Economic valuation of environmental benefits from wastewater treatment processes: An empirical approach for Spain

Economic research into the design and implementation of policies for the efficient management of water resources has been emphasized by the European Water Framework Directive (Directive 2000/60/EC). The efficient implementation of policies to prevent the degradation and depletion of water resources requires determining their value in social and economic terms and incorporating this information into the decision-making process. A process of wastewater treatment has many associated environmental benefits. However, these benefits are often not calculated because they are not set by the market, due to inadequate property rights, the presence of externalities, and the lack of perfect information. Nevertheless, the valuation of these benefits is necessary to justify a suitable investment policy and a limited number of studies exist on the subject of the economic valuation of environmental benefits. In this paper, we propose a methodology based on the estimation of shadow prices for the pollutants removed in a treatment process. This value represents the environmental benefit (avoided cost) associated with undischarged pollution. This is a pioneering approach to the economic valuation of wastewater treatment. The comparison of these benefits with the internal costs of the treatment process will provide a useful indicator for the feasibility of wastewater treatment projects.     

Perspectives on multi-benefit water reuse systems: A confluence of water and wastewater management planning

The multiple benefits of water reuse have yet to be fully realized in our urban water management systems. One pathway to optimal implementation is to plan for their integration with wider assets in water resource or drainage and wastewater management plans. This paper explores the perspectives of water resource and wastewater management planners. Qualitative data was gathered from a workshop organized by the Chartered Institution for Water and Environmental Management (CIWEM) with 25 participants from England's Water Service Providers (WSPs), regulators (Ofwat and the Environment Agency) and consultants working within the UK water sector. The participants acknowledged that water reuse is relevant to both water resource and drainage and wastewater management planning, but that current regulatory and funding frameworks are constraining effective engagement between water resource and drainage and wastewater management planners by encouraging the development of separate plans. A general consensus of the participants was that it would be beneficial to include water reuse technology within current and future Water Resource Management Plans (WRMPs) and Drainage and Wastewater Management Plans (DWMPs). Participants suggested this could be developed through collaborative working partnerships and support from regulatory and funding frameworks that allow for the growth and development of innovative technologies and nature-based solutions. Participants also highlighted a stronger economic case could be made for water reuse technologies if the approach seeks to capture the wider benefits and not only the ‘best value’ solution. Societal acceptance and the availability of good quality data will be key to the successful adoption of any incentivized water reuse schemes.     

宾馆沐浴排水用于下层冲厕的中水处理系统研究

设计、制作了一套小型中水处理装置,将宾馆沐浴排水在卫生间内分散处理后用于下层冲厕,处理流程为泡沫溢流-砂滤-活性炭吸附-紫外灯辐照.将处理装置安装于宾馆卫生间内,试验运行60 d内处理出水中除表面活性剂的浓度略高于<生活杂用水水质标准>中冲厕用水的水质标准外,浊度、COD、大肠菌群数等均达到冲厕用水水质标准.对实际工程的经济技术性分析表明,该工艺合理可行,可获得较好的经济效益和环境效益,具有巨大的工程推广价值.     

A policy framework for trans‐boundary wastewater issues along the Green Line,the Israeli–Palestinian border

The annual discharges of municipal wastewater across the Green Line (the Israeli–Palestinian border) are causing a bi‐national conflict with political, environmental, and economic dimensions. This paper surveys the current scope of wastewater facilities in Palestinian communities and discusses the immense challenges to achieving sustainable wastewater treatment facilities. Current Israeli water policy hinders effective regional solutions to trans‐boundary wastewater issues. This paper proposes a less confrontational approach to solve common problems. The better management of bi‐national wastewater resources could establish sustainable trans‐boundary sanitation facilities. This would bring a range of benefits to health, the environment, and socio‐economic life.     

太阳能-土壤源热泵热水系统案例分析

本文以南京市银杏山庄的太阳能-土壤源热泵复合系统为例,对系统设计、运行模式、运营维护以及所产生的经济环境效益进行探讨,并针对运行管理中遇到的维护问题进行了设计上的优化,以保证地源热泵系统的正常运行。     

天津港区污水处理项目评价研究

以天津港北疆污水设施改扩建工程项目为例,首先介绍了项目背景及意义;其次通过分析本工程建设后带来的经济效益和环境效益,探讨了其经济评价和环境影响评价的内容,以及应注意的问题,为今后该类港口污水处理项目提供相应的参考。     

An inexact chance-constrained programming model for water quality management in Binhai New Area of Tianjin, China

In this study, an inexact-chance-constrained water quality management (ICC-WQM) model is developed for planning regional environmental management under uncertainty. This method is based on an integration of interval linear programming (ILP) and chance-constrained programming (CCP) techniques. ICC-WQM allows uncertainties presented as both probability distributions and interval values to be incorporated within a general optimization framework. Complexities in environmental management systems can be systematically reflected, thus applicability of the modeling process can be highly enhanced. The developed method is applied to planning chemical-industry development in Binhai New Area of Tianjin, China. Interval solutions associated with different risk levels of constraint violation have been obtained. They can be used for generating decision alternatives and thus help decision makers identify desired policies under various system-reliability constraints of water environmental capacity of pollutant. Tradeoffs between system benefits and constraint-violation risks can also be tackled. They are helpful for supporting (a) decision of wastewater discharge and government investment, (b) formulation of local policies regarding water consumption, economic development and industry structure, and (c) analysis of interactions among economic benefits, system reliability and pollutant discharges.     

糖蜜酒精废水处理项目实施CDM效益分析

针对糖蜜酒精废水的特点和处理难点,在介绍满足该类废水处理项目实施清洁发展机制（CDM）的方法学、额外性论证工具的基础上,分析了某实际工程实施CDM的经济、环境效益。该类废水处理项目实施CDM,既可以大幅度减少CH4的排放和能源消耗,还能够获取国际资金和技术支持,从而为制糖企业的发展提供了新途径。     

Nanotechnology‐based wastewater treatment

Water contamination is a global challenge impacting both the environment and human health with significant economic and social costs. The growing scarcity of usable water resources requires effective treatment of wastewater. In this context, developing cheaper, safer and more efficient wastewater treatment technologies are the need of the hour. One promising approach that several studies have reported success has been the usage of nanomaterials in water and waste water management. The rapid progress of research in nanomaterial sciences has shown their growing potential; however, there has not been a great amount of information available on their implementation. This review focuses on developments in nanotechnology that hold strong potential for wastewater treatment. The review covers key techniques in nanomaterial‐based water treatments including adsorption, filtration and photocatalysis with recent examples showing how to improve their properties and efficiencies according to the need.     

Contingent Valuation of First-Time Sewerage Provision in South-East England

Section 101A of the Water Industry Act 1991 requires that sewerage undertakers provide a public sewer to replace private wastewater systems if certain conditions are met. These include identification of pollution and amenity problems attributable to the private systems and economic justification of public sewer provision. Economic justification necessitates that the costs and the benefits of public sewer provision are compared. An environmental valuation study, using the contingent valuation method, has been carried out in three locations in south-east England to provide the average monetary value of the benefits accruing to households with unsatisfactory private systems. A statistical analysis of the survey-response data has yielded a monetary value which can be used in the assessment of the benefits of first-time public sewerage schemes.     

Anaerobic treatment of domestic wastewater in temperate climates: treatment plant modelling with economic considerations.

Although research suggests that anaerobic treatment of low-strength domestic wastewater is possible in temperate climates, to date, full-scale applications have only been pioneered in hot regions. However, burgeoning environmental legislation in developed countries is giving the impetus to develop anaerobic wastewater treatment systems due to potential economic and environmental benefits they hold over traditional aerobic techniques. In this paper a design rationale for low-temperature, low-strength (COD < 1,000 mgl(-1)), two-phase anaerobic wastewater treatment is developed through empirical modelling of data from published research, and from assumptions arising from a literature review. Model calculations are applied to typical domestic sewage characteristics at two different flow rates, based on population equivalents. Results indicate that soluble COD production in the model hydrolytic tank are similar to those achieved in pilot scale plants in the Netherlands. Model anaerobic reactor sludge characteristics are similar to those achieved in pilot and full-scale anaerobic reactors treating low-strength wastewaters. Indicative cost figures for a two-phase anaerobic treatment plant are given, but are incomplete without an assessment of the cost of post-treatment processes. Anaerobic treatment is likely to become more attractive in the future as new legislation relating to sludge disposal and renewable energy generation are introduced.     

大港油田再生水厂工艺介绍

介绍了大港油田再生水厂的处理工艺,包括污水处理工程、深度处理回用工程、污泥处理三部分。分别论述了这三个阶段选用的工艺方法,并结合环境和市场分析论证了该工程处理工艺的可行性。再生水厂出水回用作热电厂、聚丙烯厂、煅烧焦厂工艺用水,具有较好的经济效益、环境效益和社会效益。     

曝气生物滤池处理高档卷烟纸生产废水

采用混凝沉淀/曝气生物滤池(BAF)组合工艺对卷烟纸生产废水进行处理,处理水量为2 000～3 400 m3/d,混凝沉淀出水COD为120～400 mg/L,色度为2～4倍。经BAF工艺处理后的出水COD<100 mg/L,去除率稳定在50%～80%,色度<4倍。工程运行实践表明,采用混凝沉淀/BAF组合工艺处理高档卷烟纸生产废水稳定可行,具有良好的经济效益和环境效益。     

雨水集蓄利用工程经济分析

根据国企苑创建的雨、污水收集回用示范工程的具体概况，介绍了雨水处理工艺的设计原则、设计内容，并对该雨水回收利用工程做了经济分析，结果显示，该雨水利用工程具有明显的社会经济效益。     

热陶瓷工业废水处理的工艺优化研究

摩根凯龙(荆门)热陶瓷有限公司主要生产、销售各类高温耐火材料,其主要生产污染源为湿法生产的废水,主要污染物成份为淀粉和硅溶胶等复杂有机成分,以及来自办公楼、食堂和浴室的生活污水。综合工艺优化后,采用联合生化-物化,即活性污泥和常规的给水工艺:混凝、沉淀、过滤结合的处理工艺,处理后出水达标。     

Developing a multicriteria approach for the measurement of sustainable performance

In Australia, cost–benefit analysis (CBA) is one of the conventional tools used widely by the public and the private sectors in the appraisal of projects. It measures and compares the total costs and benefits of projects that are competing for scarce resources in monetary terms. Growing concerns that the values of environmental goods and services are often ignored or underestimated in the CBA approach have led to the overuse and depletion of environmental assets. A model of a sustainability index as an evaluation tool that combines economic, social and environmental criteria into an indexing algorithm is presented and described. The sustainability index uses monetary and non-monetary approaches to rank projects and facilities on their contribution to sustainability. This process enables the principle of trade-off to occur in the decision-making process and thereby allows environmental values to be considered when selecting a development option. This makes it possible to optimize financial return, maximize resource consumption and minimize detrimental effects to the natural and man-made world. A case study is used to demonstrate the model.     

用建筑垃圾处理软土地基取得成功

用建筑垃圾作为换垫材料对软土地基进行处理取得了完全成功，这一变废为宝的处理办法取得了极为明显的经济效益和环境效益，完全符合国家关于建高资源节约型和环境友好型社会的思想，值得推广。     

Using multi-criteria analysis to explore non-market monetary values of water quality changes in the context of the Water Framework Directive

The EU Water Framework Directive represents a major change in the management of water resources and sets ambitious ecological objectives for all European waters. In the Directive, the economic assessment of the non-market environmental benefits of water quality improvements plays a crucial role. Studies valuing these benefits are now appearing in the literature, applying stated preference valuation techniques. However, these techniques are often criticized for providing only narrow mono-criterion information to the decision-making process. The research presented here builds on a recent line of investigation that combines monetary stated preference tools, in this case a choice experiment, with multi-criteria analysis, in this case the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP). We argue that the AHP can contribute to a better understanding and interpretation of the choice experiment results by exploring the criteria involved in respondents' trade-off between the attributes. The AHP provides relevant insights for the application of use-based water quality ladders in the valuation of environmental benefits in the context of the WFD. Results also show the importance of the spatial dimension of preferences for water quality.     

Developing a multicriteria approach for the measurement of sustainable performance

In Australia, cost-benefit analysis (CBA) is one of the conventional tools used widely by the public and the private sectors in the appraisal of projects. It measures and compares the total costs and benefits of projects that are competing for scarce resources in monetary terms. Growing concerns that the values of environmental goods and services are often ignored or underestimated in the CBA approach have led to the overuse and depletion of environmental assets. A model of a sustainability index as an evaluation tool that combines economic, social and environmental criteria into an indexing algorithm is presented and described. The sustainability index uses monetary and non-monetary approaches to rank projects and facilities on their contribution to sustainability. This process enables the principle of trade-off to occur in the decision-making process and thereby allows environmental values to be considered when selecting a development option. This makes it possible to optimize financial return, maximize resource consumption and minimize detrimental effects to the natural and man-made world. A case study is used to demonstrate the model.     

A decision support tool for sustainable planning of urban water systems: Presenting the Dynamic Urban Water Simulation Model

Population growth, urbanisation and climate change represent significant pressures on urban water resources, requiring water managers to consider a wider array of management options that account for economic, social and environmental factors. The Dynamic Urban Water Simulation Model (DUWSiM) developed in this study links urban water balance concepts with the land use dynamics model MOLAND and the climate model LARS-WG, providing a platform for long term planning of urban water supply and water demand by analysing the effects of urbanisation scenarios and climatic changes on the urban water cycle. Based on potential urbanisation scenarios and their effects on a city's water cycle, DUWSiM provides the functionality for assessing the feasibility of centralised and decentralised water supply and water demand management options based on forecasted water demand, stormwater and wastewater generation, whole life cost and energy and potential for water recycling. DUWSiM has been tested using data from Dublin, the capital of Ireland, and it has been shown that the model is able to satisfactorily predict water demand and stormwater runoff.