Life cycle assessment of urban wastewater systems: Quantifying the relative contribution of sewer systems

Risch, Eva; Gutiérrez, Oriol; Roux, Philippe; Boutin, Catherine; Corominas, Lluís

doi:10.1016/j.watres.2015.03.006

Cited by 98 publications

(59 citation statements)

References 34 publications

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“…As discussed in the introduction, currently-used wastewater transport systems bear a substantial (perhaps the largest) share of environmental impact in UWSs [3,9]. In addition, traditional wastewater management is based on a disadvantageous approach, since its operation depends on high water usage and excessive waste dilution.…”

Section: Sustainable Wastewater Collection and Transportmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Integrated, Decentralized Wastewater Management for Resource Recovery in Rural and Peri-Urban Areas

Capodaglio

2017

Resources

143

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Collection and treatment of wastewater have a huge impact on the environment and economy, both at the local and global levels. Eco-innovation may play a paramount role in the reduction of the environmental impact of such systems, and in their greater sustainability in economic, environmental, and social terms. Decentralization appears as a logical solution to tackle sustainability problems of wastewater management systems, as it focuses on the on-site treatment of wastewater and on local recycling and reuse of resources contained in domestic wastewater (in primus, water itself). This paper analyses the needs, technological options and contribution to water management of decentralized systems. Decentralized solutions in general will tend to be compatible with local water use and reuse requirements, where locally treated water could support agricultural productivity or (in more urban areas) be used as a substitute for drinking-quality supply water for compatible uses. In analyzing sustainability of technology, different dimensions should be taken into account (in particular, local issues). There is no fixed or universal solution to the technological issue; to the contrary, all relevant studies demonstrated there are varying degrees of sustainability in the way a technology is selected and operated, to avoid exporting problems over time or space.

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Section: Sustainable Wastewater Collection and Transportmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Risch et al [3] conducted a life cycle assessment (LCA) of conventional (gravity) urban wastewater systems (UWS) based on a detailed components inventory, including construction and operation of both sewers and wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Integrated, Decentralized Wastewater Management for Resource Recovery in Rural and Peri-Urban Areas

Capodaglio

2017

Resources

143

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“…This is evident in numerous studies of water supply and transport systems, including Godskesen et al [9], where the LCA approach was applied to evaluate three different water supply systems of the water sector in Copenhagen, Denmark, to evaluate the environmental impacts of each process involved; Del Borghi et al [10], providing the analysis of potable water supply service in Sicily, Italy; Barjoveanu et al [11], analysing the water services system in Iasi City (Romania) to demonstrate the usefulness of the LCA approach as a support tool for water resources management; and Sambito et al [12], integrating the LCA approach with an analysis of the system energy and water balance in a water supply system. Other studies focused on urban drainage systems [13,14] and treatment plants [14,15]. More complete studies, like Jeong et al [16], proposed an exhaustive analysis on environmental and human health impacts related to the integrated urban water cycle.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

LCA Methodology for the Quantification of the Carbon Footprint of the Integrated Urban Water System

Sambito

Freni

2017

Water

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Abstract:In integrated urban water systems, energy consumption, and consequently the amount of produced CO 2 , depends on many environmental, infrastructural, and management factors such as supply water quality, on which treatment complexity depends, urban area orography, water systems efficiency, and maintenance levels. An important factor is related to the presence of significant water losses, which result in an increase in the supply volume and therefore a higher energy consumption for treatment and pumping, without effectively supplying users. The current European environmental strategy is committed to sustainable development by generating action plans to improve the environmental performance of products and services. The analysis of carbon footprints is considered one such improvement, allowing for the evaluation of the environmental impact of single production phases. Using this framework, the aim of the study is to apply a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) methodology to quantify the carbon footprint of an overall integrated urban water system referring to ISO/TS 14067 (2013). This methodology uses an approach known as "cradle to grave" and presumes to conduct an objective assessment of product units, balancing energy, and matter flows along the production process. The methodology was applied to a real case study, i.e., the integrated urban water system of the Palermo metropolitan area in Sicily (Italy). Each process in the system was characterized and globally evaluated from the point of view of water loss, energy consumption, and CO 2 production, and some mitigation strategies are proposed and evaluated to reduce the energy consumption and, consequently, the environmental impact of the system.

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“…This emission of greenhouse gases also depends on the electricity generation system adopted in the country [6] and is lower in Brazil, considering the percentage of 74.6% of renewable energy in its energy matrix [7]. These impacts have been measured by methodologies such as life cycle assessment (LCA) [8], a tool standardized by ISO 14044, which has become a reference in the environmental performance analysis of the processes [9] Understanding and quantifying the energy use with water is crucial to the sustainable use of resources through efficient models, technology, better management, and appropriate choices for each project. Although energy and water policies are presented separately, their integration is necessary, since decisions taken on water affect the energy consumption [10].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Comparative Analysis of the Energy Consumption of Different Wastewater Treatment Plants

Soares¹

2017

IJAAA

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Abstract:Wastewater treatment is a process of intensive use of resources, mainly energy, which accounts for 15 to 40% of the operating costs in conventional wastewater treatment systems. With the expected demographic increase and the restrictive trend in quality standards for effluent discharge, the energy consumption tends to increase further if there are no changes in the processes. The literature gathers the energy consumption of different wastewater treatment systems, in an attempt to map the processes and to help the decision making in the search for better alternatives. One of these alternatives is the recovery of energy from the sewer. The conventional treatment system requires between 0.3 and 0.6 kWh/m 3 , while the energy contained in the wastewater may be up to 10 times of the one required for the treatment. The simultaneous wastewater treatment and power generation, called the hybrid treatment system, is a worldwide trend. In Brazil, recent studies have shown, through energy balances, the energy viability of anaerobic-aerobic systems, with the production of algae. This work presents a comparative review of the energy consumption of different wastewater treatment plants, aiming at a better understanding and management of the processes. The results showed that there are few Brazilian data published, indicating that the country still demands more studies on the subject to improve its processes. In the treatment of wastewater, most studies point to the aerobic process as the largest consumer of energy, and efforts are focused on the optimization of the conventional system, but still without great achievements. Environmental goals and water supply strategies are poorly integrated with the energy handling, leading to an inefficient use, and with economic and environmental consequences.

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Life cycle assessment of urban wastewater systems: Quantifying the relative contribution of sewer systems

Cited by 98 publications

References 34 publications

Integrated, Decentralized Wastewater Management for Resource Recovery in Rural and Peri-Urban Areas

Integrated, Decentralized Wastewater Management for Resource Recovery in Rural and Peri-Urban Areas

LCA Methodology for the Quantification of the Carbon Footprint of the Integrated Urban Water System

Comparative Analysis of the Energy Consumption of Different Wastewater Treatment Plants

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