Life cycle assessment of four potable water treatment plants in northeastern Colombia

Abstract

There is currently great concern about the processes that directly or indirectly contribute to the potential for global warming, such as stratospheric ozone depletion or acidification. In this context, and provided that treated water is a basic public utility in urban centers around the world as well as in some rural areas, its impact on the environment is of great interest. Therefore, this study applied the environmental methodology of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) to evaluate the environmental loads of four potable water treatment plants (PWTPs) located in northeastern Colombia following the international guidelines delineated in ISO 14040. The different stages of the drinking water process were thoroughly assessed, from the catchment point through pumping to the distribution network. The functional unit was defined as 1 m 3 of drinking water produced at the plant. The data were analyzed through the database Ecoinvent v.3.01, and modeled and processed in the software LCA-Data Manager. The results showed that in plants PLA-CA and PLA-PO, the flocculation process has the highest environmental load, which is mostly attributable to the coagulant agent, with a range between 47-73% of the total impact. In plants PLA-TON and PLA-BOS, electricity consumption was identified as the greatest impact source, with percentages ranging from 67 to 85%. Treatment processes and techniques, bioclimatic conditions and culturally driven consumption behavior varied from region to region. Furthermore, changes in treatment processes and techniques are likely to affect the environment during all stages of a plant's operational cycle.Keywords: climate change, environmental impact, treated water. Avaliação do ciclo de vida de quatro estações de tratamento de água potável localizado no nordeste da Colômbia RESUMO Atualmente, existe uma grande preocupação com os processos que direta ou indiretamente contribuem para as alterações climáticas, destruição da camada de ozônio ou acidificação, entre outros impactos ambientais. Neste contexto, e desde que a água tratada constitui um serviço público básico em centros urbanos de todo o mundo e em algumas áreas rurais, o impacto de suas emissões no meio ambiente tem sido considerado de grande interesse. Assim, na pesquisa atual foi aplicada a metodologia ambiental de avaliação do ciclo da vida (LCA) para avaliar os impactos ambientais de quatro estações de tratamento de água potável (PWTPs), localizadas no nordeste da Colômbia seguindo diretrizes internacionais da ISO 14040. As diferentes etapas do processo de purificação a partir do ponto de captação por meio de bombeamento para a rede de distribuição foram completamente avaliadas. A unidade funcional foi definida como 1 m 3 de água potável produzida na fábrica. Os dados foram analisados com base no banco de dados Ecoinvent v.3.01 e processados no software LCAData Manager. Os resultados possibilitaram determinar que em plantas PLA-CA e PLA -POR, o processo de floculação tem a maior carga ambiental, o que é principalmente atribuível ao agente ...

Analysis of the water–energy–greenhouse gas nexus in a water supply system in the Northeast of Brazil

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Analisa Dampak Lingkungan Pada Instalasi Pengolahan Air Minum (IPAM) Dengan Metode Life Cycle Assessment (LCA)

“…Dalam penelitian tersebut, metode pengukuran indikator lingkungan menggunakan CML 2001. Metode tersebut hanya menghasilkan 6 indikator pengukuran [6]. Penelitian terkait siklus hidup pengolahan air khususnya air limbah juga pernah dilakukan di Cina.…”

Rural Water Supply in Colombia

“…In assessing the lifecycle of several potable water treatment facilities in the northeast region of Colombia, Ortiz, Villamizar-Gallardo, and García (2016) concluded that, in order to be sustained in the long-term, many are in need of significant improvement or substantial adaptation to an alternative type of technology better suited to the operation, maintenance, management, and resource capacities of local communities. Quiroga (1996) believes that multi-stage filtration is a good example of such alternative technology.…”

“…In San Felipe, a small, central municipality, water was improved by incorporating treatment through multi-stage filtration -a mixture of gravel roughing and slow sand filtration -as part of a technology transfer project designed to improve the water distribution network plagued by leaks in taps, pipes, and toilets. Ortiz et al (2016) discuss the municipality of La Castilla, where the distribution system was planned and constructed without much community involvement, meaning that it was badly designed and constructed as a result. The authors strongly advocate for community participation at both the design and construction stage to guarantee ongoing success, arguing that 'it is well known that community participation in the entire project cycle is a determining factor for having a greater chance of ensuring a sustainable water supply project, especially in rural areas.…”