Showing posts with label savewater. Show all posts
Showing posts with label savewater. Show all posts

Mar 30, 2023

Some thoughts on water infrastructure and water resources

Please visit my web page "Urban Tenets" at https://urbantenets.nl/

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Water supply network infrastructure, if not maintained and operated properly may rather become an infrastructure for speedy wastage the precious high value treated water. Non revenue water (NRW), which is primarily leaked water at trunk transmission/ distribution infrastructure level, is a big challenge across countries and demands no less focus and attention than what we give to minimise water consumption.

The best thing a city administrations can do to immediately start water saving and stop household and facility level water wastage (due to inefficient appliances and leakage), is to a) set aside some amount from budget to replace old water fixtures, install new water saving fixtures and/or retrofit existing appliances/ fixtures (tap/ faucets etc.) with small water saving fixtures in each household, free of cost b) to send technicians/ plumbers periodically and on rotation to each household for checking the health of water fixtures and for maintenance if required, that too free of cost. Reduced effective per capita water usage and reduced NRW shall itself possibly be able to pay for these budget expenses in many cases.

At community level, especially cities with lakes and ponds, and at urban fringe and especially in rural areas, local community should be encouraged to adopt the lake and pond, with appropriate mechanism and incentives.

As a city planners, and as many other professionals, through spatial planning or otherwise (event etc.) should find more reasons and more ways to connect city life and a much border range and profile of citizens, to all sorts of waterbodies, so that more and more citizens feel engagement with water and feel the connect, ownership and purpose to protect and regenerate waterbodies.

Finally scientists and entrepreneurs should devise a new system/ technique/ practice/ frugal and inexpensive tool of shared economy at the confluence of open pond aquaculture, open field farming and indoor aquaponics, so that benefits of scientific aquaponics practices and traditional knowledge of pond based aquaculture/open farming can come together, for benefit to a wider community.

Author: Anoop Jha

[Recent update

Starting 2024, launching urban management, interior design, home decor and commissioned artwork services in the Netherlands, serving local as well as international remote clients.

Please Note, that I am also conducting a FREE 45-minute online individual consultation on your interior design and home decor needs and aspirations if you are in the Netherlands or even internationallyDrop me an email at anoop.jha@gmail.com 

Please visit my web page "Urban Tenets" at https://urbantenets.nl/

Instagram interior design page @urbantenets 

Instagram fine art and illustration page @urbanoregional 

My LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anoopjha/

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#urbanplanning #urbandevelopment #urbanmanagement #urbandesign #smartcity #Amsterdam #Utretch #Hague #Delft #Eindhoven #Rotterdam #Netherlands #aquaculture #aquaponics #worldwaterday #worldwaterday2023 #savewater #regenratewaterbodies #communityponds

Feb 18, 2023

WATER SUPPLY - Revisiting demand estimation approach

Please visit my web page "Urban Tenets" at https://urbantenets.nl/

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Flat assumption of Litre Per Capita Per Day (LPCD) water requirement as basis for residential water demand is most likely to give wrong estimate, error compounded by a)Fixed average household size considered b) multiple available choices for base year population like census, property tax records, existing municipal billing records c) randomised selection of population growth rate formula d) no consideration of water saving fixtures and appliances in the equation, e) no consideration of regional lifestyle peculiarity f) no consideration of water demand fluctuation over seasonal weather change cycle g) no consideration for emerging lifestyle changes

You will see why they pay little attention to such fundamental assumptions with this example. Have they revised per capita water requirement after covid Pandemic, hence the revised water demand at city level? Answer is "No", while no one failed to recommend that keep washing your hands frequently for instance. Imagine millions and millions of people suddenly started washing hands several times a day as a newly adopted lifestyle changes, some taking shower everytime they returned home from outside, but no thought given to accommodate likely changes in per capita water consumption due to same.

Further, are they going to revise Litre Per Capita Per Day number based on new lifestyle changes post Covid19 as citizens are likely to continue practicing good hygiene in future, adding more pressure on water demand. Likely answer is "No", but correct answer is that "they must revisit" LPCD number, including all other missed criteria as mentioned above.

Multi-criteria demand assessment and Agility are key to stay relevant when it comes to urban infrastructure planning.

Author: Anoop Jha

#watersupply #waterinfrastructure #infrastructure #demand #supply #estimation #smartcity #urbanplanning #cityplanning #townplanning #savewater #waterresource #wtp #municipality #municipalcorporation #ulb