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The climate crisis
Published in Sarah Sayce, Sara Wilkinson, Gillian Armstrong, Samantha Organ, Resilient Building Retrofits, 2023
Sarah Sayce, Sara Wilkinson, Samantha Organ
With water infrastructure, in some areas, lack of water is the issue, whereas, for others, excess water is a problem. Ageing water infrastructure can deteriorate over time, resulting in the loss of potable water through leaks. Clearly, effective maintenance and repair of existing systems are necessary to minimise loss. New developments should adopt the principles of Water Sustainable Urban Design (WSUD) – that is reducing flows and systems that deliver water. In buildings these include designs with rainwater harvesting for watering green spaces, lawns, greens roofs and walls. Internal designs include water recycling, whereby greywater (i.e. water from baths, sinks and showers) is reused to flush toilets and water gardens. It is possible to recycle water and to clean grey and blackwater (water from toilets) for reuse; however, currently, it is very energy-intensive, and if the energy source is fossil fuel based, it is not sustainable. This may change in future if non-fossil fuel renewable energy sources are used. In terms of resilience, if resilience is bouncing back from adverse events, the adoption of renewable energy ensures recycled water is not more harmful to the environment. For water-starved areas, rainwater retention and storage, the adoption of low water consumption technologies and reuse of water are all practical measures that ensure scarce resources last longer.
Water Management
Published in Moncef Krarti, Energy Audit of Building Systems, 2020
Graywater is a form of wastewater with a lesser quality than potable water but higher quality than blackwater (which is water that contains significant concentrations of organic waste). Sources of blackwater include water that is used for flushing toilets, washing in the kitchen sink, and dish washing. Graywater comes from other sources such washing machines, baths, and showers and is suitable for reuse in toilet flushing. In addition, graywater can be used in place of potable water to supply some of the irrigation needs of a typical domestic dwelling landscaped with vegetation. It is believed that graywater can actually be beneficial for plants because it often includes nitrogen and phosphorus, which are plant nutrients. However, graywater may also contain sodium and chloride, which can be harmful to some plants. Therefore, it is important to chemically analyze the content of graywater before it is used to irrigate the vegetation around the building.
2 Model
Published in Maria Fernanda Reyes Perez, Water Supply and Demand Management in the lápagos: A Case Study of Santa Cruz Island, 2017
Several types of water flows are simulated by WaterMet2.Clean (potable) water: (treated) water originally supplied from the water sources.Storm water or rainfall from impervious and pervious areas.Grey-water or wastewater originated from water already used.Green water: (treated) rainwater modelled in local area scales.Recycled (reused) water: return water treated by either centralized or decentralized processes.Wastewater (black water): used water obtained from toilet and polluted water which needs to be collected and treated.
Bioremediation of greywater using a novel bacterial–fungal consortium: optimization and validation of the operating parameters in vitro
Published in Environmental Technology, 2022
Nikita Rajpal, Jatinder K. Ratan, Neetu Divya, Ananda Vardhan Hebbani
Water supplied to the developed communities globally is of 100% potable quality [1]. However, only a mere 3% of the supplied water is understood to be used up for drinking and cooking purposes, while the remaining major portion referred to as ‘greywater’ (∼ 65–75%) is used for domestic activities such as bathtubs, showers, hand basins, laundry machines and cleaning purposes [2]. Even though the precise composition of greywater depends on its source from where the water is drawn [3], it generally does not include the wastewater that is generated from toilet use, which is referred to as ‘black water’ [4]. Composition of greywater (i.e. water from bathroom, laundry or kitchen sinks) is known to be greatly influenced by water quality in the area of sample collection [5]. A variety of contaminants, including acidic and alkaline substances, suspended/dissolved solids, fats, oil/grease, heavy metals and synthetic chemicals, are likely to be present in greywater [6,7].
Urban water trading – hybrid water systems and niche opportunities in the urban water market – a literature review
Published in Environmental Technology Reviews, 2019
Mario Schmack, Martin Anda, Stewart Dallas, Roberta Fornarelli
Wastewater is the combined term for water from a range of sources that contains chemical (e.g. detergents), microbial (e.g. harmful bacteria) or physical pollutants (e.g. thermal energy from industrial operations such as cooling towers). Household wastewater comprises two different streams, namely greywater and blackwater. Greywater is less polluted as it is collected from showers, baths and laundry. For basic greywater treatment, sedimentation and sand or soil filtration are enough to achieve a water quality that is adequate for sub-surface drip irrigation [41]. Blackwater is discharged from toilets and contains human waste in the form of faeces and urine. A combination of aerobic and anaerobic digestion is a traditional method to remove the large quantities of TOC (total organic carbon), TN (total nitrogen), TP (total phosphorous), and pathogens in blackwater [42,43]. Besides recovering water for secondary purposes, wastewater reuse technologies also offer the possibility for nutrient (nitrogen, phosphorus, etc.) reclamation. In addition, Schaum, Lensch [44] report that water reuse and reclamation result in better energy efficiency outcomes in the water cycle. Reduced energy demand is further achieved by a fit-for-purpose approach, where certain wastewater streams are treated to a lesser water quality standard than mains (drinking) water and used for non-potable applications. As an example of this concept, from the mid 1990s numerous greywater reuse projects with advanced treatment plants have been installed in apartment buildings throughout Germany, to supply occupants with recycled greywater for toilet flushing [45].
Social and Cultural Perceptions Regarding Food Security and Health in the Departments of Bolivar and La Guajira, in the Caribbean Region of Colombia
Published in Journal of Hunger & Environmental Nutrition, 2018
Paula Judith Perez Espitia, Sofia Lissbrant, Lina Moyano-Tamara
One component of food security is the proper use of food, which is determined by access to basic sanitary services, education (especially women of childbearing age and those with children younger than 5 years old), and coverage by the public health system. The researched municipalities in southern Bolivar presented problems with wastewater—black water and grey water16—and solid waste disposal, as well as a lack of knowledge of the population regarding safety and hygiene measures related to these issues. (Black water is a type of wastewater that contains feces; grey water is a type of wastewater from washing machines, showers, baths, or cleaning and possibly from kitchen sinks.)