Isotopic Fingerprint for Phosphorus in Drinking Water Supplies

Gooddy, Daren C.; Lapworth, Dan; Ascott, Matthew; Bennett, Sarah A.; Heaton, Timothy H.; Surridge, Ben

doi:10.1021/acs.est.5b01137

Cited by 35 publications

(34 citation statements)

References 34 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…We estimate the leakage P flux to be approximately 1.2 kt P/year. This is 20% higher than that previously reported by Gooddy et al (2015). The split between groundwater and surface water as defined by national hydrogeological mapping resulted in 69% of the P flux being routed to surface waters and 31% to groundwater.…”

Section: Flux Of P From Mains Leakage In England and Wales At The Natmentioning

confidence: 57%

“…This region was chosen due to the extensive phosphate dosing of mains water (CIWEM, 2011) and good leakage data availability. An initial national scale assessment of the flux of P from water mains leakage was made building on the first estimate of Gooddy et al (2015). Water company target leakage rates for 2014/15 were obtained from a national dataset collated by OFWAT (2011).…”

Section: Study Area and National-scale Assessment Of P Fluxmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Globally, the cost of water lost to leakage and unbilled consumption is estimated conservatively to be $14 billion per year (World Bank, 2006). In England and Wales, national scale leakage rates are reported as 25% to 27% (Gooddy et al, 2015). With the spatial extent of dosing and the concentrations used, leakage could be a significant source of P to the environment (Holman et al, 2008).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…With the spatial extent of dosing and the concentrations used, leakage could be a significant source of P to the environment (Holman et al, 2008). Gooddy et al (2015) made a first estimate of this source to be c. 1000 tonnes of P per year, but the spatial distribution of this flux has not been estimated to date. In order to further understand the role of this flux, it is critical that a simple method is available to estimate the spatial distribution of P leakage from water mains.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 3 more Smart Citations

Estimating the leakage contribution of phosphate dosed drinking water to environmental phosphorus pollution at the national-scale

Ascott

Gooddy

Lapworth

et al. 2016

Science of The Total Environment

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Understanding sources of phosphorus (P) to the environment is critical for the management of freshwater and marine ecosystems. Phosphate is added at water treatment works for a variety of reasons: to reduce pipe corrosion, to lower dissolved lead and copper concentrations at customer's taps and to reduce the formation of iron and manganese precipitates which can lead to deterioration in the aesthetic quality of water. However, the spatial distribution of leakage into the environment of phosphate added to mains water for plumbosolvency control has not been quantified to date. Using water company leakage rates, leak susceptibility and road network mapping, we quantify the total flux of P from leaking water mains in England and Wales at a 1 km grid scale. This is validated against reported leaks for the UKs largest water utility. For 2014, we estimate the total flux of P from leaking mains to the environment to be c. 1.2 kt P/yr. Spatially, P flux is concentrated in urban areas where pipe density is highest, with major cities acting as a significant source of P (e.g. London into the Thames, with potentially 30% of total flux). The model suggests the majority (69%) of the P flux is likely to be to surface water. This is due to leakage susceptibility being a function of soil corrosivity and shrink-swell behaviour which are both controlled by presence of low-permeability clays. The location of major cities such as London close to the coast results in a potentially significant flux of P from mains leakage to estuarine environments. The contribution of leakage of phosphate dosed mains water should be considered in future source apportionment and ecosystem management. The methodology presented is generic and can be applied in other countries where phosphate dosing is undertaken or used prior to dosing during investment planning.

show abstract

Section: Flux Of P From Mains Leakage In England and Wales At The Natmentioning

confidence: 57%

Section: Study Area and National-scale Assessment Of P Fluxmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Estimating the leakage contribution of phosphate dosed drinking water to environmental phosphorus pollution at the national-scale

Ascott

Gooddy

Lapworth

et al. 2016

Science of The Total Environment

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…For streams draining podzolic soils, most of the SRP is retained by the catchment. , either suggesting disequilibrium with calcite or perhaps additional P sources from mains water leakage (Gooddy et al, 2015). Sorensen et al (2013) compared bulk borehole and aquifer chemistry and ecology using packer sampling to show that the borehole environment was depleted in SRP and enriched in PP, DHP, (as well as NO3 and DOC) with respect to the aquifer water, implying that there was localised biological cycling of macronutrients within the borehole environment.…”

Section: Groundwater Receptorsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Macronutrient status of UK groundwater: Nitrogen, phosphorus and organic carbon

Stuart

Lapworth

2016

Science of The Total Environment

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Groundwater is a large, slowly changing pool of the macronutrients nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and dissolved organic carbon (DOC), with impacts on receptors, surface waters, dependent wetlands and coastal marine ecosystems. Sources of N to groundwater include fertilisers, animal wastes and septic led to the reduction observed in rapidly-responding aquifers. For the Chalk, where the unsaturated zone is thick, improvements may not be seen for decades. P is less well-characterised in UK groundwater reflecting the lack of historical interest in groundwater P, although it can be significant in some aquifer matrices.

show abstract