MODELING AND CONTROL OF THE POLLUTION OF WATER RESOURCES SYSTEMS VIA MULTILEVEL APPROACH1

ABSTRACT. The problem of modeling and control of water pollution is considered. A general mathematical model, where the pollution effluent is discharged directly into the river, into the lake, or into a bypass pipe leading to an advanced Waste Water Treatment (AWT) plant, is developed. The Water Resource System (WRS) under consideration is decomposed into N subsystems. The pollution effluent input vector to each subsystem includes the water quantity and different water characteristics such as BOD, DO, pH, conductivity, temperature, algae, phosphates, nitrates, etc. Treatment cost functions and quality transition functions as well as system model constraints are introduced, where all functions can be nonlinear. A system Lagrangian is formed to incorporate the system constraints and coupling. The Lagrangian is decomposed into N independent subsystems, and a two level optimization methodology is introduced. Each subsystem is independently and separately minimized at the first level assuming known Lagrange multipliers. At the second level, the total Lagrangian is maximized with respect to the Lagrange multipliers using optimal values for effluent inputs from all subsystems obtained from the first level. Economic interpretation on the Lagrange multipliers reveals that they are merely prices imposed by the central authority (second level) for the pollution caused by the subsystems. Advantages of the multilevel approach are discussed.     

STATE WATER CONSERVATION STRATEGIES AND ACTIVITIES1

States have the potential to play a major role in moving water conservation from conferences and reports that identify its advantages to actual practice. The research identifies four generic “strategies” that categorize the states' approaches toward conservation and reports on the states' current conservation activities. The four strategies are: reliance on agricultural advisors, leverage incentives, performance standards, and mandatory actions. Four levels of state conservation activity exist. California and Florida maintain the most extensive programs; Arizona, Massachusetts, New Jersey, North Carolina, and Oklahoma also have numerous programs but significantly lower staff commitments; eight additional states maintain more modest conservation effotts. Elsewhere, state directed conservation actions remain minimal and limited to those provided as agricultural advice. The study found support for water conservation the norm among water supply planners.     

MUNICIPAL WATER CONSERVATION ALTERNATIVES1

ABSTRACT: The municipal water conservation options available to meet the goals of a national water conservation policy are evaluated. Water conservation with water conservation devices is shown to offer many significant advantages over education and pricing and metering as a method of accomplishing water conservation goals. Current constraints on the use of water conservation devices are outlined, and their elimination is suggested if the nation's water conservation goals are to be met.     

PREDICTING IMPACTS FROM WATER CONSERVATION AND ENERGY DEVELOPMENT ON THE SALTON SEA,CALIFORNIA1

ABSTRACT: An input-output model was developed to predict changes in Salton Sea salinity and water level until the year 2000 due to proposed water conservation efforts and geothermal and solar pond energy developments. The model SALINP provided good agreement with the observed salinities for 1960–80. While SALINP was not overly sensitive to one-year changes in any of the major inputs, a change in the historical means of the Imperial Valley runoff and evaporative loss inputs produced a significant effect on future predictions. The proposed water conservation measures caused the predicted Salton Sea salinity for 2000 to greatly exceed 40,000 ppm, the level at which adverse effects to wildlife are believed to occur. The possible geothermal development also produced predicted salinities considerably above 40,000 ppm. The salinity predictions for solar ponds by themselves and in conjunction with geothermal development were below 45,000 ppm for 2000. The solar pond and geothermal combination also resulted in a predicted lowering of the “natural” water level by 5 to 7 feet by 2000.     

BENEFITS FROM WATER CONSERVATION DEPEND ON COMPREHENSIVE PLANNING1

: Substantial reductions in municipal water use are feasible without reducing the quality of life. If conservation measures are preplanned, properly engineered, and coordinated, reductions in utility bills for water, waste water, and energy are estimated at $30+per person per year. Installation of devices to reduce water use, engineering plans to prevent malfunctioning of collecting sewers, and engineered process modifications of treatment facilities must be coordinated to achieve full benefits of water conservation. Pollutant discharges to the aquatic environment are reduced in direct proportion to the reduction in water use.     

WATERSHED BASED,INSTITUTIONAL APPROACH TO DEVELOPING CLEAN WATER RESOURCES1

ABSTRACT: Access to clean and sufficient amounts of water is a critical problem in many countries. A watershed approach is vital in understanding pollution pathways affecting water resources and in developing participatory solutions. Such integration of information with participatory approaches can lead to more sustainable solutions than traditional “crisis‐to‐crisis” management approaches. This study aims at applying a watershed based joint action approach to manage water resources. Since most watersheds have urban and rural sources of pollution and a wide disparity in access to and use of water, alternative solutions need to take an integrated approach through cooperative actions. An institutional model was applied to seven subwatersheds in Honduras to evaluate various sources and effects of water contamination and water shortages. Two specific pathways of water resources degradation were studied (contamination from coffee pulp manufacturing and urban nonpoint sources) to develop alternative solutions that mitigate downstream impacts of access to clean water. A locally driven joint mechanism to reuse coffee pulp in farming systems is proposed. Such an institutional solution can maximize benefits to both farms and the coffee pulp industry. A combination of education and investment in sanitary facilities in urbanizing areas is proposed to minimize urban sources of water contamination.     

OPTIMIZATION MODELING OF A NEW FACILITY FOR THE CALIFORNIA STATE WATER PROJECT1

ABSTRACT: A non-linear optimization model is applied to the California State Water Project (SWP) and portions of the Central Valley Project (CVP). The model accounts for the major hydrologic, regulatory, and operational features of both projects. The model maximizes long-term SWP yields over a 70-year period, using a quarterly time step. The potential for increased yield associated with a proposed facility improvement is evaluated with the model. The proposed facility is an extension of the Folsom-South Canal, which would allow water to be conveyed from the American River below Folsom Reservoir into New Melones Reservoir on the Stanislaus River or into the California Aqueduct. Model results indicate that extension of the Folsom-South Canal has the potential to increase SWP yields by 13 percent.     

AN ECONOMIC ANALYSIS OF WATER CONSERVATION POLICY1

Water conservation is a much emphasized policy of the Federal government. Discussion of water conservation proposals often involves confusion between a conservation “ethic,” which is an end in itself, and conservation as a means for attaining various economic objectives. Analysis indicates that outside of ground water “mining.” water is usually a renewable and reusable resource. During periods of normal precipitation, water conservation should be employed only when the value of the water saved exceeds the cost of effecting the savings. Water conservation is most valuable as a drought contingency tactic. Water conservation as a substitute for structural provision to meet normal water demand growth is apt to prove shortsighted.     

WATER USE AND WATER CONSERVATION BY THE COPPER MINING INDUSTRY1

ABSTRACT: This paper examines the use of water by copper mines for treating low grade ores. The froth flotation process for treating sulphide ore and the heap leaching process for treating oxide ore are described, and ways of reducing the amount of water used in these processes are discussed. Estimates of the costs reducing water consumption are given. Finally, the circumstances in which it would be desirable for a copper mine to reduce its level of water consumption are considered.     

HISTORICAL EVOLUTION OF FLOODING DAMAGE ON A USA/QUEBEC RIVER BASIN1

ABSTRACT: There is a general belief in the public eye that extreme events such as floods are becoming more and more common. This paper explores this hypothesis by examining the historical evolution of annual expected flooding damage on the Chateauguay River Basin, located at the border between the United States and the province of Quebec, Canada. A database of basin land use was constructed for the years 1930 and 1995 to assess anthropogenic changes and their impact on the basin's hydrology. The progressive modification of the likelihood of a flooding event over the same period was then investigated using homogeneity and statistical tests on available hydrometric data. The evolution of the annual expected flooding damage was then evaluated using a coupled hydrologic/hydraulic simulator linked to a damage analysis model. The simulator and model were used to estimate flooding damage over a wide range of flooding return periods, for conditions prevailing in 1963 and 1995. Results of the analysis reveal the absence of any increasing or decreasing trend in the historical occurrence of flooding events. However, a general increase in the annual expected flooding damage was observed for all studied river sections. This increase is linked to an historical increase in damages for a given flooding event, and is the result of unbridled construction and development within the flood zone. To assess for future trends, this study also examined the potential impacts linked to the anticipated global warming. Results indicate that a significant increase in seasonal flooding events and annual expected flooding damage is possible over the next century. In fact, what is now considered a 100‐year flooding event for the summer/fall season could become a ten‐year event by the end of this century. This shows that potential future impacts linked to climate change should be considered now by engineers, land planners, and decision makers. This is especially critical if a design return period is part of the decision making process.     

SIMULATED IMPACTS OF EL NINO/SOUTHERN OSCILLATION ON UNITED STATES WATER RESOURCES1

ABSTRACT: The El Nino/Southern Oscillation (ENSO) phenomena alter global weather patterns with consequences for fresh water supply. ENSO events impact regions and their natural resource sectors around the globe. For example, in 1997 and 1998, a strong El Nino brought warm ocean temperatures, flooding, and record snowfall to the west coast of the United States. Research on ENSO events has improved long range climate predictions, affording the potential to reduce the damage and economic cost of these weather patterns. Here, using the Hydrologic Unit Model for the United States (HUMUS), we simulate the impacts of four types of ENSO states (Neutral, El Niño, La Niña, and strong El Niño) on water resources in the conterminous United States. The simulations show that La Niña conditions increase water yield across much of the country. We find that water yield increases during El Niño years across the south while declining in much of the rest of the country. However, under strong El Niño conditions, regional water yields are much higher than Neutral, especially along the West Coast. Strong El Niño is not simply an amplification of El Niño; it leads to strikingly different patterns of water resource response.     

ENERGY AND WATER CONSERVATION STRATEGIES IN IRRIGATED AGRICULTURE1

ABSTRACT: Growers in California used several energy and water conservation strategies in response to the drought conditions of 1976 and 1977. The strategies included an increased use of ground water, in creased irrigation efficiencies, and shifts in cropping patterns. Drought-related losses to irrigated agriculture were minimized as a result of these modifications. Some future problems may have been created, however, by obtaining the needed water supplies for 1976–77. These problems include the effects of extensive water pumping on ground water reservoirs and ground subsidence. In addition, reduced water application by less frequent irrigation and changes in irrigation methods may affect the total salt balance for future years. Several conservation strategies that have some potential application in California were identified as: maintaining and augmenting surface water supply, increasing power use efficiencies, and improving irrigation efficiencies. Electricity savings associated with water conservation have been estimated as high as 25 percent. Specific near term actions suggested for facilitating conservation included: an expanded irrigation management system, efficient water deliveries, and a continued effort on the part of the individual growers to use resources during periods of normal rainfall as they were used under drought conditions.     

CONSERVATION PRACTICES AND ATTITUDES AMONG MARYLAND WATER SUPPLY MANAGERS1

ABSTRACT: In addition to offsetting water supply shortages, water conservation is recognized as serving many purposes, ranging from reduced energy consumption to lower capital costs. Since the discussion of these benefits has been a recent development and has generally excluded local water supply managers, a question arises as to whether supply managers are implementing conservation programs to exploit these benefits. A survey of the managers at 35 Maryland water utilities provides insight into the prevailing attitude toward conservation in a water rich eastern state. The results indicate that most managers continue to view conservation only as a short term response to temporary supply shortages. Only 12 Maryland utilities have undertaken any form of water conservation activity and just two systems have ongoing, comprehensive conservation programs. Institutional, perceptual, economic, political, and time constraints all contribute to the managers’attitudes and general inaction. If water conservation is to be widely practiced, these issues must be addressed and the benefits attributed to conservation must be better documented and articulated to supply managers.     

DEVELOPING AND ASSESSING A MODEL OF RESIDENTIAL WATER CONSERVATION1

ABSTRACT: Relevant literature was reviewed from which a model of residential water conservation was developed. Four residential conservation program interventions were posited: 1) public education, 2) pricing variables, 3) water use restrictions, and 4) building code requirements. Four exogenous variables affecting residential water use were also posited: 1) temperature, 2) rainfall, 3) household income, and 4) household size. The impacts of these eight variables on residential per capita daily use were assessed by cross sectional and time series analysis. Study results generally supported the porposed model, with less consistent support obtained for pricing variables and conservation beliefs. The paper concludes with the hypothesis that an inclining block rate structure coupled with an informational program designed to inform consumers of their consumption under each block will have a synergistic impact.     

INTEGRATED RIVER BASIN OPTIMIZATION: MODELING ECONOMIC AND HYDROLOGIC INTERDEPENDENCE1

ABSTRACT: This paper presents an integrated optimal control model that optimizes economic performance of reservoir management in watersheds in which there are significant economic and hydrologic interdependencies. The model is solved using the General Algebraic Modeling System (GAMS). Results show that application of this model to New Mexico's Rio Chama basin can increase total system benefits over historical benefits by exploiting complementarities between hydroelectricity production, instream recreation, and downstream lake recreation.     

AGRICULTURAL WATER MODELING AND ECONOMIC INFORMATION NEEDS UNDER THE MODEL WATER CODE1

ABSTRACT: Economic information for efficient water allocation is difficult and costly to acquire under administrative water systems evolving under the Model Water Code. One approach to obtaining more information is to use a simulator like the Florida AGWATER model. The advantage of AGWATER is the potential for realistic prediction, because it operates at the field and day levels, using detailed information for each crop and tract. Unfortunately, such simulators are complex and require large amounts of costly input data. A better solution to the information problem may be to use markets for the marketable goods associated with water, because information is inherent in such a process. This approach will allow limited modeling and management resources to be put into using water models to generate information for the goods dependent on water that are difficult to market, like wildlife services.     

WATER MARKETS AND DECENTRALIZED WATER RESOURCES MANAGEMENT: INTERNATIONAL PROBLEMS AND OPPORTUNITIES1

ABSTRACT: Because of its importance and the perceived inability of private sector sources to meet water demands, many countries have depended on the public sector to provide water services for their populations. Yet this has resulted in many inefficient public water projects and in inadequate supplies of good quality and reliable water. Decentralization of water management, including the use of water markets, cannot solve all of these water problems, but it can improve the efficiency of water allocation. When given adequate responsibility and authority, water user associations have effectively taken over water management activities at a savings to tax payers. Moreover, water markets add the potential benefit of improving water efficiency within a sector as well as providing a mechanism for reallocating water among sectors. The key question involves developing innovative mechanisms for reducing the transaction costs of organizing water users and of making water trades. Water rights need to be established which are recorded, tradable, enforceable, and separate from land if markets are to operate effectively. Also, institutions are needed that effectively resolve conflicts over water rights, including third party impacts and water quality concerns.     

RESIDENTIAL WATER CONSERVATION: CASA DEL AGUA1

ABSTRACT: A single-family residence in Tucson, Arizona, was retrofitted with water-conserving fixtures, rainwater harvesting, and graywater reuse systems. During a four-year study, efficient use of water was shown to significantly decrease demand for domestic water at the house without reducing the residents' quality of life. The use of municipal water was reduced by 66 percent to 148 gallons per day (gpd) and total household use was reduced by 27 percent to 245 gpd. Graywater reuse averaged approximately 77 gpd or 32 percent of the total household water use. Evaporative cooling required about 15 gpd. Water use for toilet flushing was only 9 gallons per capita per day (gpcd) or 14 percent of interior water use.     

INCOMMENSURABLES AND TRADEOFFS IN WATER RESOURCES PLANNING1

ABSTRACT: Society has many objectives, many of which are not commensurable. This incommensurability problem is generally referred to as the multiple objective problem and leads to the notion of tradeoffs. Various approaches to calculating tradeoffs in water resource development have been advocated by several authors. Many have made errors in the context of the conceptural model presented in this paper. It is argued the correct framework for tradeoff analysis is the neoclassical economic model. The relevant tradeoffs, then, are really price ratios. These, in turn, must be calculated in such a manner as to allow comparison of product mixes where the expenditure on resources is the same. This is where several authors have erred. An empirical example which illustrates the correct application of the model is presented.     

THE W-INDEX FOR RESIDENTIAL WATER CONSERVATION1

ABSTRACT: An index of residential water efficiency - a “W-Index” - can serve as a measure of effectiveness of water conservation features in the home. The index provides a calculated numerical value for each dwelling unit, derived from the number and kind of water-saving features present, including indoor and outdoor water savers and water harvesting or recycling systems. A W-Index worksheet, devised for on-site evaluation of single-family residences in the Tucson, Arizona, region shows that a nonconserving residence with all the water-using features would use 151,000 gallons per year or 148 gallons per capita per day (gpcpd), while the fully conserving model would use 35,300 gallons per year or 35 gpcpd and with water harvesting and graywater recycling systems would have a maximum W-Index of W-160. A Tucson water conservation demonstration home, Casa del Agua, received a rating of W-139, and field tests of about 30 homes in new Tucson subdivisions show values ranging from W-75 to W-100, indicating the incorporation of some water conservation in current new models. By adjustment of some climatic or water-use parameters, the W-Index format can be applied to various types of dwelling units or to other urban areas. The W-Index can be used by individual homeowners or builders to evaluate water efficiency of residential units, or by water providers or water management agencies as a device for promoting and achieving water conservation goals.