When climate change is a fact! Adaptive strategies for drinking water production in a changing natural environment

2007 ◽  
Vol 56 (4) ◽  
pp. 137-144 ◽  
Author(s):  
A.F.M. Meuleman ◽  
G. Cirkel ◽  
G.J.J. Zwolsman
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Drinking Water ◽  
The Netherlands ◽  
Salt Water ◽  
Water System ◽  
Adaptive Strategies ◽  
Water Systems ◽  
Salt Water Intrusion ◽  
Water Production ◽  
Drinking Water Production

Climate change increases water system dynamics through temperature changes, changes in precipitation patterns, evaporation, and water quality and water storage in ice packs. Water system dependent economical stakeholders, such as drinking water companies in the Netherlands, have to cope with consequences of climate change, e.g. floods and water shortages in river systems, upcoming of brackish ground water, salt water intrusion, increasing peak demands and microbiological activity due to temperature rise. In the past decades, however, both water systems and drinking water production have become more and more inflexible; water systems have been heavily regulated aiming at maximum security and economic functions and the drinking water supply in the Netherlands has grown into an inflexible, but cheap and reliable, system. At a water catchment scale, flexibility and adaptation are solutions to overcome climate change related consequences. Flexible adaptive strategies for drinking water production comprise new sources for drinking water production, application of storage concepts in the short term, and a redesign of large centralized systems, including flexible treatment plants, in the long term. Transition to flexible concepts will take decades because investment depreciation periods of assets are long. These strategies must be based on thorough knowledge of current assets to seize opportunities for change.

Climate change and drinking water production in The Netherlands: a flexible approach

2005 ◽  
Vol 51 (5) ◽  
pp. 37-44 ◽  
Author(s):  
T.A.B. Ramaker ◽  
A.F.M. Meuleman ◽  
L. Bernhardi ◽  
G. Cirkel
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Drinking Water ◽  
The Netherlands ◽  
Salt Water ◽  
Water System ◽  
Water Systems ◽  
Salt Water Intrusion ◽  
Water Production ◽  
Drinking Water Production

Climate change increases water system dynamics through temperature changes, changes in precipitation patterns, evaporation, water quality and water storage in ice packs. Water system dependent economical stakeholders, such as drinking water companies in The Netherlands, have to cope with consequences of climate change, e.g. floods and water shortages in river systems, upconing brackish ground water, salt water intrusion, increasing peak demands and microbiological activity. In the past decades, however, both water systems and drinking water production have become more and more inflexible; water systems have been heavily regulated and the drinking water supply has grown into an inflexible, but cheap and reliable, system. Flexibility and adaptivity are solutions to overcome climate change related consequences. Flexible adaptive strategies for drinking water production comprise new sources for drinking water production, application of storage concepts in the short term, and a redesign of large centralised systems, including flexible treatment plants, in the long term. Transition to flexible concepts will take decades because investment depreciation periods of assets are long. This implies that long-term strategies within an indicated time path have to be developed. These strategies must be based on thorough knowledge of current assets to seize opportunities for change.

scholarly journals Seasonal Dynamics in the Number and Composition of Coliform Bacteria in Drinking Water Reservoirs

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carolin Reitter ◽  
Heike Petzoldt ◽  
Andreas Korth ◽  
Felix Schwab ◽  
Claudia Stange ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Drinking Water ◽  
Microbial Community ◽  
Water Temperature ◽  
Surface Waters ◽  
Coliform Bacteria ◽  
List Type ◽  
Water Production ◽  
Water Reservoirs ◽  
Drinking Water Production

AbstractWorldwide, surface waters like lakes and reservoirs are one of the major sources for drinking water production, especially in regions with water scarcity. In the last decades, they have undergone significant changes due to climate change. This includes not only an increase of the water temperature but also microbiological changes. In recent years, increased numbers of coliform bacteria have been observed in these surface waters. In our monitoring study we analyzed two drinking water reservoirs (Klingenberg and Kleine Kinzig Reservoir) over a two-year period in 2018 and 2019. We detected high numbers of coliform bacteria up to 2.4 x 104 bacteria per 100 ml during summer months, representing an increase of four orders of magnitude compared to winter. Diversity decreased to one or two species that dominated the entire water body, namely Enterobacter asburiae and Lelliottia spp., depending on the reservoir. Interestingly, the same, very closely related strains have been found in several reservoirs from different regions. Fecal indicator bacteria Escherichia coli and enterococci could only be detected in low concentrations. Furthermore, fecal marker genes were not detected in the reservoir, indicating that high concentrations of coliform bacteria were not due to fecal contamination. Microbial community revealed Frankiales and Burkholderiales as dominant orders. Enterobacterales, however, only had a frequency of 0.04% within the microbial community, which is not significantly affected by the extreme change in coliform bacteria number. Redundancy analysis revealed water temperature, oxygen as well as nutrients and metals (phosphate, manganese) as factors affecting the dominant species. We conclude that this sudden increase of coliform bacteria is an autochthonic process that can be considered as a mass proliferation or “coliform bloom” within the reservoir. It is correlated to higher water temperatures in summer and is therefore expected to occur more frequently in the near future, challenging drinking water production.HighlightsColiform bacteria proliferate in drinking water reservoirs to values above 104 per 100 mlThe genera Lelliottia and Enterobacter can form these “coliform blooms”Mass proliferation is an autochthonic process, not related to fecal contaminationsIt is related to water temperature and appears mainly in summerIt is expected to occur more often in future due to climate changeGraphical abstract

How Dutch drinking water production is affected by the use of herbicides on pavements

2004 ◽  
Vol 49 (3) ◽  
pp. 173-181 ◽  
Author(s):  
A.D. Bannink
Keyword(s):  
Drinking Water ◽  
Surface Water ◽  
The Netherlands ◽  
Emission Reduction ◽  
Water Production ◽  
Limited Effect ◽  
Surface Water Pollution ◽  
Drinking Water Production ◽  
Reduction Of Emissions ◽  
Water Companies

About forty per cent of drinking water in The Netherlands is produced from surface water. Dutch water companies, that have to rely on this source, are dealing with major water quality problems due to the use of herbicides on pavements. Voluntary measures and bans have had only limited effect on the reduction of emissions of herbicides that runoff from pavements into surface water in The Netherlands. The effects on the production of drinking water from surface water should play a role in the authorisation of pesticides. Stricter regulations, including mandatory emission reduction measures and certification, are necessary. The enforcement of existing Dutch surface water pollution laws should solve part of the problem. Due to the international nature of most of the surface water used for drinking water supply, it is necessary that other countries take measures as well. European legislation brings a solution closer if implemented well and seriously enforced. The threat of strict legislation keeps pressure on the transition towards decreasing the dependence on chemicals for weed control on pavements.

scholarly journals Rainwater Harvesting for Drinking Water Production: A Sustainable and Cost-Effective Solution in The Netherlands?

Water ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 511 ◽  
Author(s):  
Roberta Hofman-Caris ◽  
Cheryl Bertelkamp ◽  
Luuk de Waal ◽  
Tessa van den Brand ◽  
Jan Hofman ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Drinking Water ◽  
The Netherlands ◽  
Western Europe ◽  
Rainwater Harvesting ◽  
Water Production ◽  
Environmental Benefit ◽  
Precipitation Frequency ◽  
City District ◽  
Drinking Water Production ◽  
The City

An increasing number of people want to reduce their environmental footprint by using harvested rainwater as a source for drinking water. Moreover, implementing rainwater harvesting (RWH) enables protection against damage caused by increasing precipitation frequency and intensity, which is predicted for Western Europe. In this study, literature data on rainwater quality were reviewed, and based on Dutch climatological data the usable quantity of rainwater in the Netherlands was calculated. For two specific cases, (1) a densely populated city district and (2) a single house in a rural area, the total costs of ownership (TCO) for decentralized drinking water supply from harvested rainwater was calculated, and a life cycle assessment (LCA) was made. For the single house it was found that costs were very high (€60–€110/m3), and the environmental impact would not decrease. For the city district, costs would be comparable to the present costs of centralized drinking water production and supply, but the environmental benefit is negligible (≤1‰). Furthermore, it was found that the amount of rainwater that can be harvested in the city district only covers about 50% of the demand. It was concluded that the application of rainwater harvesting for drinking water production in the Netherlands is not economically feasible.

The impact of climate change on drinking water supply by riverbank filtration

2008 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 319-324 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. Eckert ◽  
R. Lamberts ◽  
C. Wagner
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Drinking Water ◽  
Water Supply ◽  
River Water ◽  
Drinking Water Supply ◽  
Riverbank Filtration ◽  
Water Production ◽  
Impact Of Climate Change ◽  
Drinking Water Production ◽  
The Impact

Riverbank filtration (RBF) is a well proven natural treatment, which in many countries is part of a multi-barrier concept in drinking water supply. The induced infiltration of river water into the aquifer produces a significant improvement in river water quality. Riverbank filtration wells are characterized by a high capacity. Based on data from recent years, an integrated approach to assessing the impact of climate change on safe drinking water production by RBF is demonstrated in the Lower Rhine Valley, Germany. Influencing factors on quantitative as well as qualitative aspects were identified. During low river water periods, the capacity of the RBF-wells decreases. In addition the lower discharge within the river is accompanied by a increased concentration of several chemical compounds. Together with higher water temperatures which influence the hydrogeochemical processes during RBF, the changing raw water composition has to be considered for the subsequent technical treatment step. However, our investigations reveal that despite the impact of climate change on RBF, the multi-protective barrier concept, including both natural and technical purification, has proven a reliable method for drinking water production. The sanitation of the Rhine over the last decades was an important step to make RBF more resilient to climate change.

scholarly journals Presence of Enteric Viruses in Source Waters for Drinking Water Production in the Netherlands

2010 ◽  
Vol 76 (17) ◽  
pp. 5965-5971 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. J. Lodder ◽  
H. H. J. L. van den Berg ◽  
S. A. Rutjes ◽  
A. M. de Roda Husman
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Drinking Water ◽  
The Netherlands ◽  
Health Risk ◽  
Water Samples ◽  
Source Water ◽  
Water Production ◽  
Public Health Risk ◽  
Drinking Water Production ◽  
Source Waters

ABSTRACT The quality of drinking water in the Netherlands has to comply with the Dutch Drinking Water Directive: less than one infection in 10,000 persons per year may occur due to consumption of unboiled drinking water. Since virus concentrations in drinking waters may be below the detection limit but entail a public health risk, the infection risk from drinking water consumption requires the assessment of the virus concentrations in source waters and of the removal efficiency of treatment processes. In this study, samples of source waters were taken during 4 years of regular sampling (1999 to 2002), and enteroviruses, reoviruses, somatic phages, and F-specific phages were detected in 75% (range, 0.0033 to 5.2 PFU/liter), 83% (0.0030 to 5.9 PFU/liter), 100% (1.1 to 114,156 PFU/liter), and 97% (0.12 to 14,403 PFU/liter), respectively, of 75 tested source water samples originating from 10 locations for drinking water production. By endpoint dilution reverse transcription-PCR (RT-PCR), 45% of the tested source water samples were positive for norovirus RNA (0.22 to 177 PCR-detectable units [PDU]/liter), and 48% were positive for rotavirus RNA (0.65 to 2,249 PDU/liter). Multiple viruses were regularly detected in the source water samples. A significant correlation between the concentrations of the two phages and those of the enteroviruses could be demonstrated. The virus concentrations varied greatly between 10 tested locations, and a seasonal effect was observed. Peak concentrations of pathogenic viruses occur in source waters used for drinking water production. If seasonal and short-term fluctuations coincide with less efficient or failing treatment, an unacceptable public health risk from exposure to this drinking water may occur.

Coagulation/flocculation/ultrafiltration for natural organic matter removal in drinking water production

2004 ◽  
Vol 4 (5-6) ◽  
pp. 215-222 ◽  
Author(s):  
A.R. Costa ◽  
M.N. de Pinho
Keyword(s):  
Drinking Water ◽  
Organic Matter ◽  
Natural Organic Matter ◽  
Membrane Fouling ◽  
Membrane Filtration ◽  
Membrane Surface ◽  
Water Production ◽  
Cellulose Acetate Membranes ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Drinking Water Production

Membrane fouling by natural organic matter (NOM), namely by humic substances (HS), is a major problem in water treatment for drinking water production using membrane processes. Membrane fouling is dependent on membrane morphology like pore size and on water characteristics namely NOM nature. This work addresses the evaluation of the efficiency of ultrafiltration (UF) and Coagulation/Flocculation/UF performance in terms of permeation fluxes and HS removal, of the water from Tagus River (Valada). The operation of coagulation with chitosan was evaluated as a pretreatment for minimization of membrane fouling. UF experiments were carried out in flat cells of 13.2×10−4 m2 of membrane surface area and at transmembrane pressures from 1 to 4 bar. Five cellulose acetate membranes were laboratory made to cover a wide range of molecular weight cut-off (MWCO): 2,300, 11,000, 28,000, 60,000 and 75,000 Da. Severe fouling is observed for the membranes with the highest cut-off. In the permeation experiments of raw water, coagulation prior to membrane filtration led to a significant improvement of the permeation performance of the membranes with the highest MWCO due to the particles and colloidal matter removal.

Barcelona's water supply improvement: the brine collector of the Llobregat river

1994 ◽  
Vol 30 (10) ◽  
pp. 221-227 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jordi Martín-Alonso
Keyword(s):  
Drinking Water ◽  
Surface Water ◽  
Treatment Plant ◽  
Water Treatment Plant ◽  
Salt Mine ◽  
Water Production ◽  
Public Work ◽  
Drinking Water Production ◽  
Llobregat River

The Llobregat is a 156 km long river, which supplies 35% of the Barcelona's drinking water needs from the Sant Joan Despí Water Treatment Plant. Since the establishment of the Salt Mine Works in the Llobregat basin in 1923, a progressive salinization of the water sources has been recorded. The operation of the Brine Collector, as a public work carried out by Aigües de Barcelona (AGBAR), started in 1989; it enabled a very significant improvement in the quality of the surface water used for drinking-water production.

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