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Abstract: A process simulation of a high grade coated paper mill has been developed as part of a process integration study. Data necessary to calibrate and validate the simulation developed with the Cadsim Plus® software were obtained by: measurements, samples analysis and estimations through partial and local mass balances. The simulation was designed in a way that allows grade changes to reproduce the mill operation. The simulation is used to support process studies to optimise water and raw materials consumption and to evaluate results obtained by mathematical optimisation. Different scenarios were studied in order to evaluate the feasibility and the effects of process redesign of the mill''s networks. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

An environmental assessment for Jordan Paper and Cardboard Factory (JPCF) was conducted. Cleaner production concept, what it can achieve, and how it can be applied to JPCF was tested. Using the waste audit tool, five independent options were identified as having potential for improvements; these were on site reuse, technological changes, raw material changes, good housekeeping, and product changes. For each option, one or more pollution prevention actions were recommended. Economical advantages that could be achieved in water, energy, and material savings were quantified and simple payback periods calculated. Analyses revealed that on-site reuse and technological changes were the most efficient environmental options. Although different actions might result in similar benefits, the decision to execute a certain action is dependent upon its economic viability. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Increasingly stringent environmental regulations and increasing input costs negatively affects the sustainability and competitiveness of the pulp and paper industry. As a result, it has become necessary that broader strategies aimed at helping the industry to improve the environment performance whilst also reducing the operation costs are initiated. Recovering water and chemical from the bleach plant effluent streams could be one of such initiatives. In this paper, a preliminary techno-economic assessment of recovering water and caustic soda from alkaline bleach plant effluent using ultrafiltration and reverse osmosis membrane systems is presented. The scope of this work included; assessing the practicality and the economic performance of this membrane process. In terms of the practicality, the data acquired revealed that the proposed concept can only be applied to the alkaline effluents from the alkaline extraction stage, where caustic soda, oxygen, and peroxide are used as the pulp bleaching chemicals. Economic performance of this membrane system, however, is dependent on the effluent flow rates and the amount of water recovered. To be economically viable, the flow rates must higher than 480 m 3 /day and water recovery rate need to be higher than 70%. At this optimum effluent flow and water recovery rates, the process cost is approximately R 19/m 3 . Depending on the flow rates, the investment cost is in the range of R 5–25 million and the payback time is between 3 and 4 years. However, motivations of caustic recovery should be based on environmental rather than economic benefits. Mills can use the detailed information/data acquired in this study to determine whether it would be beneficial for them to implement this type of integrated waste management strategy in their processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pharmaceuticals are a group of man-made commercial and synthetic products and an important mainstay of modern society. However, their presence in aquatic environments is identified as a potential risk, causing harm to living things even at low concentrations ranging from ng L−1 to μg L−1. Due to their pseudo-persistence, bio-accumulation, and low elimination rate by conventional treatments, the majority of these xenobiotic contaminants and their metabolites are routinely released into the environment by sewage treatment plants and last longer in an aquatic environment. This review aims to provide an extensive report and a current state of knowledge concerning various classes of pharmaceutical compounds (PCs). It also discusses the occurrence, the analytical methods for the determination of PC micro-pollutants, and the remediation methods noted in recent literature focusing on the most recent advances. In this context, this review highlights the statistical data regarding the status of PCs in detection, analysis, and removal methods in aqueous media. In addition, this review provides an overview of the conventional and advanced technologies for the removal of PCs from water sources, offering critical comments, and discussing the challenges related to improving existing technologies for sustainable and eco-friendly management of water resources. It likewise emphasizes the importance of the combination of different treatment methods to reach up to 100% PC removal. Finally, gaps in the literature were found, and recommendations for further research were also cited in accordance with this paper. To the best of our knowledge, this review paper is among the rare works that deal with both: i) the analysis of large varieties of PCs in different water matrices, ii) the removal and identification of target analytes and their by-products generated during the elimination processes, and iii) the possible degradation pathways proposed by different studies. [Display omitted] • Occurrence of PCs in different water matrices are discussed. • Analytical methods for identifying PCs in waters are elucidated critically. • Advanced treatment methods for PCs removal are systematically reviewed. • Performed analytical techniques for by-products identification are described. • Possible mechanistic ways of PCs elimination by AOPs are proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The heat integrated water networks have the features of complex network structure and high costs. To overcome the problems, this paper presents a new design method for heat integrated water networks with simple structure and low costs. The proposed method includes two steps: the water-using network is designed first by considering the concentration specifications of water-using processes, which is reflected by the values of concentration potentials. Then, the heat exchanger network can be designed based on the water network obtained in the first step. Self heating strategy is adopted in the design of heat exchanger network to reduce the complexity of the network. Examples are illustrated to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method. The network structures obtained by using the proposed design method are simple, and the total annual costs calculated in this paper are comparable to that of literature results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper develops and applies a Sustainability Ranking of Airports Index to benchmark the performance of airports across multiple factors. The index is a composite indicator with 5 dimensions and 25 indicators. The dimensions are airport services and quality, energy consumption and generation, carbon dioxide emissions and mitigation planning, environmental management and biodiversity, and atmosphere and low emission transport. The index is applied to a sample of 9 airports that take place among the busiest and best airports in the world based on passenger traffic and passenger satisfaction. Data is mined from Corporate Sustainability Reports and related sources. Amsterdam Schiphol, Frankfurt, Munich, Istanbul Atatürk, and London Heathrow airports are the top 5 airports in the sample. The linear regression between the results of the index and annual passenger traffic is found to be 0.1942. The results can be used to benchmark progress in decoupling airport operations from greater environmental impact. The paper provides recommendations for the 5 dimensions of the index based on best practices from the airports in the sample. The index is useful to allow airport managers to coordinate strategies for the sustainable development of energy, water, and environment systems in airports and lift-off towards more sustainable airport practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transit operators' concerns regarding water resources are minimal. No standards or policies are available for managing water in washing operations, which are currently accomplished according to local practices. This paper presents a cost-benefit scenario assessment in which an innovative water-reclamation and harvesting technology for the bus sector is applied to washing operations within the European Commission's LIFEH2OBUS project. The theoretical approach (coherent with consolidated methodologies applied in transportation studies developed within past European research projects) is aimed at assessing the performance trends and impacts (associated with several evaluation categories, such as society, environment, operations, and energy) in various scenarios and via cost-benefit and sensitivity analyses. Furthermore, a performance threshold was designed to successfully implement the innovative technology outside the LIFEH2OBUS project. The scenario's results show a 92% reduction in water consumption after one year of implementation; that is, 21,528,000 L saved for a fleet of 500 buses. If this technology can be implemented in 50% of the European transit fleet in five years (342,143 buses), 14,731,309,008 L/year can be saved, along with a 29 GWh/year reduction in energy consumption and 74 ktCO 2 eq/year fewer greenhouse gas emissions. The research goal is to evidence water saving potential and pioneer a new field of study on water management, thereby launching a new "Water Culture" among bus operators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The authors of this paper explore the links between water infrastructure, water policies, processes and protections, along with mechanisms for women's leadership and decision-making for contributing to rural well-being. The broad-brush strokes approach is our attempt to reveal the breadth and complexity of the interdisciplinary nature of problems, which canonly be solved via interdisciplinary and collaborative approaches. Poor, rural women are disproportionally and adversely impacted by domestic and public gendered roles in relation to water accessibility, system design and management, as well as by the high costs of water distribution. The inadequacy of fair water distribution channels is compounded by the growing influence of water privatization advocates. The significant changes in climate and global warming also threaten accessibility to safe water and add levels of competitiveness and vulnerability for people in many regions of the world. The recommendations proposed in this paper underscore the need for proper management of water resources to prevent and to reduce water conflicts and to increase all dimensions of well-being. This paper builds upon literature from four interconnected strategies: 1) investing in water infrastructure to increase well-being; 2) establishing policies and legislation to protect the global commons, human rights and enhance economic well-being; 3) embedding gender equality and women's leadership in water management; and 4) developing strategic interventions to reduce and mitigate adverse global affects by educating for sustainable development, preventing and planning around climate change and enhancing local water management through resisting global privatization approaches. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The energy, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and water intensity, or environmental footprints, of global primary copper production have been estimated. The primary data have been collected from the sustainability reports published by copper producing mines, operations and companies. The mines analysed in this paper are from Australia, Chile, Peru, Argentina, Laos, Papua New Guniea, South Africa, Turkey, Finland, the USA and Canada. The typical range of energy intensity was found to be 10–70 GJ/t Cu, with an average of 22.2 GJ/t Cu. The range of GHG emissions was 1–9 t CO2-e/t Cu, with an average of 2.6 t CO2-e/t Cu. The large variation exists largely due to the form of copper produced, ore grade, sources of fuel and electrical energy, and to a lesser extent the reporting methods and procedures used by the companies. The water footprint averages 70.4 kL/t Cu but can range from several kilolitres to up to 350 kL/t Cu. Variation in water intensity is generally due to inconsistencies in reporting method, the geographical location of the mining operations, limited economies of scale of production site, and the climate type (i.e. arid regions in Australia and Chile or temperate to sub-arctic climates in Canada or Finland). It is recommended that company sustainability reports should clearly specify fuel use by type for vehicles, heat or electrical energy, sources of electricity and their mixes (including GHG emissions factors), and the boundaries of the operation for meaningful use in life cycle assessment (LCA). Sustainability reports should be published at regular intervals so that improvements towards more sustainable performance can be measured, and an LCA of mining activities can be developed for primary copper production more readily. The paper provides a valuable insight into the strong value of sustainability reporting for an industrial sector such as copper mining and how such data can be linked to LCA studies. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Water scarcity is a critical global-scale social risk. Several factors are affecting the availability of fresh water, like global population growth and the increase of industrial activities. Particularly in the mining industry, water is a critical resource for mineral production and road maintenance. Haul roads in surface mining operations are traditionally treated with large amounts of water to reduce dust emissions caused by large trucks that generate up to 97% of mine dust that reduces safety and mining productivity. An alternative to reduce dust in mining roads is the use of Magnesium Chloride Hexahydrate (6H 2 O·MgCl 2), which is a byproduct of the local lithium. So far, there is no scientific evidence that combines laboratory and field research to assess the effectiveness of an industrial byproduct used as a dust control for mining haul roads. This paper reports a quantitative analysis of the effectiveness of 6H 2 O·MgCl 2 in reducing operational water based on a laboratory and field study. Laboratory results show an important water retention effect in 6H 2 O·MgCl 2 treated soils compared to untreated soils. In addition, results showed that soils exposed to higher air relative humidity increases the water absorption from the air, confirming the hygroscopic property of 6H 2 O·MgCl 2. Field results collected for a year in a copper mine located in an arid area of Chile showed that water consumption in haul roads treated with water only is on average 153 times higher than water consumption in roads treated with 6H 2 O·MgCl 2 brine. In other words, 6H 2 O·MgCl 2 brine treatment allows approximately 99% of water saving. The dust monitoring system using a laser device demonstrated that, on average, dust emissions are 3.4 times higher in roads treated with water only than in roads treated with 6H 2 O·MgCl 2 brine. Overall, the study concludes that using 6H 2 O·MgCl 2 brine effectively reduces water consumption used for dust suppression in haul roads, demonstrating that the use of 6H 2 O·MgCl 2 byproduct is a very promising material for addressing water management issues in the mining industry. Image 10741 • Water is a critical and scarce resource for the mining industry. • Traditionally, water is sprayed on open pit mining roads to palliate dust emissions. • 6H 2 O·MgCl 2 byproduct brine reduced spray water consumption and dust emissions. • A 99% reduction of water consumption for dust suppression was achieved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Historically, the focus of the agricultural industry has been increasing profit through maximizing crop yield. Costs for energy and water are small compared to equipment and personnel, and are thus often overlooked. However, energy costs for irrigation are increasing and could be exacerbated with declining water levels in many Western states. This trend has motivated many farmers to explore sustainable irrigation water and energy management practices. Much of this new focus has been directed towards the adoption of new agricultural technologies with a misplaced assumption that technology alone will inherently bring all the benefits. On one hand, farms are going through a paradigm shift, and are turning into net electricity generators, and on the other, higher penetration of intermittent renewable sources into the electricity grid, require dynamic loads to help the grid balance its intra-hour variability and short duration ramps. The agricultural industry could be restructured to utilize larger amounts of renewable energy such as wind and solar and provide a great deal of flexibility to the grid. As emerging producers of clean energy, farmers are required to learn and speak the complex language of the electricity grid in order to monetize their energy generation while making the renewable electricity grid more resilient and reliable. In this paper, we develop a foundational approach for understanding and connecting three important concepts that can help the agricultural industry during this critical transition period. Those three concepts are: (a) current and future needs of the electricity grid, (b) available electricity market mechanisms through which farms can provide services to the grid, and (c) understanding electricity consuming/generating equipment on farms. Defining these concepts and condensing them into a standardized framework, can remove a significant barrier for enabling farms to provide services to the electricity grid while improving their bottom line. Highlights • Agricultural demand response is an underutilized grid resource. • Farms are emerging as net clean energy generators. • Farms need to interact with the grid on both demand and supply sides. • A farm to grid framework is necessary for future of the electricity grid. • Farm loads, grid needs, and electricity markets are currently not well defined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Water scarcity has resulted in a pressing need to develop an inexpensive and efficient desalination technology for fresh water production, especially in developing countries. Apart from other effective desalination technologies, humidification-dehumidification desalination process is predominantly adopted in the past decade to meet water deficiency due to its varied advantages in system construction, maintenance and operation. In this paper, a comprehensive review of the various advancements carried out experimentally for improving the performance of the solar humidification-dehumidification desalination system has been presented. The major factors contributing for enhanced system performance such as mass flow rate of heat transfer fluid, forced convection mechanism, multi-pass technique, recirculation mechanism, use of nano heat transfer fluid and phase change material are discussed. Further, the effect of solar intensity, ambient temperature, wind velocity, stage-wise heating and cooling on freshwater productivity is also reported. It was found that easy construction and maintenance of flat plate collector and higher performance index of evacuated tube collector make them as the predominant technologies adopted for heating the water and air heat transfer fluid's in solar humidification-dehumidification desalination system respectively. Further, it is identified that there exists a large potential for improving the fresh water yield through hybrid systems which involve use of geothermal or biomass energy, integration of solar stills with humidification-dehumidification desalination system, coupling of solar still, Fresnel lens solar collector and parabolic trough collector respectively with the flat plate collector and evacuated tube collector systems. The scope for further improvement in individual system and process parameters have been discussed. Highlights • Specified solar technologies adopted for HDH desalination are studied. • Effect of water and air preheating are examined. • Significant system factors for performance improvement are identified. • Scope for system design improvement has been provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Following the 2015 Paris Agreement, the main challenge for world economies nowadays is to commit themselves to long-term reforms aimed at increasing and promoting sustainable, inclusive and balanced development. An adequate response to this challenge will certainly require using the best available scientific knowledge and constant re-evaluation of the development process in light of the scientific findings. To ensure that the sciences are responsive to the emerging needs and to address sustainable development issues. This Virtual Special Issue of the Journal of Cleaner Production is dedicated to both Sustainable Development of Energy, Water and Environment Systems 2016 Conferences – 2nd South East European Sustainable Development of Energy, Water and Environment Systems Conference and 11th Sustainable Development of Energy, Water and Environment Systems Conference. The Virtual Special Issue is focused on four main fields: Energy issues, Water issues, Environmental engineering and management, and Sustainable engineering solutions and large-scale sustainability approaches. The division of selected papers follows the previous Journal of Cleaner Production Special Sections and Volumes dedicated to the Sustainable Development of Energy, Water and Environment Systems Conference series. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abundant evidence suggests that the massive global exploitation of copper mines over the last two decades led to mine aging expressed as ore grade reduction, deepening of open pits and underground operations, hardening of the rock, and increasing stripping ratios. These processes have affected the evolution and change of key environmental footprint indicators. Copper ore grade decline seems the most important of these factors and depends on variables including the rate of extraction, ore deposit geological features, introduction of new technologies, the copper price and its co-products, and the discovery and exploitation of new ore deposits. From 2001 to 2015 Chile increased its copper production by 22% and produced overall 80 million tons of copper, more than it produced in the entire 20th century. This paper explores the effects of mine aging on three key environmental footprint indicators: energy and water consumption, and greenhouse gas emissions. Electric energy consumption per ton of copper should grow in the coming decade at a significantly slower rate than in the last fifteen years because of the slowdown of the ore grade decline in mill concentrators. Additionally, a steeper decrease is expected for the emission of greenhouse gases per ton of copper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change poses significant challenges in terms of water scarcity, environmental crisis, and economic uncertainty. This situation drives an increasing need to pursue more sustainable futures and to conserve and maximise the use of resources whenever possible. The EU-funded H2020 NextGen project aimed to boost sustainability using new and novel technologies and approaches implemented within the water cycle, and to maximise the efficient use of water and water-embedded resources. To facilitate and communicate the potential benefits of such technologies, NextGen developed Serious Games (SGs), enabled by underlying System Dynamic Models (SDMs), for demonstrating how interactions between water, energy, and materials/embedded resources within the urban water cycle can be utilised in the context of the Circular Economy of water. As part of a fast-track development process, a testbed dubbed "Toy Town" was developed that encompasses a range of technologies and options that provides a demonstrable framework that can later be refined and modified accordingly for other case studies. The underlying SDM driving the SG is built using the Julia programming language. The testbed incorporates a range of components, including water-saving and water-reuse technologies, stormwater management, and wastewater treatment systems. The SDM acts fundamentally as a mass-balance model tracking over time volumetric flows of water/wastewater and the concentrations/dilution of pollutants/material within the urban water cycle. A variety of water use, water reuse and wastewater treatment components can be tested within this model to maximise the resource potential of the water and material moving through the cycle. The paper focuses on an extreme drought scenario and highlights the benefits of a modelling testbed for exploring potential technological solutions for managing the urban water cycle and how such solutions can be employed in the context of the circular economy of water. The NextGen SG thus has the potential to improve stakeholders' understanding of the implementation of novel technologies in the water cycle and the benefits that could be accrued by such stakeholder groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Floating photovoltaic systems (FPVSs) are a modern concept for clean energy generation, which combine the existing PV systems with a floating structure. Such a combination enables achieving a higher efficiency of PV modules and a best management of land resources which ensures meeting energy requirements more effectively. In this paper, an experimental investigation of a small-scale FPVS is presented. It is designed and built for research and demonstration purposes as a first attempt to analyze this concept under Moroccan operating conditions. The objective is to analyze and compare the electrical and thermal performances of an FPVS with those of an overland PV system (OPVS) with a similar nominal capacity. To do this, a test bench consisting of FPVS and OPVS and measurement station has been proposed and established. The design and construction aspects of the FPVS, as well as the experimental setup of the entire test bench, are extensively described in this paper. The test results show that the average temperature of the FPV modules, during the test period, was always lower compared to that of the OPV modules with a difference of up to 2.74 °C. This means that FPVS can benefit from the natural cooling effect of water and operate with higher efficiency as compared to OPVS. It was also found that the FPVS generates up to 2.33% more daily energy than the OPVS. Further, an experimental test was also performed in this work to compare the energy production of FPVS under different tilt angles. The test result confirms that the FPVS produces the highest energy when it is installed at the annual optimal tilt angle. Hence, adjusting the PV modules at their optimal tilt angle is recommended as well for FPVSs. Image 1 • Design and construction of a test bench to investigate the potential of floating PV system. • An experimental investigation to compare the electrical and thermal performances of the floating PV system with a reference overland PV system is performed. • Floating PV technology can provide a great opportunity for Morocco with huge solar radiation, coastal surfaces and many water bodies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stormwater management is essential to reducing the occurrence of flooding events in urban areas and to adapting to climate change. The construction of stormwater Best Management Practices (BMPs) entails a series of life cycle environmental impacts but also implies avoided burdens, such as replacing urban infrastructure after flooding. The aim of this paper is to integrate flood damage prevention into the life cycle assessment (LCA) of BMPs for quantifying their net environmental impact (NEI) and environmental payback (EP) from a consequential LCA standpoint. As a case study, the application of a filter, swale and infiltration trench (FST) in a Brazilian neighborhood was assessed considering a high-intensity rainfall event. The potential avoided impacts were related to cars and sidewalks that were not destroyed due to flooding. In terms of CO 2 eq. emissions, the environmental investment related to the FST was recovered when the destruction of one car or 84 m 2 of sidewalk was prevented. The NEI of the FSTs resulted in significant impact reductions (up to 700%) with respect to not accounting for the avoided products. This approach can be implemented to any type of BMP, and more accurate estimations can be made with data for different events and different types of material damage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the range of potential energy use impacts of shower water demand management in a case study of five highly characterised households in Melbourne (Australia), and assesses the difference in energy and cost responses for four different hot water system types. Results show that a shift to four minute showers (from current durations of between six and ten minutes) would lead to a reduction of between 0.1 and 3.8 kWh p −1 d −1 in the households studied, comprising between 9% and 64% of baseline hot water system energy use. Contrasted with an average energy use for water service provision in Melbourne of 0.3 kWh p −1 d −1 , such household reductions demonstrate significant potential for urban water cycle energy management. Combined water and energy (natural gas) cost savings in response to the four-minute shower scenario were $37 to $500 hh −1 y −1 in the households studied. Energy cost savings would be more significant for households with electric storage hot water systems than those with gas systems, at $39 to $900 hh −1 y −1 , due to higher variable tariffs for electricity than natural gas in Victoria ($0.2678 kWh -1 vs $0.0625 kWh -1 ). Households with electric storage hot water systems may therefore have greater financial incentive to participate in water-related energy demand management (assuming similar tariff structures). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper looks at how knowledge has been communicated within a multi-layered water governance structure in order to manage non-point source (NPS) pollution in South Korea. Since 28,300 ha of wetlands were reclaimed in Saemangeum, on the western side of the country, in 2006, the artificial lake created has suffered from chronic pollution. For the purposes of integrated water management, a water governance structure was formed linking organisations ranging from local to national scales. Despite institutional efforts to implement integrated water management and a governance approach, knowledge of NPS pollution and its management was produced and communicated among certain stakeholders only, such as policy and technical experts. In-depth interview and archival analysis of this research attempt to explain why and how the loss of knowledge communication occurred in this context. The first result of this research illustrates that, while knowledge communication has been smooth at the national and provincial layers, it has not taken place efficiently through to the local layer. When it comes to local farmers and governmental organisations and experts in particular, knowledge nodes have not functioned. Second, the research suggests that non-communication of knowledge has been mobilised as a professional strategy. Actors at the local layer have prioritized their professional interests and intentionally avoided knowledge communication with other department or ministries. Local and community actors have chosen not to provide farmers information. We conclude by discussing policy implications for knowledge communication and inclusive water governance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to climate change concerns, various environmental stresses and social inequality among the people, the welfare of mankind is increasingly being viewed through the prism of sustainable development. Sustainable development is a highly multi-disciplinary field of research that has been extensively studied during last two decades. Therefore, from the beginning of the 21st century, a series of Sustainable Development of Energy, Water and Environment Systems (SDEWES) Conferences were founded to address sustainable development issues. This Journal of Cleaner Production Special Volume (SV) is dedicated to the 10th SDEWES Conference. The SV is focused on three main fields that are of strategic importance to sustainable development: energy issues, water issues, and environmental engineering and management. The division of selected papers according to the named research fields was established following the previous Journal of Cleaner Production Special Sections and Volumes dedicated to the SDEWES Conferences. Therefore, this Special Volume builds upon the previously generated SDEWES knowledge base. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sustainability issues are often difficult for companies to manage because they require communication across organisational departments and divisions. This paper provides some of the first empirical evidence that communication “silos” exist within the mining sector, and that they may be impeding effective water management. Results of a social network analysis at a mining company revealed gaps in direct communication about water-related issues between the two largest production departments. This gap was particularly surprising because the departments were connected in the other communication networks studied, namely: information, ideas, problem-solving and friendship. The Health, Safety and Environment department played a crucial brokerage role within the water network, suggesting that water is primarily perceived as an environmental issue. A lack of direct communication between the major production departments could pose a barrier for recognising and responding to production-critical water risks. The work also found that the water network was characteristic of a core-periphery structure, such that communication was vulnerable to the removal of central “hubs”. These hubs were dominated by senior management, which may present a risk for responding promptly to water-related crises. Further research is needed to investigate the impacts of a siloed communication structure for managing other sustainability issues including energy and community development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although calculating the water footprint of a product, organization or a sector contributes to assessing and understanding the pressure on water resources, it does not provide any information on how to reduce the water use or its impact on the environment. The objective of this paper is to present a methodology for feasibility studies on water neutrality for the food processing industry in Flanders (Belgium). In 2010 a total amount of ca. 46 10 6 m 3 water was used in the Flemish food processing industry of which 68% consisted of ground water. Based on a mass balance of water, scientific data, the Flemish Input Output model and a participative process with stakeholders, an overall concept of water neutrality in the Flemish food processing industry was developed. The method consists of three steps. - defining the concept of water neutrality in the context of the Flemish food processing industry; - defining measures for reducing the impact of the Flemish food processing industry on their water use and determine the reduction potential for those measures, taking into account the implementing risks; - translating the measures into a roadmap for the next twenty years and verifying if the measures are sufficient to turn over the actual Flemish food industry into a water neutral one. By defining and applying the water neutrality concept in this feasibility study for the Flemish food processing industry, it can be concluded that it will be hard for the industry to become water neutral by 2030, but the developed roadmap shows how the industry can become more sustainable by 2030 and take significant steps. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the main issues of the coming decades is to improve resource efficiencies by integrating various life supporting systems, using waste from one, as resource in other, and in exact moment when it is beneficial to all. The challenge is on the electricity, heating, cooling, transport, water, buildings, industry, forestry and agriculture systems to integrate and become more sustainable. Since the sustainable development depends more and more on the holistic approach on the integration of energy, water and environment systems, from the beginning of the 21st century, a series of Sustainable Development of Energy, Water and Environment Systems (SDEWES) Conferences has been founded to cover these issues. The background of this Special Section of the Journal of Cleaner Production is therefore the Sustainable Development of Energy, Water and Environment Systems dedicated to both SDEWES 2014 Conferences – 1st South East European SDEWES Conference and 9th SDEWES Conference. The Special Section focuses on scientists, researchers, policy makers, educators, general public and practitioners in various branches of industry including the energy and water & wastewater sectors and environmental services. The purpose of this Special Section is to increase public awareness of key issues of sustainable development and to stimulate exchange of research results, practical experience and novel ideas among actors involved in investigating, planning and implementing sustainable development. The Special Section is focused upon four main fields that are of strategic importance to the sustainable development: Energy issues; Water issues; Environmental engineering and management; Sustainability approaches and promotion of sustainability concepts. The division of selected papers according to the named research fields has been established by the previous Journal of Cleaner Production Special Sections and Volumes dedicated to the SDEWES 2013 Conference. Hence, this Special Section is an extension of the previously generated SDEWES knowledge base in these four main research areas. As sustainable development is improving piecewise, so although it is necessary to see the big picture, actual technological improvement is one aspect of the technology systems. It has been shown that the sustainability can be improved by improving certain systems taking care of holistic sustainability criteria or integrating various systems in a way to improve the efficiency or resource efficiency of the combined system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Benchmarking the performance of cities across aspects that relate to the sustainable development of energy, water and environment systems requires an integrated approach. This paper benchmarks a sample of 12 Southeast European cities based on a composite indicator that consists of 7 dimensions and 35 main indicators. The composite indicator is namely the Sustainable Development of Energy, Water and Environment Systems (SDEWES) City Sustainability Index. The first three dimensions are energy consumption and climate, penetration of energy and carbon dioxide saving measures, and renewable energy potential and utilization. The last four dimensions are water and environmental quality, carbon dioxide emissions and industrial profile, city planning and social welfare, and research, development, innovation, and sustainability policy. The data collection process for the 12 cities integrates data from Sustainable Energy Action Plans and other sources. Data entries are normalized based on the Min–Max method and aggregated for a final ranking. Zagreb, Bucharest (District 1), and Ohrid are the top three cities. An average city receives a composite score of 2.69. Best practices are identified to allow cities to adopt well-rounded efforts to improve future performance. The SDEWES Index is useful to trigger learning, action, and collaboration among cities to transition to a more sustainable future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, China has launched ambitious measures to tackle water pollution. As political commitment and public investment soared, Chinese environmental scientists and practitioners have engaged in a substantial debate on the reorganization of the country's water management system. Domestic discussion has largely revolved around best practices adopted abroad, particularly in the European Union (EU), where the Water Framework Directive (WFD) has introduced an integrated management model based on the core concept of unity of the water cycle. This paper seeks to contribute to this debate, by appraising the regulatory, administrative, monitoring, and public participation dimensions of China's water environmental management. Related progress and constraints are discussed in the evolving context of Chinese environmental policies, against the background of the relevant EU experience. Regulatory and administrative coordination and integration, and the adoption of a watershed-based management model, appear at present as essential prerequisites to overcome the fragmentation of China's water environmental management. Despite recent efforts in this direction, institutional rationalization is still hampered by the persistence of conflicting interests and attributions among government bodies concurring to law making and implementation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a novel model of an elementary autonomous housing complex called Bio-Morpheme, intended to be an element of a Bio-City's structure. Its novelty manifests from the idea of urban form integration with the form of the water transformation cycle in the building and its immediate surroundings. Key factors include the retention and utilisation of rainwater in the Bio-Morpheme. Another feature of the proposal is the potential to use Bio-Morpheme-like complexes as autonomous units or combine them into larger structures based on integrated water management in typologically diverse city zones. Define the urban and architectural features of a Bio-Morpheme complex allowed using the proposed theoretical model to verify the potential for comprehensive water management featuring the utilisation of rainwater and stormwater harvested from roofs, pavements, bicycle paths, and roads. The study assumed climate and hydrological conditions for Krakow, Poland, predicting the potential for application. The authors observed that a Bio-Morpheme's structure allows for incorporating 41% of the collected runoff into its water supply infrastructure and using this water for domestic purposes when the remaining water can be direct to a surface reservoir. The reservoir provides the Bio-Morpheme's residents with direct contact with a water surface and enhances the microclimate. The Bio-Morpheme model is a solution that allows for rationalizing processes in elementary urban structure cells, which has a beneficial effect on lowering the demand for grid-sourced water and the amount of sewage produced. It also allows for introducing a surface reservoir into an urban interior and guarantees the highest quality of the environment and the health of residents. [Display omitted] • We analysed the structure of Morphemes as elements of the Bio-City's well-being. • Spatial forms of Bio-Morpheme are associated with its water use and efficiency. • We calculated a reduction of no less than 40% of the monthly water consumption. • Bio-Morpheme solutions reduces the load on the water supply and sewage network. • Solutions adopted in Bio-Morpheme support promote human health and well-being. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The paper presents a model of seasonal water pricing (SWP) aimed primarily at diminishing excessive fresh water use in the city of Belgrade. Seasonal prices are determined on meteorological observations of the average monthly temperatures and the total monthly precipitations in the period from 2000 to 2010, and their deviations from the thirty year normal levels. The SWP operation is based on an ex-post price determination, and it conveys a signal to water users on resource scarcity. Not knowing ex ante how high their monthly bill is going to be, but aware of the price-setting rule, consumers will be in a situation to change their pattern of behaviour towards a more sustainable water use. Potential of the SWP model implementation are a) pushing consumers towards rationality, b) valuable resource conservation and c) enabling the water supply company to cover peak-season supply and the related costs. The SWP model has been created for the Belgrade Water and Wastewater Company, but might be easily implemented in all other cities with the same problems. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This special volume offers a collection of papers that examine challenges and solutions where water meets complex, intersections with women, waste, wisdom or wealth. This unique array of articles offer readers of the Journal of Cleaner Production multidisciplinary views of water issues involving physical and structural perspectives, as well as political, social, cultural and increasingly serious environmental challenges. By building upon extensive literature reviews along with data collected through empirical study and real world observations, the authors effectively present valuable insights into the depth and nature of many of the problems but also present a well-developed array of recommendations, based upon successful projects and programs, world-wide. Among the recommendations are proposals for policies, approaches and regulations that provide system enhancements to prevent pollution and contamination and ideas to monitor and regulate water consumption. This international collection includes studies from 15 countries, documented and written by an equal number of female and male authors. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Organic solvents in chemical industry wastewaters are not only a pollution and health problem but also a sign of inefficient use of resources. This paper reports a methodology based on pervaporation, using first hydrophobic then hydrophilic membranes, for the separation of n-butanol and dichloromethane from sodium chloride containing aqueous mixtures into water, brine and a concentrate of organic solvents. The aim of this research was to study the efficiency of two hydrophobic and one hydrophilic membranes for the recovery of the organic solvents. The separation of organic solvents from aqueous mixtures was conducted using CMX-GF-010-D (Celfa AG, Switzerland) and PERTHESE® 500-1 (Perouse Plastic, France) membranes, and was promoted by high temperatures. The addition of sodium chloride did not affect the permeation of the organic solvents through the CMX-GF-010-D membrane while the salting out phenomena was observed when the PERTHESE® 500-1 membrane was used. The dehydration was conducted using a polyvinyl alcohol and titanium dioxide membrane on a support of polyacrylonitrile and polyphenylene sulfide (supplied by Helmholtz-Zentrum Geesthacht Zentrum für Material und Küstenforschung GmbH, Germany). The membrane showed impermeable features towards dichloromethane in the studied conditions. At the optimal dehydration conditions the concentration of water was 97.6 ± 0.1 %wt and the n-butanol content was 2.42 ± 0.13 %wt. Finally the article calls for a paradigm change, to view organic solvents in wastewaters as resources to be recovered, rather than pollutants to be treated as such. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The environmental profile of gold production with regards to embodied energy, greenhouse gas emissions, embodied water and solid waste burden has been assessed using life cycle assessment methodology. Both refractory and non-refractory ores were considered, with cyanidation extraction followed by carbon in pulp (CIP) recovery assumed for non-refractory ore processing. Flotation and pressure oxidation were included prior to cyanidation for processing refractory ores. For a base case ore grade of 3.5 g Au/t ore, the life cycle-based environmental footprint of gold production was estimated to be approximately 200,000 GJ/t Au, 18,000 t CO2e/t Au, 260,000 t water/t Au and 1,270,000 t waste solids/t Au for non-refractory ore. The embodied energy and greenhouse gas footprints were approximately 50% higher with refractory ore due to the additional material and energy inputs and gold and silver losses associated with the additional processing steps required with this ore. The solid waste burden was based on an assumed strip ratio of 3 t waste rock/t ore, but this ratio varies considerably between mines, significantly influencing the estimated value of this impact. The environmental footprint of gold production (per tonne of gold produced) was shown to be several orders of magnitude greater than that for a number of other metals, largely due to the low grades of ore used for the production of gold compared to other metals. The mining and comminution stages made the greatest contribution to the greenhouse gas footprint of gold production, with electricity being the major factor, and being responsible for just over half of the greenhouse gas footprint. This result emphasises the need to focus on these stages in any endeavours to reduce the embodied energy and greenhouse gas footprints of gold production. However, the significance of the contribution of the mining and comminution stages to the environmental footprint also means that falling gold ore grades will have a major impact on the environmental profile, and this issue is examined in the paper. Some technological developments in gold ore processing that have the potential to reduce the environmental footprint of gold production are also discussed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper aims to evaluate the environmental burdens associated with spray dried soluble coffee over its entire life cycle and compare it with drip filter coffee and capsule espresso coffee. It particularly aims to identify critical environmental issues and responsibilities along the whole life cycle chain of spray dried coffee. This life cycle assessment (LCA) specifically uses foreground data obtained directly from coffee manufacturers and suppliers. Aside from energy consumption and greenhouse gases emissions, water footprint is also studied in detail, including regionalization of water impacts based on the ecological scarcity method 2006. Other impact categories are screened using the IMPACT 2002+ impact assessment method. The overall LCA results for a 1dl cup of spray dried soluble coffee amounts approximately to 1MJ of primary non-renewable energy consumption, to emissions of 0.07kg of CO2-eq, and between 3 and 10l of non-turbined water use, depending on whether or not the coffee cultivation is irrigated and wet treated. When considering turbined water, use can be up to 400l of water per cup. Pouch – and to a lesser extent metal can packaging alternatives – show lower environmental burdens than glass or sticks. On average, about one half of the environmental footprint occurs at a life cycle stage under the control of the coffee producer or its suppliers (i.e., during cultivation, treatment, processing, packaging up to distribution, along with advertising) and the other half at a stage controlled by the user (shopping, appliances manufacturing, use and waste disposal). Key environmental parameters of spray dried soluble coffee are the amount of extra water boiled and the efficiency of cup cleaning during use phase, whether the coffee is irrigated or not, as well as the type and amount of fertilizer used in the coffee field. The packaging contributes to 10% of the overall life cycle impacts. Compared to other coffee alternatives, spray dried soluble coffee uses less energy and has a lower environmental footprint than capsule espresso coffee or drip filter coffee, the latter having the highest environmental impacts on a per cup basis. This study shows that a broad LCA approach is needed to help industry to minimize the environmental burdens directly related to their products. Including all processes of the entire system is necessary i) to get a comprehensive environmental footprint of the product system with respect to sustainable production and consumption, ii) to share stakeholders responsibility along the entire product life cycle, and iii) to avoid problem shifting between different life cycle stages. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Water and wastewater management constitutes a practical problem for the food and beverage industry including the brewing industry. In spite of significant improvement over the last 20 years, water consumption and disposal remain critical from an environmental and economic standpoint. This paper gives an overview of the world beer market in order to highlight the heterogeneity in capacity of global beer production. From a synthesis of existing literature, water consumption is analysed and the most common treatments and the associated costs are reported. Finally, biological and technical alternatives including membrane operation processes and economic reality are described. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Given their increasing number and the implementation of more energy-intensive treatment methods, wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) expect to increase energy consumption. In addition, climate change presents new challenges to the operation of these facilities, thus being critical to understand how to improve their energy performance and environmental sustainability while ensuring the quality of service provided. This paper reviews the latest publications on the energy performance of municipal WWTPs, particularly on the different phases of the treatment process and the impacting factors. The contextual and underlying factors that influence energy performance were identified, categorized, and analyzed through a broad survey. The most significant factors are the plant size, load factor (plant capacity utilization), and dilution factor. The implementation of anaerobic-anoxic-oxic systems is considered suitable in sensitive areas requiring high pollutant and nutrient removal rates, presenting, in some cases, moderate energy consumption (0.267 kWh/m3), being similar to the conventional activated sludge (0.269 kWh/m3). In more stringent effluent quality requirements, such as wastewater reuse, membrane bioreactors are advised, despite higher consumption (0.33 kWh/m3). Energy improvements can also be achieved by implementing automatization, inverters, and strategies that increase flexibility and adaptability in the operational process. Lastly, given the multidimensional characteristics of the WWTPs assessment, further improvements may be identified if the energy performance of these plants is compared using holistic and multi-criteria approaches, integrating multiple inputs and outputs simultaneously. • Long-term operation of low installed power equipment deserves more attention. • Energy intensity is mainly influenced by plant's size, load, and influent dilution. • Anaerobic-anoxic-oxic systems are a good option for impoverished areas. • Energy performance must be assessed in a holistic and multi-criteria approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Access to affordable renewable energy and clean water are among the most prominent challenges humankind faces to ensure a non-discriminatory comfort of living. Innovation in system engineering meets with new energy carriers, enabling synergistic effects defined as "sector-coupling". For instance, hydrogen and Reversible Solid Oxide Cells (rSOCs) are innovative technologies that yield multiple valuable effects. This paper evaluates the impact of such technology in novel PV-hybrid storage mini-grids with close access to seawater, achieving simultaneous renewable energy storage and seawater desalination thereby. The novel mini-grid operation is simulated in archetypal rural communities from developing countries (Sub-Saharan Africa) for 365 days of operation. The study encompasses three development scenarios in agreement with sustainability policies in force. The analysis of results allows finding the fittest mini-grid asset to achieve techno-economic optimization. A trade-off solution is identified with a critical reading of results in a future perspective: the Levelized Cost Of Electricity (LCOE) for a system with at least 70% renewables penetration is in the range of 0.29–0.43 €/kWh, while the rSOC runs with the only energy storage task. Moreover, the availability of seawater pushes LCOE below 0.20 €/kWh since it is also possible to benefit from the desalination function. This result aligns with the most economic mini-grid asset that can be implemented while embedding a significant energy performance increase. • A brand-new technology is proposed to tackle the critical water-energy nexus. • Heterogeneous metrics are introduced to quantify cross-sectoral integration effects. • Tanzania's development scenarios are analyzed. • Sector coupling produces positive leverage on the unitary cost of electricity. • Optimal mini-grid asset forecasts LCOE<0.200 €/kWh and water availability up to 0.4 L/day/p. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Problems can be solved most effectively through specialists working together in an inter-disciplinary, team building approach. As water transcends physical landscapes and disciplinary mindscapes, more expressly and insidiously than other topic areas, it effectively connects with women, waste, wisdom and wealth. Imaginative solutions are captured in this collection of papers to address water access, supply and quality. Of vital importance is the recognition of and support for the autonomy and authority of women as being influential stewards of precarious water situations in the global South. This collection prompts readers to think differently and for example, invites consideration of waste, more as a potential resource than simply as a problem. The importance of the role of water as a unifying, motivating, and inspiring force is poignantly underscored throughout this special volume. The valuation of water necessitates an economics analysis along with a well-being impact. Issues with water are multidimensional and so too sustainable solutions need to be. Bringing together threads of issues that intersect around water serve to highlight the intersectionality of issues and the necessity for comprehensive and creative solutions. This special collection offers the readers valuable approaches and insights in contending with today's complex and insidious challenges around ensuring safe and sustainable water practices. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The commercialization of biofuels produced from microalgae is in its infancy; therefore, many resource-management practices and production processes are still flexible. The purpose of this paper is to guide development of supply chains toward more environmentally sustainable practices. We review current and projected technologies and practices for autotrophic microalgae cultivation that promote environmental sustainability. We develop a framework that leverages these studies to propose better management practices (BMPs) for water quality and quantity, biodiversity, or greenhouse gas emissions in concert with productivity and profitability considerations. Some proposed BMPs are linked to numerical environmental targets, such as percent reductions in nutrient loadings to streams, whereas others seek to avoid thresholds leading to adverse health or ecological effects. Still others involve using the best available technologies, developed iteratively through life-cycle and techno-economic analyses. Proposed BMPs for microalgae cultivation focus on water quality and quantity, as well as improving greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions to obtain advanced biofuel designation. BMPs must allow producers to meet productivity and profitability targets, as well as environmental targets. These example BMPs characterize the state of science and engineering; thus, they will change over time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China is facing both serious water scarcity and climate change challenges simultaneously. There is an urgent need to identify the synergies between water conservation and greenhouse gas (GHG) emission mitigation. This paper aims to trace the embodied water uses and GHG emissions (i.e., CO 2 , CH 4 and N 2 O) via China's domestic supply chains in 2012 and to explore their common important paths for driving the water withdrawals and the emissions of GHGs using the environmentally-extended input-output analysis and the structural path analysis. The results show a significant coupling between the embodied water uses and the embodied emissions of CO 2 , CH 4 and N 2 O in the supply chains on a national scale. The water-GHG nexus relationships from the consumption-side are systematically revealed in terms of industrial sectors, final demands and supply chain paths. The top 20 nexus paths ranked by water together accounted for 37.40% of the national total water withdrawals. Ranked by GHGs, the proportions were 22.46% of the total GHG emissions. Synergies in saving water resources and mitigating the emissions of CO 2 , CH 4 and N 2 O can be achieved through controlling important supply chain paths and critical transmission sectors. The highly interlinked nature of water and climate change issues requires comprehensive solutions to reduce future freshwater and GHG emission needs to maintain sustained economic growth in China. Image 1 • We trace embodied water uses and GHG emissions in 2012 Chinese supply chains. • We develop Sankey diagrams to illustrate the water-GHG nexus relationships. • The top 20 paths ranked by water contributed 37.40% of the total water uses. • The top 20 paths ranked by GHG contributed 22.46% of the total GHG emissions. • Critical nexus sectors and paths are potential water and climate policy targets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the relationship between international trade of avocado and the related virtual water trade over the period 2000–2016. Using a Physical Trade Analysis, we show that commercial and virtual water trade grew rapidly moving almost hand-in-hand in the years taken into account: in parallel with a remarkable increase of international trade of avocado from 0.4 Mt in 2000 to 1.9 Mt in 2016, the global virtual water trade of avocado increased from 408 Mm3 to 2238 Mm3 over the same period. The analysis emphasizes a large disparity between developed and developing countries, with the former being net importer of water and the latter large net exporter. In particular, large avocado-related water flows move from countries already under chronic water stress such as Mexico, Peru and Chile towards more water-rich regions such as US, Japan, Canada and the European Union. As a consequence, the overexploitation of water underlying the avocado trade flows may end up worsening environmental conditions in many relatively poor countries in which the export of avocado is often regarded as an important source of economic growth. • We study virtual water trade of avocado using Physical Trade Analysis over 2000–2016. • Avocado is mainly exported from water-poor to water-rich countries. • Large water flows move from Mexico, Peru and Chile to US, Japan, Canada and the EU. • Intra-European trade shows large re-exports from Spain and the Netherlands. • Export of avocado may worsen water scarcity in many relatively poor countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Demand of fresh water is rising continuously because of increase in population. This has created an undue burden on limited reserves of fresh water. Desalination is one of the methods which works on the principle of natural evaporation and condensation and can be used to treat ocean water into fresh water. One of the sustainable ways of converting saline water into fresh water is through the use of direct solar desalination technology. This review article analyses active solar still and passive solar still and its advancements in terms of productivity and efficiency to produce fresh water. This paper depicts a detailed comparative analysis of various direct solar desalination processes in terms of various performance parameters. Modifications and innovations in the design of solar still were discussed in detail, resulting in maximizing the productivity and efficiency, reduction in capital cost and easy in installation. Advancement in solar desalination technique through the use of Phase change material (PCM) and novel nanocrystals to make solar stills more productive and efficient was discussed in detail. Additionally, a detailed comparison of modified solar still on the basis of various performance parameters like location, water temperature, daily solar radiation level, daily yield, angle of tilt, productivity and efficiency was presented. Effect of using reflectors, concentrators and modified absorber area on various performance parameters of solar still was also investigated. Authors also presented a brief economic analysis of various desalination methods in terms of cost of water ($)/L. At last, authors presented some recommendations based on this review for future work on solar water desalination process. • Current research and development related to direct technique of solar desalination. • Various design amendments to obtain yield up to 10 L/m2day through direct technique. • Conjugation of PCM and nanocrystal augment the yield and efficiency greatly. • Economically viable technique costs 0.01–0.02 $ per Liter in various arrangements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mining companies are under public scrutiny for their impacts on society. Previous studies have discussed aspects of the drivers of social conflicts and the factors that lead communities to grant or withdraw SLO; however, no previous research has attempted to bring together the range of conflicts in a single paper. The purpose of this research was to identify the factors that influence the main drivers of social conflict and how these factors must be aligned to help a company earn SLO instead of losing it. This qualitative research consisted of a case study analysis of two mining companies that operate in Peru and also included insights drawn from in-depth interviews and the emerging literature on SLO. The findings indicated that there were different factors for each driver of social conflict and that a company's strategic actions with regard to these factors could help it either earn or lose SLO. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates empirically the reasons for delays in the payment of clean water invoice in Algeria. Using a data set of 27,363 households connected to the water services network and a small-sample survey of 172 household, we estimate several duration models to better understand the main determinants of water invoice time to payment. The delayed payment of water bills could be explained by three determinants: the household financial constraints, the quality of the public service provided, and disincentives through increasing water tariff structure, which is used to manage sustainably the demand for water. This study calls for a modification in the tariff structure to promote equity and water resource protection. It also suggests providing additional efforts to improve the quality of the public water service offered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, interdependency between electricity, gas, and water infrastructures are increasing due to convincing reasons and critical dependence of societies to such infrastructures. In this paper, the interconnection of the natural gas, water and power generation systems is firstly described. Then, mathematical problem formulation of economic environmental dispatch as well as deterministic/probabilistic optimization of gas/water/power nexus models are presented with emphasis on their advantages/disadvantages and achievements. Moreover, different types of seawater desalination technologies and hydro/hydrothermal/pumped hydro storages are categorized and compared in short-term scheduling and planning studies. The expected outcomes and influence of the research will be attaining a comprehensive analysis of interactions among energy sources in multi-carrier energy systems as well as enhancement of performance of the integrated power, gas and water systems in terms of operation, economy and emission of pollutant gases including significant projects implemented around the world and case studies. The potential to increase efficiency, flexibility, and performance by considering multiple energy carriers are investigated in this study to highlight the remarkable opportunities that can be attained by investing in multi-energy generation assets. The current literature is categorized into three classifications including a) integrated electricity and gas sources, b) integrated electricity and water sources, and c) integrated electricity, gas and water infrastructures. Each of the mentioned multi-carrier energy systems is introduced by concentrating on the main contributions of the literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Design of water networks is one of the research priorities in the sustainable engineering and circular economy field to reduce both freshwater consumption and wastewater discharging flowrate. This contribution introduced an iterative approach to design water networks with several regeneration units. The proposed method include three steps:1) estimating the initial concentrations of the possible regenerated streams, 2) identifying the regenerated streams to be reused, 3) allocating the internal sources and regenerated streams to the demands. The final results can be obtained with several iterations. The presented method can be used for the regeneration units with the models of both fixed removal ratio and that of fixed regenerated concentrations. It is shown that the proposed method in this paper is simple and effective. The design results obtained by the proposed method in this article are comparable to (even better than) that obtained with mathematical programming methods in the literature. • New method is proposed for design of water networks with several regeneration units. • Initial concentrations of regenerated streams are estimated with a new step. • The usage of regenerated streams are identified with their allocation possibility. • Final design can be obtained in a few iterations. • Results obtained are comparable to (even better than) that obtained by MINLP methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the development of industrialization, a lot of rivers in the world have been polluted by the living emissions and industrial production emissions, especially the latter. Water pollution has become a great threat for the sustainability of the society. In recent years, public-private partnership (PPP) scheme has been applied by Chinese government in many river water environment comprehensive treatment projects so as to build a cleaner environment for the society. The existing studies rarely focus on the river water environment comprehensive treatment PPP projects and the cooperative behavior in these projects. In order to fill this gap, this paper firstly develops a performance appraisal method with participation of multiple parties and then establishes a stepped-payment mathematical model. Then evolutionary game theory is used to analyze the dynamic changes of different parties' cooperative behavior. Finally, a real case simulation related to river water environment comprehensive treatment is conducted to study how the key factors in the model affect the evolutionary paths of different parties' behavior adoption. The results have certain value for analyzing the cooperative behavior adoption and enhancing the cooperation among different parties in river water environment comprehensive treatment PPP projects so as to improve the efficiency of water pollution treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper established a simulation platform for human-environment systems based on multiagent systems for water environment carrying capacity research. The platform's purpose is to study and present the water environment carrying capacity from four dimensions, i.e., Scale, Structure, Pattern and Technology. The framework is presented according to the standard Overview, Design concepts, Details protocol. The modeling functions from the four dimensions are demonstrated via a case application in Changzhou City of the Taihu Lake region, China. We compared this platform with previous research methods of determining the water environment carrying capacity research. The comparison shows that the uniqueness of the platform lies in its ability to reveal the water environment carrying capacity from the four dimensions and provide detailed and various routes for human-environment sustainability. The framework could be applied to research on any type of human-environment system. • A simulation platform has been established for human-environment research. • The platform realizes panoramic portrait of water environment carrying capacity. • The simulation platform is presented according to the standard ODD protocol. • The simulation results could support for human-environment sustainability. • The platform could support for research of any type of human-environment systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Compared to the synthesis of simple networks in which only reuse, regeneration reuse/recycling, or wastewater treatment is considered individually, the integration of total water networks is more complex and practical. This paper presents an iterative method for design of total water networks with multiple contaminants, in which reuse, regeneration reuse/recycling and wastewater treatment are considered simultaneously. To start the design procedure, an initial reuse-subnetwork without recycling streams is designed first. The un-reused streams in the initial reuse-subnetwork are employed to estimate the possible recycling streams by designing the treatment-subnetwork. Adding the possible recycling streams estimated into reuse-subnetwork as known source streams, the reuse-subnetwork with recycling streams can be designed. In the first iteration, the recycling streams, which will be reused in the reuse-subnetwork, will be identified from the possible recycling streams. With several iterations, the final design of the total water network can be obtained. The results obtained with the proposed method are comparable to that obtained in the literature with mathematical programming method. It is shown that the design procedure proposed is simple and effective. • Design method proposed for total water networks with multiple contaminants. • Reuse, regeneration and wastewater treatment are considered simultaneously. • An iterative design procedure is proposed. • The final design can be obtained in a few iterations. • The design procedure proposed is simple and effective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Significant opportunities for energy savings have been identified in the hot and warm water system of a kraft pulp mill. The energy-saving opportunities found at the mill studied, 15.7MW of steam savings and 24.8MW of usable excess heat, correspond to 18% of the mill''s total steam use. Short-term variations in the process have been studied in order to identify and quantify the influence of these variations on the energy-saving opportunities. Daily and 10-min averages of measured data were used as varying input data in the retrofitted heat exchanger network. When the short-term variations were considered, the total energy-saving opportunities fell by 8% when daily averages are used and by 11% when 10-min averages are used. At least 65% of the influence of short-term variations was detected when seasonal variations are considered. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]