Assessing the potential of using water reclamation to improve the water environment and economy: scenario analysis of Tianjin, China

Abstract

Tianjin City in China is a typical area that suffers from a serious water resource shortage and pollution problems, and this situation has spurred the use of reclaimed water as an additional source of water and an efficient method of improving water quality. This study aims to assess the reclaimed water utilisation amount available and its potential impacts on the water environment and economy, and proposes applicable approaches to establish the optimal development for Tianjin. A water resources-environment-economic management model was constructed, which was accomplished by dynamic linear optimisation. Through scenario analysis, Tianjin's optimal reclaimed water recycle rate can reach 56%, with 475 Â 10 6 tons of reclaimed water amount available (supporting 22% of the water supply), while bringing sufficient environmental and economic benefits, such as reducing 20% of water pollutants and maintaining 6.3% annual economic growth by 2020. This research also suggests that an integrated water management approach is preferable, including a proper introduction of technologies suited to the region's needs, a support system for construction, and control of water pollutant emission sources, especially in agriculture. The originally formulated water management system can be easily applied and extended to solve water issues, especially for water recycling.

Dynamic Optimized Cleaner Production Strategies to Improve Water Environment and Economic Development in Leather Industrial Parks: A Case Study in Xinji, China

“…The goals of dynamic optimization in terms of leather industrial parks were to maximize economic development, minimize environmental pollution, and minimize investment. The multi-objective optimization programming method was able to solve problems associated with the optimization of numerous contradictory and incommensurable objective functions [23,25,31,32]. Therefore, by establishing a multi-objective programming model and solving it, we can obtain a set of optimal solutions that will provide policy-making decision support based on our simulation results.…”

“…When solving a multi-objective optimization model, it is an effective method to set one of the main goals and make them as good as possible, while setting other indicators to meet certain requirements [30,32]. The objective function maximized the total industrial value added (GRP(t), en) in the target-year (t = 1,...,11, from 2015 to 2025), with constraints on water pollutants.…”

Efficiency Evaluation of Water Consumption in a Chinese Province-Level Region Based on Data Envelopment Analysis

“…In terms of methods, water-saving technologies can greatly improve the economic benefits of agricultural water use [54]. Water recovery (water reclamation) can produce more economic benefits and environmental benefits for provinces that suffer from significant water resource shortages and pollution [55]. In addition, although Shandong has a huge population, the efforts that are needed to reduce domestic water use are minor.…”

Water Reclamation and Reuse

“…A water resource-environment-economic management model (scenario analysis) constructed by Xiang et al (2015) assessed the reclaimed water utilization amount available and its potential impact on the water environment and economy. Approaches to establish optimal development of reclaimed water utilization in Tianjin were proposed.…”