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The use of performance indicator systems is essential to evaluate the performance of water supply systems. They allow the quantification of the goals and objectives for service provision and are presented as the best alternative for monitoring the efficiency of these systems, with direct applications for managers, regulatory agencies, investors, users, society, and the providers themselves. Nevertheless, technicians and managers still have difficulty in interpreting the global performance of the systems because indicators present different characteristics and evaluations. The main limitation for global assessment is the lack of a broader view in the simultaneous analysis of a set of indicators. To overcome this challenge, aggregating individual indicators by a multicriteria analysis for decision support can be a solution for building synthetic global indices. The literature contains few works that focused on the performance of a global indicator that provides a holistic perspective. Thus, the aim of this study is to develop a multicriteria methodology based on the Grey Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (Grey-TOPSIS) method to evaluate the quality of operation of the services of water supply systems. TOPSIS was chosen to assist in solving decision-making problems and the grey technique was chosen to assist in imprecise data and make the model more concise and real. The proposal was applied to Brazilian companies, and the results were obtained by a performance ranking. The study also allowed a robustness analysis for two different stages, one analysis for changes in weight and the other for the exclusion of criteria, and thus the validation of the application was highlighted. Therefore, by the results and their validation, it was possible to identify the positive contribution this methodology can add to the operation and management of water supply systems worldwide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pacific Island Countries (PICs) collectively have the lowest rates of access to safely managed or basic drinking water and sanitation globally. They are also the least urbanised, have dynamic socioeconomic and increasing climate-linked challenges. Community-based water managers need to respond to variability in water availability and quality caused by a range of hazards. Water Safety Planning (WSP), a widely adopted approach to assessing water supply, offers a risk-based approach to mitigating both existing and future hazards. WSP is adaptable, and making modifications to prescribed WSP to adapt it to the local context is common practice. Within the Pacific Community Water Management Plus research project, we used formative research and co-development processes to understand existing local modifications, whether further modifications are required, and, to develop additional modifications to WSP in Fiji, Vanuatu and Solomon Islands. The types of additional local modifications we recommend reflect the unique context of PICs, including adjusting for community management of water supplies and required collective action, community governance systems, levels of social cohesion in communities, and preferred adult-learning pedagogies. Incorporating modifications that address these factors into future WSP will improve the likelihood of sustained and safe community water services in Pacific and similar contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Farmers in the Langhorne Creek–Angas Bremer basin irrigation district of South Australia have faced a series of hydrosocial crises relating to drought and groundwater depletion and degradation. The crises have been negotiated through concerted community engagement and cooperation. Adaptation responses have included a combination of infrastructural development and changes to the licensing, regulation, and oversight of irrigation governance, easing extraction pressures on the local groundwater catchment. However, new risks have emerged in the wake of, and as a result of, these solutions. One aspect of the solution has been to connect the Angas Bremer basin district more intimately to the much larger continental riverine system, the Murray-Darling basin, which stretches across multiple regional and state jurisdictions. The very success of that scalar response to hydrological risk generates broader systemic risks: to water supply and quality from climate change and upstream extraction; to basin governance; and to community cohesion, engagement, flexibility, and resilience. In a post-crisis period, there is a need to understand the emergent risks from transformational adaptation and guard against complacency to ensure that the hydrosocial qualities of flexibility and resilience that enabled positive responses to the initial crises endure to respond to future crises in water supply and its management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Predictive models of disinfection byproducts (DBPs) formation in treated drinking water have been widely used to guide operational decisions. However, very few studies have addressed the issue of managing DBPs through watershed protection programs and proactive management of water supply systems through predictive modeling of DBP formation potential in source waters. Here, we propose a two‐component, simple statistical approach to predict the formation potentials of the sum of five haloacetic acids (HAA5fp) and total trihalomethanes (TTHMfp) in source water streams using environmental variables and ultraviolet absorbance at 254 nm wavelength (UV254) as a surrogate for DBP precursors. In the first component of the model, using three feature selection regression models and cross‐validation of subsets of the selected predictors, we identified three commonly monitored variables—streamflow, soil temperature, and total phosphorus for predicting UV254. In the second component, HAA5fp and TTHMfp are predicted from UV254. The approach is successfully demonstrated for two source water streams of the New York City water supply system (R2 was 0.8, and 0.7–0.8 for the two model components). Long‐term predictions of HAA5fp and TTHMfp showed distinct seasonal patterns that are linked to differences in land uses of the two watersheds. Moreover, sensitivity analysis showed that transport processes were important in one watershed whereas production processes were more important in the other. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urban user water demand prediction (WDP) is of significant importance for smart water supply system, which can provide a strong decision-making basis for the dispatching and management of smart water supply system. However, owing to the fluctuation, intermittence and nonstationarity of the user's water consumption in urban buildings, it is extremely difficult to predict accurately. Therefore, a novel short-term WDP model (Singular Spectrum Analysis Convolutional Neural Network Bidirectional Gate Recurrent Unit, SSA-CNN-BiGRU) is proposed to promote the stability and accuracy of WDP, which successfully introduces organic combinations including deep learning, decomposition technique, and data partitioning policies into the domain of WDP. First, raw data are decomposed into components that carry distinct frequency signals for weakening its nonstationarity and complexity. Then, all the components are automatically divided into several groups using clustering algorithm based on their entropy, after which deep learning method is adopted to predict by groups. Finally, the predicted result of each group is summed up to be fused as the final value. To validate the predictive performance of SSA-CNN-BiGRU, real data have been selected for this study. In experiments, SSA-CNN-BiGRU achieved a fitting of 94.73%. Comparison by relevant evaluation metrics demonstrates that the proposed model exhibits superior performance, thus providing a more accurate basis for WDP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Livestock water requirements are expected to triple. Simultaneously, freshwater availability declines while the risk of waterborne diseases rises with increasing temperatures. These challenges demand water management strategies on farms. Analyzing specific drinking behavior indicators can provide the basis for an improved water supply for dairy cows. This study aims to analyze drinking water quality and dairy cow drinking behavior in different climatic conditions, considering trough type and water cleanliness, and thereby optimizing water supply management for dairy cows. Dairy cows' water supply is influenced by trough types, cleaning interval and cold and warm ambient temperatures, as shown by established drinking behavior indicators, particularly water intake and drinking breaks in number and duration, number of sips, as well as agonistic behavior. Considering this, animal welfare, especially freedom of thirst, can be improved. Increasing ambient temperatures lead to higher water intake and higher risks of microbial growth in cattle troughs. This study aims to analyze drinking water quality and dairy cows' drinking behavior (n = 8081 drinking episodes) on a commercial farm with 135 and 144 lactating cows in two climatic conditions, considering trough type and cleanliness, respectively. Daily video recording was conducted at two trough types (two open troughs, 70 L; two-valve troughs, variable volume of 5–15 L) in the first two hours after feeding (n = 60 days in total) under cold (December 2019–February 2020) and warm ambient temperatures (September 2021). The trough cleaning scheme allowed cows to access either cleaned or uncleaned troughs in each system. Water quality was tested daily and analyzed at the beginning and end of the trials. In warmer ambient temperatures, fewer and—at uncleaned troughs and open troughs—shorter drinking episodes were recorded, with longer but fewer water intake periods, longer drinking breaks, and fewer sips (p < 0.0001). Considering the drinking episodes, respectively, water intake and drinking breaks in number and duration, the number of sips and the number of agonistic behaviors might optimize dairy cow water supply and hygiene management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Water security is crucial to mitigate human-induced and climate change-related impacts on water resources. Previous studies on Sana'a's domestic water supply have raised safety, administration, and scarcity issues. However, a comprehensive water security assessment has not yet been conducted. This study uses the proposed Integrated Urban Water Security Index (IUWSI) framework to assess Sana'a's urban water security using human and environmental factors Five distinct parameters have been used to calculate (IUWSI) as a decision-making tool to prioritize and distinguish indicators affecting the five dimensions of urban water security: water supply, sanitation and hygiene, water economy, ecosystems, and governance and society. The proposed framework for measuring (IUWSI) in Sana'a city has revealed a low level of water security, with an overall index value of 1.43. This disappointing result indicates water security issues like limited access to safe drinking water, poor sanitation, and high-water pollution. The IUWSI framework helps water-insecure cities improve water supply management through logical and evidence-based decision-making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Calcium carbonate deposits from ancient water systems such as aqueducts are a hidden archive for archaeology and environmental sciences. These deposits formed wherever carbonate‐rich water was in contact with a water‐containing structure and recorded water composition, temperature, biological content, the operation or nonoperation of a water system segment, flow discharge and velocity, the shape of disappeared segments of water structures, the number of years a water supply system was active, disruptions of the water supply and water management such as repairs, adaptations and cleaning. Indirectly, urban development, resilience, population‐ and socioeconomic dynamics can be studied through the stratigraphy of carbonate in water systems. Carbonate archives can also give insight into long‐term changes in paleoclimate and on environmental pollution, deforestation, extreme floods, droughts, earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. Archaeological and environmental investigations of carbonate deposits can provide data with up to daily resolution over decades to centuries. Although absolute dating of carbonate from water systems is still problematic, each study on the aqueduct of an ancient city, together with its carbonate deposits, provides its own microstory in Roman life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Starting from a resilience assessment of Harare's water supply, the system interactions of the city's water management arrangements are explored through a series of causal loop diagrams. These are based on economic, physical, commercial, environmental, and social subsystems and the reinforcing and balancing loops that influence key variables of interest in each are identified. The analysis identifies a series of shortcomings including a weak provider-customer relationship, limited governance capacity, inadequate coordination and integration between key players, shortfalls in physical supply and critical infrastructure, environmental degradation, and a lack of disaster response and recovery measures. A series of strategies are proposed as intervention actions that target the areas of potential leverage identified in the causal loop analysis, including improving customer-provider relationships; increasing coordination, collaboration, and integration; developing physical and informational infrastructure and enhancing environmental protection and rehabilitation. The impacts of these strategies are highlighted as strengthening key elements of the causal loop diagrams and addressing the resilience gaps identified. The systems mapping approach reveals that key issues are large-scale, cross-sectoral, and compounding. Remediation strategies must therefore also be multi-faceted and holistic in scope. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Forecasting drought plays a vital role in strategic planning and the management of underground water supply. In this study, we utilized autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA) and Seasonal ARIMA (SARIMA) models to predict drought events in Afghanistan, based on the standardized precipitation index (SPI). We used monthly average precipitation data from 1991 to 2015 for model training, while data from 2016 to 2020 were employed for model validation. The results of the statistical analysis, which encompassed evaluating Mean Absolute Error (MAE), Root Mean Squared Error (RMSE), and Mean Absolute Percentage Error (MAPE), indicated that among the SPI 3, SPI 6, SPI 9, SPI 12, and SPI 24, the SARIMA models applied to the SPI 24 demonstrated the most accurate forecasting performance with RMSE (0.1492), MAE (0.1039), and MAPE (22.3732%) compared to SPI 3, SPI 6, SPI 9, and SPI 12. Subsequently, the ARIMA/SARIMA models were employed to forecast drought events for the upcoming year. It's noteworthy that this constitutes the first-ever statistical analysis of the drought index in Afghanistan. Therefore, the outcomes of this study can be applied across diverse sectors, including water resource management and environmental precautions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The proposed three-dimensional (3D) porous polypyrrole/polydopamine evaporator is all-in-one designed via a simple one-step heating-assisted rapid oxidative polymerization strategy based on Fe3+, pyrrole (PY) and dopamine (DA). The evaporator with high water evaporation rate (2.12 kg m-2h−1) displays great potential for practical water purification towards high-concentration brine, acid-base solutions, simulated seawater, oil–water emulsion, dye wastewater, heavy metal wastewater, as well as reliable pure water yields in an outdoor application. [Display omitted] • 3D PPY/PDA is designed via heating-assisted oxidative polymerization strategy. • PPY/PDA is optimized with excellent water supply and heat management. • The PPY/PDA displays great potential for practical water purification. High-quality solar evaporators with all-in-one design are highly desirable for vapor generation, but relevant research is scarce. In this study, a three-dimensional (3D) porous polypyrrole/polydopamine (PPY/PDA) structure was fabricated via a simple heating-assisted rapid oxidative polymerization method. The obtained evaporator has multiple features, and can simultaneously provide rapid water transport channels (average pore sizes ∼ 18.37 nm), low thermal conductivity (0.071 W m−1 K−1), high solar absorbance (97.08%), and good mechanical properties. When it is employed as an evaporator, the calculated water evaporation rate is approximately 2.12 kg m-2h−1, which is comparable to other reported 3D evaporators. Additionally, the evaporator displays great potential for purification toward various nonpotable water, as well as reliable pure water yields in an outdoor application (from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm, the evaporator can produce at least 13.95 L of drinkable water for a 1 m2 sample). We believe that the proposed strategy to fabricate all-in-one evaporators has great significance for scientific research and practical applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Arid and semi-arid landscapes globally represent significant challenges in developing and managing regional water resources for human uses while simultaneously sustaining aquatic ecosystems. Allocation of water resources between these divergent purposes requires careful analysis of the variable nature of the water supply and the plurality of demands on that supply if economic and ecological values of water are to be sustained. Where water resources are limiting, sustainability management of short-lived fish species may depend on adjusting the timing and quantity of out-of-channel diversions of water to reduce mortality-causing flow intermittence. Such management efforts can include strategies for improved water transport efficiency to increase the amount of water available for environmental flow. This work addresses gaps in the published literature by formulating and applying an analytic process that integrates demography of an endangered freshwater fish species, hydrology for a river segment with a high frequency of seasonal flow intermittence, and measures of cost-saving water management strategies to achieve environmental and economic objectives. This process provides a useful context for adaptive water resource planning that focuses on promising management actions needed to limit flow intermittence while serving to sustain socioecological systems. Much of the theory underpinning of management for ecological restoration and species sustainability is founded on an understanding of population ecology and the identification of factors that regulate population growth. We present an analytic process that integrates hydrologic and demographic factors in estimating the amount of water needed to supplement in-channel flow and so maintain surface water conditions that are minimally needed for short-term species survival. Demographic simulation results reveal distinct patterns in problem-solution sets that provide managers with much needed insight in planning effective and flexible responses to management challenges arising from unstable hydrologic conditions. Where water resources are limiting, sustainability management of short-lived freshwater fish species may depend on adjusting the timing and quantity of out-of-channel diversion of water to reduce mortality-causing flow intermittence. Investments in water transport efficiency increase the amount of water available for environmental flow while reducing potential conflicts with and between concerned and/or affected constituencies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this work was to evaluate the water supply method in the cultivation of button mushroom. The strains used were ABI 18/02, ABI 18/04, ABI 19/03, and ABI 11/19. An analysis of the ITS 1 + 2 regions, widely used as a fungal barcode, was performed in order to assess the genetics. The compost was packed in 35 × 50 cm plastic boxes with 10.5 kg m−2, and the inoculum was added (1% in relation to the compost weight). Before the addition of the casing layer, in half of the boxes, 25 L m−² of water was added directly to the colonized compost, resulting in the treatment of the water added to the compost. The yield, number, and weight of the mushrooms were analyzed. A phylogenetic tree for the A. bisporus strains based on ITS sequences confirms a close genetic relationship among the different collections of this species, and additional molecular markers are required to distinguish genotypes related to superior agronomic traits. The water management methods presented similar yields, except for one strain (ABI 18/04). The ABI 18/02 and 11/019 strains were more efficient when considering the method of adding water to the compost. This study suggests that the treatment of water added to the substrate is an alternative tool for reducing the application time and labor involved and as a control treatment to reduce water use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Global climate change will modify precipitation and temperatures' temporal and spatial distribution, trigger more extreme weather events, and impact hydrological processes. The Yangtze River basin is one of the world's largest basins, and understanding future climate changes is vital for water resource management and supply. Research on predicting future climate change in the upper Yangtze River basin (UYRB) and introducing machine learning algorithms to analyze the impact of climate factors, including extreme weather indicators, on surface runoff is urgently needed. In this study, a statistical downscaling model (SDSM) was used to forecast the future climate in the UYRB, and the Mann–Kendall (MK) or modified Mann–Kendall (MMK) trend test at a 5% level of significance was applied to analyze temporal trends. The Spearman rank correlation (SRC) test at a 5% level of significance and random forest regression (RFR) model were employed to identify the key climatic factors affecting surface runoff from annual precipitation, annual temperature, maximum 5-day precipitation (R×5Day), number of tropical nights (TR), and consecutive dry days (CDD), and the RFR model was also used to predict future runoff. Based on the results, we found that, compared to the selected historical period (1985–2014), the mean annual precipitation (temperature) during the mid-term (2036–2065) increased by 18.93% (12.77%), 17.78% (14.68%), 20.03% (17.03%), and 19.67% (19.29%) under SSP1-2.6, SSP2-4.5, SSP3-7.0, and SSP5-8.5, respectively, and during the long term (2071–2100), increased by 19.44% (12.95%), 22.01% (21.37%), 30.31% (30.32%), and 34.48% (37.97%), respectively. The warming and humidification characteristics of the northwestern UYRB were more pronounced. The key climatic factors influencing surface runoff were annual precipitation, maximum 5-day precipitation (R×5day), and annual temperature. Because of warming and humidification, surface runoff in the UYRB is expected to increase relative to the historical period. The surface runoff during the mid-term (long term) increased by 12.09% (12.58%), 8.15% (6.84%), 8.86% (8.87%), and 5.77% (6.21%) under SSP1-2.6, SSP2-4.5, SSP3-7.0, and SSP5-8.5, respectively. The implementation of sustainable development pathways under the low radiative forcing scenario can be effective in mitigating climate change, but at the same time, it may increase the risk of floods in the UYRB. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The sustainable management of Aotearoa's natural resources requires a system which is responsive to environmental changes. This will become more important in the future with the more frequent extreme environmental events predicted with climate change. The current system relies on statutory powers to review consents and adaptive management regimes to re-examine resource consents following environmental changes. This article focuses on two group consents to draw over 7,000,000 m3 of water per year from an aquifer in Northland. After these group consents were granted, a significant fire began which threatened the vulnerable wetland ecosystem. This article argues that the current system fails to respond to environmental events of this nature. With significant resource management reforms ongoing, it is crucial to consider how to create a responsive resource management system for a future dominated by the effects of climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article addresses the governance of water commons with an emphasis on drinking water. The study applied two conceptual frameworks: Ostrom's Design Principles and the Social-Ecological Systems framework. The empirical part refers to two water commons in Slovenia and is based on qualitative data from semi-structured interviews with locals and professionals. The article follows three objectives: 1) to identify the drivers and motivations for successful local water governance; 2) to assess the robustness of water commons in terms of current and future challenges; 3) to identify the benefits of water commons. The key elements for the functioning of the two local communities under examination are shared interests, as well as a strong commitment to effective management. In addition to the material benefits (i.e. drinking water supply), non-material ones are also important. Community building and identity are particularly noteworthy. The importance of small drinking water supply systems that are well organised and responsibly governed as commons is beneficial not only to a municipality but also to a country. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effect of climate change on precipitation intensity is well documented. However, findings regarding changes in spatial extent of extreme precipitation events are still ambiguous as previous studies focused on particular regions and time domains. This study addresses this ambiguity by investigating the pattern of changes in the spatial extent of short duration extreme precipitation events globally. A grid‐based indicator termed Spatial‐Homogeneity is proposed and used to assess the changes of spatial extent in Global Precipitation Measurement records. This study shows that (a) rising temperature causes significant shrinking of precipitation extent in tropics, but an expansion of precipitation extent in arid regions, (b) storms with higher precipitation intensity show a faster decrease in spatial extent, and (c) larger spatial extent storms are associated with higher total precipitable water. Results imply that in a warming climate, tropics may experience severe floods as storms may become more intense and spatially concentrated. Plain Language Summary: Variation in extreme precipitation patterns can significantly impact flood risk, ecology as well as the efficacy of water supply and management strategies. With a changing climate, there is an overarching need to understand how alterations in climate changes precipitation patterns, particularly those corresponding to extreme precipitation events. Analyzing the intensity (amount of rainfall/hour) of precipitation, spatial extent of the precipitation event, duration of the precipitation event and total volume of precipitated water are key to understanding these extreme precipitation events. There is a clear consensus among the scientific community that higher temperatures result in more intense precipitation events, but the effect of temperature on spatial extent is still debated. This study uses a new Spatial‐Homogeneity metric to analyze the global changes in spatial extent of extreme precipitation storms. The study finds that a higher temperature results in smaller size extreme storms in the tropics, but larger size storms in the arid regions. It is also observed that more intense precipitation events have smaller spatial extent, implying that rising temperatures will result in spatially smaller and more intense extreme precipitation storms. Key Points: A global trend of moisture accumulation toward the storm center as spatial extent decreases with a rise in temperaturesRising temperature causes significant shrinking of precipitation extent in tropics, but an expansion in arid regions and central EuropeStorms with higher precipitation intensity show a faster decrease in spatial extent [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accurate and reliable seasonal forecasts are important for water and energy supply management. Recognizing the important role of snow water equivalent (SWE) for water management, here we include the seasonal forecast of SWE in addition to precipitation (P) and 2-m temperature (T2m) over hydrologically defined regions of the western United States. A two-stage process is applied to seasonal predictions from two models (NCEP CFSv2 and ECMWF SEAS5) through 1) postprocessing to remove biases in the mean, variance, and ensemble spread and 2) further reducing the residual errors by linear regression using climate indices. The adjusted forecasts from the two models are combined to form a superensemble using weights based on their prior skill. The adjusted forecasts are consistently improved over raw model forecasts probabilistically for all variables and deterministically for SWE forecasts. Overall skill of the superensemble usually improves upon the skill of forecasts from individual models; however, the percentage of seasons and regions with increased skill was approximately the same as those with decreased skill relative to the top performing postprocessed individual model. Seasonal SWE has the highest prediction skill, followed by T2m, with P showing lower prediction skill. Persistence contributes strongly to the skill of SWE and moderately to the skill of T2m. Furthermore, a distinct seasonality in the skill is seen in SWE, with a higher skill from late spring through early summer. Significance Statement: Here we test the postprocessing of seasonal forecasts from two state-of-the-art seasonal prediction models for traditionally forecasted elements of precipitation and temperature as well as snowpack, which is important for water management. A two-stage procedure is utilized, including ocean and atmospheric teleconnection indices that have been shown to impact seasonal weather across the western United States. First, we adjust model output based on the average error in historic runs and then relate the remaining error to these teleconnection indices. A final step combines each adjusted model based on its historic performance. Forecasts are shown to improve upon the original models when assessed probabilistically. The snowpack forecasts perform better than temperature and precipitation forecasts with the best performance from late winter through early summer. Persistence is found to contribute strongly to the skill of snowpack and moderately to the skill of temperature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding the knowledge of climate-change impacts on water-resources is a priority. This article goes a step further with the main objective of this study to explore water-practitioners' viewpoints regarding the water supply-side and water demand-side management measures in coping with future climatic impacts to achieve urban water security. Interviews were conducted with water-professionals from regional urban water authorities of Queensland, Australia. From a water-practitioner's viewpoint, surface water is perceived to remain a high-priority water resource for the region, although climate-change is projected to make this resource more vulnerable in the area. Climate-change risks have rarely been considered as a selection-criterion when long-term water solutions were investigated by water-practitioners. Although non-pricing water demand management policies were used to reduce water demand in the region, pricing-based water demand management tools are perceived by the water-professionals to be the most effective at reducing water demand in the study area, if implemented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For example, in many Western countries where nearly in all parts people have access to clean and safe water, it is estimated that 60% of Italians and South Koreans, 38% of Americans and 31% of Canadians use bottled water as their primary source of drinking water (Bouhlel et al., [4]). Trust and bottled water The issue of declining trust in water supplied by water utilities can be illustrated by the explosive consumption of bottled water in recent years, in both developed and developing countries. Also, in terms of highest per capita bottled water consumption, the two countries that consume the most per year are two developed countries with excellent water supply systems: Singapore and Australia. Water utilities sometimes have failed to supply clean water, especially in some very well-publicized cases like Flint, USA, or Walkerton, Canada, where numerous people died due to poor quality water. [Extracted from the article]

The stable operation of a variable frequency pump is of great importance to the management of a water supply project. Analyzing the operation performance based on monitoring data is necessary for maintaining the stable operation of a variable frequency pump. Several sensors are installed at six monitoring points on the pump to collect signals including vibration velocity, vibration acceleration and vibration displacement. Monitoring signals are preprocessed by smoothing, adjusting waveform trend and filtering on the basis of Fast Fourier Transform (FFT). Then, the vibration features are extracted by power spectrum analysis and cepstrum analysis methods. According to the extracted features, the vibration law and actual operation performance of a variable frequency pump under different operating conditions are analyzed. Results indicate that the vibration amplitude of the pump varies sharply under the operating conditions of [15 Hz, 20 Hz] and [30 Hz, 35 Hz]. The operating condition of [0 Hz, 15 Hz] is the restricted operating area of the pump. The vibration and noise continue increasing under the operating conditions of [35 Hz, 50 Hz] and reach the maximum values at 50 Hz. Therefore, the optimal operating is within the range of [20 Hz, 30 Hz]. Finally, by analyzing the critical values of the operating conditions, the fault diagnosis and the evaluation of the operating status are conducted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An authentic water consumption forecast is an auxiliary tool to support the management of the water supply and demand in urban areas. Providing a highly accurate forecasting model depends a lot on the quality of the input data. Despite the advancement of technology, water consumption in some places is still recorded by operators, so its database usually has some approximate and incomplete data. For this reason, the methods used to predict the water demand should be able to handle the drawbacks caused by the uncertainty in the dataset. In this regard, a structured hybrid approach was designed to cluster the customers and predict their water demand according to the uncertainty in the dataset. First, a fuzzy-based algorithm consisting of Forward-Filling, Backward-Filling, and Mean methods was innovatively proposed to impute the missing data. Then, a multi-dimensional time series k-means clustering technique was developed to group the consumers based on their consumption behavior, for which the missing data were estimated with fuzzy numbers. Finally, one forecasting model inspired by Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) networks was adjusted for each cluster to predict the monthly water demand using the lagged demand and the temperature. This approach was implemented on the water time series of the residential consumers in Yazd, Iran, from January 2011 to November 2020. Based on the performance evaluation in terms of the Root Mean Squared Error (RMSE), the proposed approach had an acceptable level of confidence to predict the water demand of all the clusters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The impact of climate change on hydrometeorological hazards pointed out the necessity for information on rainfall data. Using Climate Hazard Group InfraRed Precipitation with Station (CHIRPS) data could solve the problem of the scarcity of observed rainfall data at a finer spatial resolution. This paper examines the performance of high-resolution rainfall climate model data called CORDEX SEA and NEXGDPP in the Ciliwung watershed, Indonesia. We used CHIRPS data as observed data, which was separately divided for calibration (1981-2005) and validation (2006-2020) of the climate models. Totally 14 climate models were used, comprised of 4 CORDEX and 10 NEXGDPP. The models accuracy was assessed based on three statistical indicators: bias, mean absolute percentage error (MAPE), and mean square error (MSE). We determined the best model based on Taylor Diagram. The results showed that the bias value in the dry season was smaller than in the wet and transitional seasons. All models performed well as shown by the low bias values except for the ACCESS1-0 RCP8.5 model. The findings revealed that MRI-CGCM was the best model for calibration, whereas EC-Earth was the best model in the validation period for both RCP4.5 and RCP8.5 scenarios. Further, the choice of climate model may influence water resource management over watershed scale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A nutrient loss reduction strategy is necessary to guide the efforts of improving water quality downstream of an agricultural watershed. In this study, the effectiveness of two winter cover crops, namely cereal rye and annual ryegrass, is explored as a loss reduction strategy in a watershed that ultimately drains into a water supply reservoir. Using a coupled optimization‐watershed model, optimal placements of the cover crops were identified that would result in the tradeoffs between nitrate‐N losses reduction and adoption levels. Analysis of the 10%, 25%, 50%, and 75% adoption levels extracted from the optimal tradeoffs showed that the cover crop placements would provide annual nitrate‐N loss reductions of 3.0%–3.7%, 7.8%–8.8%, 15%–17.5%, and 20.9%–24.3%, respectively. In addition, for the same adoption levels (i.e., 10%–75%), sediment (1.8%–17.7%), and total phosphorus losses (0.8%–8.6%) could be achieved. Results also indicate that implementing each cover crop on all croplands of the watershed could cause annual water yield reduction of at least 4.8%, with greater than 28% in the months of October and November. This could potentially be detrimental to the storage volume of the downstream reservoir, especially in drought years, if cover crops are adopted in most of the reservoir's drainage area. Evaluating water yield impacts, particularly in periods of low flows, is thus critical if cover crops are to be considered as best management practices in water supply watersheds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Collaborative environmental governance seeks to engage diverse stakeholders to tackle complex challenges efficiently, sustainably, and equitably. However, mixed empirical evidence underscores a need to understand the conditions under which particularly equity is or is not achieved. Here, we use the empirical case of California Sustainable Groundwater Management to quantify the extent to which vulnerable small and rural drinking water users' needs are addressed in collaborative groundwater planning. Drawing on a diverse array of mixed method data, we then employ Boosted Regression and Classification Trees (BRCT) to assess potential driving factors including collaboration, representation, elite capture, stakeholder engagement, and problem severity/salience. We find each to be influential, highlighting their relevance for equitable planning. We also find evidence that these relationships are complex and outcome specific. Nonetheless, the overall effect on the three equity measures is modest at best. More institutional analysis of collaborative governance regimes from diverse contexts is needed to build a comprehensive understanding of how to meaningfully advance social and environmental equity in such decentralized reforms. Based on our results, we suggest the answer, if there is one, may transcend current focal domains such as stakeholder representation and engagement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A growing number of studies have investigated how forecast skill, i.e., predictive power, translates into forecast value, i.e., usefulness, for improving forecast-informed decisions. The relationship between skill and value is widely understood to be complex and case-specific, yet few methods enable its systematic exploration using realistic forecast errors. This paper addresses this gap by proposing a single-parameter linear scaling method to generate families of synthetic forecasts with the desired skill improvements on an existing hindcast (a retrospective forecast of already-observed events). The method is applicable to any quantity for which a deterministic or ensemble hindcast is available, and generates a set of forecasts with different skill but strictly proportional errors. This like-for-like comparison preserves the autocorrelation and cross-correlations of errors, and opens the door for thorough, yet easily interpretable, explorations of the relationship between skill and value of a realistic forecast. We apply this new method to seasonal precipitation hindcasts (produced by the fifth generation of the Seasonal forecasting System of the European Centre for Medium-range Weather Forecasts, ECMWF-SEAS5) in order to explore their value for improving the management of a water supply system in the UK. The application showed that although value generally increases with skill, the skill–value relationship is not necessarily linear, and it strongly depends on operational preferences and hydrological conditions (wet or dry years). It also suggests that the forecast families methodology can help water managers and forecast developers identify when a skill increase would be most valuable. This has the potential to foster productive two-way conversations between forecast producers and users. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fire events are increasing in frequency, duration, and severity worldwide. The combination of ash and uncovered land might increase the transportation of pollutants into the streams, potentially affecting the water supply systems. The intensifying fires in Brazil's Cerrado biome, responsible for 70% of the country's water supply, give rise to profound ecological, climatic, and socio-economic concerns that require urgent and effective mitigation strategies. However, little attention has been paid to the consequences of fire events on water resources in the region. In this study, the Fire Impact on Water Resources Index (FIWRI) is proposed and applied in six different water supply watersheds to analyse fire behaviour from 2003 to 2020 and its potential impact on inland water bodies. This is the first remote-sensing-based index for fire impact on water resources developed for the Brazilian territory, to support water management on a watershed scale and uses variables such as terrain slope, river proximity, and vegetation to classify fire events as having a low to high potential to contaminate water bodies. We observed that all six water supply watersheds suffered frequent fire events, with different FIWRI proportions, which ranged from High to Low FIWRI. The proposed index could be used in real-time fire monitoring alert systems in order to support water supply management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dissolved organic matter (DOM) is a heterogeneous mixture of organic compounds that is produced through both microbial degradation and abiotic leaching of solid phase organic matter, and by a wide range of metabolic processes in algae and higher plants. DOM is ubiquitous throughout the hydrologic cycle and plays an important role in watershed management for drinking water supply as well as many aspects of aquatic ecology and geochemistry. Due to its wide-ranging effects in natural waters and analytical challenges, the focal research questions regarding DOM have varied since the 1920s. A standard catchment-scale model has emerged to describe the environmental controls on DOM concentrations. Modest concentrations of DOM are found in atmospheric deposition, large increases occur in throughfall and shallow soil flow paths, and variable concentrations in surface waters occur largely as a result of the extent to which hydrologic flow paths encounter deeper mineral soils, wetlands or shallow organic-rich riparian soils. Both production and consumption of DOM occur in surface waters but appear to frequently balance, resulting in relatively constant concentrations with distance downstream in most streams and rivers. Across biomes the concentration and composition of DOM in flowing waters is driven largely by soil processes or direct inputs to channels, but high levels can be found in streams and rivers from the tropics to the poles. Seven central challenges and opportunities in the study of DOM should frame ongoing research. These include maintaining or establishing long-term records of changes in concentrations and fluxes over time, capitalizing on the use of sensors to describe short-term DOM dynamics in aquatic systems, integrating the full carbon cycle into understanding of watershed and aquatic DOM dynamics, understanding the role of DOM in evasion of greenhouse gases from inland waters, unraveling the enigma of dissolved organic nitrogen, documenting gross versus net DOM fluxes, and moving beyond an emphasis on functional ecological significance to understanding the evolutionary significance of DOM in a wide range of environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To ease water scarcity, dynamic programming, stochastic dynamic programming, and heuristic algorithms have been applied to solve problem matters related to water resources. Development, operation, and management are vital in a reservoir operating policy, especially when the reservoir serves a complex objective. In this study, an attempt via metaheuristic algorithms, namely the Harris Hawks Optimisation (HHO) Algorithm and the Opposite Based Learning of HHO (OBL-HHO) are made to minimise the water deficit as well as mitigate floods at downstream of the Klang Gate Dam (KGD). Due to trade-offs between water supply and flood management, the HHO and OBL-HHO models have configurable thresholds to optimise the KGD reservoir operation. To determine the efficacy of the HHO and OBL-HHO in reservoir optimisation, reliability, vulnerability, and resilience are risk measures evaluated. If inflow categories are omitted, the OBL-HHO meets 71.49% of demand compared to 54.83% for the standalone HHO. The HHO proved superior to OBL-HHO in satisfying demand during medium inflows, achieving 38.60% compared to 20.61%, even though the HHO may have experienced water loss at the end of the storage level. The HHO is still a promising method, as proven by its reliability and resilience indices compared to other published heuristic algorithms: at 62.50% and 1.56, respectively. The Artificial Bee Colony (ABC) outcomes satisfied demand at 61.36%, 59.47% with the Particle Swarm Optimisation (PSO), 55.68% with the real-coded Genetic Algorithm (GA), and 23.5 percent with the binary GA. For resilience, the ABC scored 0.16, PSO scored 0.15, and real coded GA scored 0.14 whilst the binary-GA has the worst failure recovery algorithm with 0.09. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The increasing population growth, urbanization, climate change, mismanagement of water resources, and poorly planned water distribution systems with negligible integration with spatial planning are increasing water stress in many countries across the globe. Even though optimization of water distribution systems and integrated water management practices are being implemented in many cities and regions, there is a lack of an integrated study considering the urban water supply system, planning, and management. This paper identifies the various parameters and indicators to be considered along with the relevant tools and techniques for optimizing water resources, optimum water resource allocation, and integrated water supply and management. During the research, 116 indicators were identified through a literature review, followed by a three-round Delphi survey to attain consensus from 30 experts. At the end of the third round, 72 indicators achieved maximum consensus among the experts (W=0.741). The identified indicators can be used for developing an integrated model for urban water supply systems, planning, and management. The changing climate, increasing urbanization, and rampant population growth are creating multiple challenges of water quality, water scarcity, floods, and droughts all over the globe. For present and future water security, it is essential to integrate the three aspects of urban waters, i.e., water supply systems or the different water resources like surface water, groundwater, recycled water, reclaimed water, and rainwater; water supply planning, which considers the planning for the present and future water demand, a contingency plan in case of emergency and water distribution system integrating the topography and spatial planning of a city or region; and water supply management, which addresses the allocation, distribution, and management of water resources along with recycling and reuse of wastewater. For the integration of these three aspects, an integrated model needs to be developed addressing all these together. In this paper, different indicators that should be considered for the integrated model have been derived through expert opinions followed by an empirical analysis to finalize the list of indicators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was carried out to determine the quality of water supply to the hall of residence of Achievers University Owo, Ondo State. The water samples were obtained from three different storage tanks in the institution hostel. The water sources were assessed for microbiological quality. The total coliform counts were determined by standard plate count method, multiple fermentation and the use of different media. The viable bacteria count ranges from 0 to 381 x 104 cfu/ml and total coliform ranges from 0 to 81 x 104 mpn/ml. Total number of eight bacteria were isolated from the three water tanks. These bacteria isolates were Escherichia spp, Salmonella spp, Shigella spp, Proteus spp, Pseudomonas spp, Staphylococcus spp, Streptococcus spp and Bacillus spp. The detection of Escherichia coli, Salmonella, Klebsiella and Pseudomonas species in borehole water that was intended for human consumption suggests that water from these sources may pose severe health risks to consumers and is unsuitable for direct human consumption without treatment. This study recommends treatment of water prior to use in order to protect the consumers from further possible consequences of using the water. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims The growing need to access recycled water as a source for drinking water supply necessitates management of perceived risks. This study aimed to use quantitative microbial risk analysis (QMRA) to evaluate microbiological risks of indirect water recycling. Methods and Results Scenario analyses of risk probabilities of pathogen infection were conducted to investigate four key quantitative microbial risk assessment model assumptions: treatment process failure, drinking water consumption events per day, inclusion or exclusion of an engineered storage buffer, and treatment process redundancy. Results demonstrated that the proposed water recycling scheme could meet WHO pathogen risk guidelines of ∼10−3 annual risk of infection under 18 simulated scenarios. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Plasmodium vivax malaria is one of the major infectious diseases of public health concern in Nouakchott, the capital city of Mauritania and the biggest urban setting in the Sahara. The assessment of the current trends in malaria epidemiology is primordial in understanding the dynamics of its transmission and developing an effective control strategy. Methods: A 6 year (2015–2020) prospective study was carried out in Nouakchott. Febrile outpatients with a clinical suspicion of malaria presenting spontaneously at Teyarett Health Centre or the paediatric department of Mother and Children Hospital Centre were screened for malaria using a rapid diagnostic test, microscopic examination of Giemsa-stained blood films, and nested polymerase chain reaction. Data were analysed using Microsoft Excel and GraphPad Prism and InStat software. Results: Of 1760 febrile patients included in this study, 274 (15.5%) were malaria-positive by rapid diagnostic test, 256 (14.5%) were malaria-positive by microscopy, and 291 (16.5%) were malaria-positive by PCR. Plasmodium vivax accounted for 216 of 291 (74.2%) PCR-positive patients; 47 (16.1%) and 28 (9.6%) had P. falciparum monoinfection or P. vivax–P. falciparum mixed infection, respectively. During the study period, the annual prevalence of malaria declined from 29.2% in 2015 to 13.2% in 2019 and 2.1% in 2020 (P < 0.05). Malaria transmission was essentially seasonal, with a peak occurring soon after the rainy season (October–November), and P. vivax infections, but not P. falciparum infections, occurred at low levels during the rest of the year. The most affected subset of patient population was adult male white and black Moors. The decline in malaria prevalence was correlated with decreasing annual rainfall (r = 0.85; P = 0.03) and was also associated with better management of the potable water supply system. A large majority of included patients did not possess or did not use bed nets. Conclusions: Control interventions based on prevention, diagnosis, and treatment should be reinforced in Nouakchott, and P. vivax-specific control measures, including chloroquine and 8-aminoquinolines (primaquine, tafenoquine) for treatment, should be considered to further improve the efficacy of interventions and aim for malaria elimination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Plasmodium vivax malaria is one of the major infectious diseases of public health concern in Nouakchott, the capital city of Mauritania and the biggest urban setting in the Sahara. The assessment of the current trends in malaria epidemiology is primordial in understanding the dynamics of its transmission and developing an effective control strategy. Methods: A 6 year (2015–2020) prospective study was carried out in Nouakchott. Febrile outpatients with a clinical suspicion of malaria presenting spontaneously at Teyarett Health Centre or the paediatric department of Mother and Children Hospital Centre were screened for malaria using a rapid diagnostic test, microscopic examination of Giemsa-stained blood films, and nested polymerase chain reaction. Data were analysed using Microsoft Excel and GraphPad Prism and InStat software. Results: Of 1760 febrile patients included in this study, 274 (15.5%) were malaria-positive by rapid diagnostic test, 256 (14.5%) were malaria-positive by microscopy, and 291 (16.5%) were malaria-positive by PCR. Plasmodium vivax accounted for 216 of 291 (74.2%) PCR-positive patients; 47 (16.1%) and 28 (9.6%) had P. falciparum monoinfection or P. vivax–P. falciparum mixed infection, respectively. During the study period, the annual prevalence of malaria declined from 29.2% in 2015 to 13.2% in 2019 and 2.1% in 2020 (P < 0.05). Malaria transmission was essentially seasonal, with a peak occurring soon after the rainy season (October–November), and P. vivax infections, but not P. falciparum infections, occurred at low levels during the rest of the year. The most affected subset of patient population was adult male white and black Moors. The decline in malaria prevalence was correlated with decreasing annual rainfall (r = 0.85; P = 0.03) and was also associated with better management of the potable water supply system. A large majority of included patients did not possess or did not use bed nets. Conclusions: Control interventions based on prevention, diagnosis, and treatment should be reinforced in Nouakchott, and P. vivax-specific control measures, including chloroquine and 8-aminoquinolines (primaquine, tafenoquine) for treatment, should be considered to further improve the efficacy of interventions and aim for malaria elimination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Water resources around the world are facing serious threats attributable to various natural and anthropogenic activities. Civil societies around the world, including India, are facing increasing difficulty in the allocation and sustainable use of their available water resources. Many lakes and rivers, the major surface water sources in India, are highly polluted and on the verge of depletion. Accordingly, there is a growing interest in protecting the ecosystem services provided by the lakes and rivers using several management approaches for lake rejuvenation and conservation. A similar study focusing on water supply situation and its restoration was performed in Nainital, a major hill town located in the state of Uttarakhand. The lake water level has been declining in recent years, raising serious concerns. To address this issue, a plan has been developed to address the decreasing lake level and conserving this vital water supply source for the town. The present study provides an integrated framework enabling conservation practitioners to strategically implement water conservation actions to balance both the ecosystem and societal water needs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to examine the fractal properties of the optimal hydraulic gradient surface (OHGS), a geometrical body that describes the way in which the available energy should be spent within a water distribution network to ensure the calculation of a minimum capital cost design. For this purpose, multiple benchmark and Colombian systems were optimized and then analyzed to compute the fractal dimension of the OHGS and of the underlying structure of each network, which included the examination of randomly generated nonoptimal designs to recognize the differences in the fractal behavior of a least-cost and a more expensive solution. The results showed a dependency between the fractal properties of the OHGS and those of the topological structure, flow, and energy distribution inside the corresponding optimized network. Moreover, it was found that the degree of irregularity of the OHGS tended to be higher compared to a nonoptimal energy dissipation pattern. This suggests the applicability of the fractal analysis in optimization and operational improvement procedures. The design of a least-cost water distribution network, which refers to the process of calculating appropriate pipe diameters that ensure the fulfilment of water demands and reduce the required investment to a minimum, has been of interest due to its complexity and importance for the viability of water supply infrastructure projects. In this study, the inherent characteristics of a least-cost design were explored by involving fractal analysis, a novel technique that has been used to solve several problems in the management and operation of water supply systems. The results show that the hydraulic features of a minimum-cost water distribution network, analyzed by considering the behavior of pressure and water flow throughout the system, exhibit certain fractal properties that can be used to distinguish it from more expensive alternatives. These findings lead to the recommendation to use fractal analysis in prospective water distribution network planning and management applications, such as new design and operational improvement strategies. Furthermore, fractal analysis may be useful in identifying the proper hydraulic behavior of a water distribution network so as to maximize its reliability, water quality, and other desirable features that improve its performance and level of service. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Brazilian Cerrado biome provides relevant ecosystem services for Brazil and South America, being strategic for the planning and management of water resources as well as for agribusiness. The objective was to evaluate the water quality along the course of the Córrego da Formiga in a virgin portion of the Brazilian Cerrado, the relationship of land use with physical-chemical and biological parameters of the water, and the inflow of the tributary. Five water collection points were defined (between the source and mouth) and observed on a quarterly scale in 2015, water samples were collected and analyzed for physical-chemical and biological parameters in the laboratory, and flow measurements were performed at the same point and day of water collection. To identify and quantify land use and land cover (LULC) in the watershed, an image from the Landsat8-OLI satellite was obtained, and other geomorphological data from hypsometry (Topodata-INPE) were obtained to generate the slope, basin delimitation, and contribution area for each water collection point. The LULC percentages for each area of contribution to the water collection points were correlated with the physical-chemical and biological parameters of the water and submitted to multivariate analysis (PLS-DA) for analysis and grouping among the five analyzed points. Changes in water-quality patterns were more pronounced concerning the time when the first and last sampling was performed (rainy period) and may be influenced by the increase in the volume of water in these periods. The stream flow is highly variable over time and between points, with the lowest recorded flow being 0.1 L s−1 (P1) and the highest being 947.80 L s−1 (P5). Córrego da Formiga has class III water quality (CONAMA resolution 357), which characterizes small restrictions on the use of water for multiple uses. The soil cover with native vegetation is just over 12%, while the predominance was of the classes of sugar cane (62.42%) and pasture (19.33%). The PLS-DA analysis allowed separating the water analysis points between P1, P2, P3, and P5, while P4 was superimposed on others. It was also possible to verify that the parameters that weighed the most for this separation of water quality were pH, alkalinity_T, alkalinity_h, calcium, and hardness, all with a tendency to increase concentration from the source (P1) to the mouth (P5). As for water quality, it was also possible to verify that points P2 and P5 presented better water-quality conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]