 5 (acceptable) selected by the DST user. In order to provide a more comprehensive representation of acceptability, the model distinguishes between different components of acceptability determined using methods such as structural equation modelling and regression analysis. For alternative water technologies components of acceptability include subjective norms (social pressure to accept), fairness, health risks, system risks, trust and emotions. Incorporation of these components within the AF model requires a number of functionalities, such as weightings and scales and the development of a suitable graphical user interface (GUI). In essence, this paper describes a methodology for capturing 'soft' information in an essentially 'hard' modelling environment.
Water-Energy Interactions in Water Reuse, May 1, 2012
Globally, rainwater harvesting (RWH) technologies are being more readily adopted, as the desire f... more Globally, rainwater harvesting (RWH) technologies are being more readily adopted, as the desire for buildings to become more adaptable and resilient to climate change and population growth increases (White, 2010). However, it has been suggested that RWH can actually have a negative impact on the environment, with particular reference to energy consumption and carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions (Parkes et al. 2010). There are two forms of energy consumption related to RWH systems: embedded and operational. Embedded ...
Large water distribution systems (WDSs) are networks with both topological and behavioural comple... more Large water distribution systems (WDSs) are networks with both topological and behavioural complexity. Thereby, it is usually difficult to identify the key features of the properties of the system, and subsequently all the critical components within the system for a given purpose of design or control. One way is, however, to more explicitly visualize the network structure and interactions between components by dividing a WDS into a number of clusters (subsystems). Accordingly, this paper introduces a clustering strategy that decomposes WDSs into clusters with stronger internal connections than external connections. The detected cluster layout is very similar to the community structure of the served urban area. As WDSs may expand along with urban development in a community-by-community manner, the correspondingly formed distribution clusters may reveal some crucial configurations of WDSs. For verification, the method is applied to identify all the critical links during firefighting for the vulnerability analysis of a real-world WDS. Moreover, both the most critical pipes and clusters are addressed, given the consequences of pipe failure. Compared with the enumeration method, the method used in this study identifies the same group of the most critical components, and provides similar criticality prioritizations of them in a more computationally efficient time.
Uploads
Papers by Sarah Ward