A resilience assessment method for urban water systems

Infrastructure planning for Urban Water Systems (UWSs) is challenged by, inter alia, increasing uncertainty in both demand and availability of water and aging infrastructure, and this is already impacting the climate-proofing of cities. In this context, the idea of resilience has been gradually embraced by the water sector, but the term itself is not yet universally defined, nor operationalised. Here, we propose a methodology to assess the resilience of a UWS, defining it as the degree to which the UWS continues to perform under increasing stress. A resilience assessment method is then proposed as a ‘stress-test’ of UWS configurations, under increasingly more stressful scenarios. We then demonstrate a toolbox assembled for the proposed analysis using, as a proof of concept, a semi-synthetic case study. Results are promising, suggesting that the approach could assist in the uptake and evolution of resilience thinking in strategic water infrastructure decision making, leading to water-wiser cities.     

OPTIMAL MAINTENANCE SCHEDULING FOR WATER DISTRIBUTION SYSTEMS

The scheduling of maintenance for water distribution systems is a complex task encompassing a wide range of alternatives. The methodology presented in this paper can consider the major piping alternatives of replacing and cleaning, and relining. It also considers the potential of pumping improvements while accounting for the costs of maintenance, failure and operations for a multiple-period planning horizon. To solve the problem a nonlinear optimization model is linked with a network simulation model. The application showed that the procedure can determine solutions in reasonable times.     

A multi-objective model for seasonal personnel reassignment

The focus of this research was the development of a model to address the problem of reassigning summer construction workers to winter snow and ice removal teams in an efficient and cost-effective manner. The model is a multi-objective integer program that can generate the complete and precise trade-off curve between the objectives of minimizing total distance that the reassigned workforce must travel from their respective homes to one of many site locations, and minimizing the maximum distance that any one worker must travel. System constraints include demand requirements for workers at each site and the limited availability of state-owned vehicles that may be issued to workers assigned to remote sites. Details of the model structure and solution procedure are presented together with the results of an actual application.     

Legislation and the motor car

Vehicle legislation for safety and emission control is led by the USA where half the world's cars and one‐third of the world's road deaths are found. The 1975/6 standards will cause confrontations between industry and government in the U.S.A. and have costly implications for the American people. The rest of the world is affected by what happens in the U.S.A. but for language and other reasons fragmented laws are normal with conflicting requirements for manufacturers who supply the many markets. The greatest force for harmonization of legislation may be the enlarged Common Market including, as it does, the four major European Car manufacturing countries. The Common Market Commission may displace WP 29 of the United Nations as the leading law‐making body. Type approval is the compliance system used in Europe, but the growth in scope of safety and other legislation is bringing into focus a weakness of the system which is reducing production efficiency to an alarming degree. American style self‐certification is not acceptable to European governments.     

The use of site surveys in the collection of recreation data,with particular Reference to the congleton district of Cheshire

The provision of countryside recreation facilities at a local level is likely to receive increasing attention during the next decade. As an integral part of the assessment of the quality of present provision within the Congleton District of Cheshire (U.K.) five site surveys were made. Each site provides different facilities for recreation and interview questions were designed to investigate the background of the visitors and the nature of the interplay between site and visitor. The analysis of answers attempts to illustrate those aspects of this interrelationship, which may be important during the consideration of future provision of recreation sites and their management.     

An environmental purpose artificial island off Belgium

Processing municipal and industrial wastes on land and particularly near inhabited centra has met with increased opposition. An apparent remedy to the problem is the establishment of such facilities offshore, hence various projects to build them on artificial islands. The paper examines a concrete proposal to locate such an island offshore from the Belgian Coast. Oceanographic and environmental aspects of the site are discussed, construction methods reviewed, erosion and corrosion effects looked at. The possibility of utilizing ocean power to provide the necessary operation energy is likewise considered.     

Removal of Lissamine Red From Wastewater Using Waste Materials

Feasibility of a waste material, flyash, as a material for purification of wastewater containing Lissamine Red has been studied. Effects of time and concentration, temperature and pH on the removal of the dye have been studied. Lower concentrations favour the uptake of dye from water and the maximum removal was observed at a dye concentration of 20 mgL m 1 , 30°C, pH of 7 and adsorbent particle size of 53 µm. Dynamics of the uptake was studied using Lagergren's equation. The mass transfer coefficient was found to be 0.05 cmmin m 1 at a concentration of 20 mgL m 1 , 30°C and 53 µm particle size.     

Hydrocarbon stress response of four tropical plants in weathered crude oil contaminated soil in microcosms

Responses to hydrocarbon stress of four tropical plants Panicum maximum, Zea mays, Centrosema sp. and Pueraria sp. grown in crude oil contaminated soils (1%, 5% and 10% w/w) were evaluated in a green house. Plants’ percentage survival, shoot heights, biomass development, and phytotoxicity susceptibility were used as indicators of growth, stress response and hydrocarbon tolerance. Relative to control, shoot heights and biomass of plants reduced with increasing hydrocarbon concentration, but 1% w/w oil-in-soil, stimulated shoot heights (5.9% and 6.4%) and weights (21.9% and 2.3%) in P. maximum and Centrosema sp. respectively. P. maximum tolerated the contaminant stress with biomass yields of 113% and 57% of control respectively in 1% and 10% w/w oil-in-soil. All the plants had 100% survival in 1% w/w, but considerably reduced survival in 10% w/w oil-in-soil. These results show that P. maximum has great potential for phytoremediation of petroleum contaminated soil.