Water as a Resource

SITE PLANNING & LANDSCAPING

AR SYED ZAHID

WATER RESOURCES Esther Kiruba | 19171NB002

CONTENTS OUTLINE OF TOPICS Water Resources Impact on Water Resources Water in Landscape Water Features Waste Water & Phyto-Remediation Water Sustainability SDG 6 United Nations Inferences

WATER RESOURCES WHAT ARE WATER RESOURCES? Water- a must for all life forms on earth and the most important natural resource. We all know that about three-fourths of the earth’s surface is covered with water.

But about 96.5% of the global water resources come from the oceans and seas.

In India, the water resources amount to an estimated 1897 square kilometre per annum.

‘WATER WATER EVERYWHERE, NOT A DROP TO DRINK.’ If we do not wisely use and conserve our water resources, this saying might become reality.

https://climatekids.nasa.gov/water-cycle/

WATER RESOURCES

Types of Water Resources, sciencing.com

WATER SOURCES 2020 edition of the World Water Development Report (WWDR 2020)

FRESH WATER About 10% of the Earth’s freshwater that is neither frozen nor underground is found in the atmosphere.

Precipitation, in the form of rain or snow, for instance, is an important form of available freshwater.

About 40% of precipitation has previously evaporated from the oceans; the rest from land.

The amount of precipitation varies greatly around the world, from less than 100 mm a year in desert climates to over 3 400 mm a year in tropical settings.

Lifewater International, written by Fred Proby

IMPACTS ON WATER RESOURCES ECOLOGICAL

Water sustains both terrestrial (forests, grasslands, etc.) and freshwater ecosystems (rivers, lakes and wetlands), which provide important services such as water supplies, natural purification, food production, cultural values and economic activities.

Yet, on top of the impacts of climate change, rapidly occurring ecosystem degradation due to pollutants from industrial, mining and agricultural activities, untreated urban and rural waste, oil spills, and toxic dumping has caused strong negative effects on biodiversity and freshwater ecosystems, also threatening essential ecosystem services.

1 million animal and plant species are threatened with extinction, and freshwater species are the ones that have suffered the greatest decline, falling by 84% since 1970.

H and PA | The Green Tree Towers

IMPACTS ON WATER RESOURCES HUMAN LIFE Poor water quality due to eutrophication (mostly from poor sanitation and poor nutrient management) is one of the most widespread problems affecting available water supplies, fisheries and recreational activities.

Climate change is expected to exacerbate water quality degradation as a result of higher water temperatures, reduced dissolved oxygen and thus a reduced self-purifying capacity of freshwater bodies.

As floods and droughts are likely to increase due to climate change, there are further risks of water pollution and pathogenic contamination caused by flooding or by the higher pollutant concentrations during drought.

H and PA | The Green Tree Towers

IMPACTS ON WATER RESOURCES HUMAN LIFE Urbanization is an important pollution source, particularly in developing countries and especially for groundwater, as a result of under-managed solid waste disposal and poorly managed sanitation infrastructure.

Even in well-managed sanitation systems, climate change may indirectly exacerbate groundwater contamination risk through the switch to unprotected on-site sanitation and open defecation when droughts limit water availability for flush toilets and proper hygiene practices associated with well-managed sanitation systems

H and PA | The Green Tree Towers

IMPACTS ON WATER RESOURCES WATER INFRASTRUCTURE More intense and more frequent floods increase the risks of damage to water treatment and supply infrastructure, which can lead to service disruptions.

Water and wastewater infrastructure in coastal low-lying cities are more prone to severe flooding.

Wastewater treatment plants have to deal with increasing incidents of pollution surges caused by floods.

Increasing variability in rainfall intensity and patterns caused by climate change have a significant impact on the performance of urban drainage systems, with an increase in combined wastewater and stormwater overflows during heavy precipitation and flooding H and PA | The Green Tree Towers

IMPACTS ON WATER RESOURCES CLIMATE CHANGE Climate change markedly change the seasonal variation in river-flow. Higher temperatures will push the snow limit upwards in mountainous regions. This, in conjunction with less precipitation falling as snow, will result in a higher winter run-off and melting of Glaciers.

Depending on the region, climate change will have widely differing effects on water. Higher temperatures will generally intensify the global hydrological cycle.

Annual precipitation trends will also change Low water and droughts have severe consequences on most sectors, particularly agriculture, forestry, energy, and drinking water provision.

Climate impacts on water resources EEA

HOW IS WATER USED IN LANDSCAPE? In Site Planning and Landscape water plays the most important role both as a resource and as a feature Water is the main source of nourishment for the designed Landscapes Water features add sound, texture, and movement to landscaping design It adds to symbolism in many cases where the landscape is planned and designed for particular themes

WATER IN LANDSCAPE

Water also has to be managed where there is natural occurrence of water like what happens to the rain water, storm water management, designing and shaping the site according to water run off patterns and existing topography of the site.

Water in the landscape, John, MaysonWhalley

WATER FEATURE Water features are a diverse element in the landscape, ranging from natural appearing small ponds to formal precision water veils.

The possibilities are limited only by the imagination and the physical characteristics of water.

Ponds include biotic features such as plants and perhaps fish, whereas pools have no biotic elements.

The key to the water feature is the pool or pond: the presence of fountains or falls or other features are framed within the pool or pond Ponds and pools have become very popular landscape features in recent years. Successful ponds and pools are always a marriage of design and construction Site Planning and Design Handbook Thomas H. Russ, RLA

WATER FEATURE CONSTRUCTION EXAMPLE Identifying, retaining and preserving existing water features and water sources such as retention ponds, pools, and fountains prior to beginning project work.

Evaluating the condition, and, where applicable, the evolution of water features over time.

For example, assessing water quality and/or utilizing archeological techniques to determine the changing path of a watercourse.

Site Planning and Design Handbook Thomas H. Russ, RLA

WASTE WATER

BLACK WATER

GREY WATER

YELLOW WATER

This is wastewater that originates from toilet fixtures, dishwashers, and food preparation sinks.

They are known to be highly contaminated with dissolved chemicals, particulate matter and is very pathogenic.

This is wastewater that originates from non-toilet and food fixtures such as bathroom sinks, laundry machines, spas, bathtubs and so on.

Graywater is treated very differently from Blackwater and is usually suitable for re-use.

This is basically urine collected with specific channels and not contaminated with either blackwater or graywater.

eschooltoday.com/wastewater/types-and-sources-of-wastewater.html

PROCESS OF GREY WATER USAGE

The Conversation A new strategy for drought-stressed cities: graywater recycling

PROCESS OF GREY WATER USAGE Grey water or sullage is all the wastewater generated in households or office buildings from streams without fecal contamination, i.e. all streams except for the wastewater from toilets.

Sources of grey water include sinks, showers, baths, washing machines or dishwashers. As grey water contains fewer pathogens than domestic wastewater, it is generally safer to handle and easier to treat and reuse onsite for toilet flushing, landscape or crop irrigation, and other non-potable uses.

The application of grey water reuse in urban water systems provides substantial benefits for both the water supply subsystem by reducing the demand for fresh clean water and for the wastewater subsystems by reducing the amount of wastewater required to be conveyed and treated. Treated grey water has many uses, for example, toilet flushing or irrigation The separate treatment of grey water falls under the concept of source separation, which is one principle commonly applied in ecological sanitation approaches. The main advantage of keeping grey water separate from toilet wastewater is that the pathogen load is greatly reduced, and the grey water is therefore easier to treat and reuse.

When grey water is mixed with toilet wastewater, it is called sewage or black water and should be treated in sewage treatment plants or an onsite sewage facility, which is often a septic system http://www.letsgogreen.com/greywater-recycling.html

BENEFITS OF GREY WATER USAGE Demand on conventional water supplies and pressure on sewage treatment systems is reduced by the use of grey water. Reusing grey water also reduces the volume of sewage effluent entering watercourses which can be ecologically beneficial.

In times of drought, especially in urban areas, grey water use in gardens or toilet systems helps to achieve some of the goals of ecologically sustainable development.

The potential ecological benefits of grey water recycling include: 1. Reduced freshwater extraction from rivers and aquifers 2. Less impact from septic tank and treatment plant infrastructure 3. Reduced energy use and chemical pollution from treatment 4. Groundwater recharge 5. Reclamation of nutrients 6. Greater quality of surface and ground water when preserved by the natural purification in the top layers of soil than generated water treatment processes 7. Can reduce the demand for fresh water, and when people reduce the use of fresh water, the cost of domestic water consumption is significantly reduced, while alleviating the pressure of global water resources.

8. Can reduce the amount of wastewater entering the sewer or on-site treatment system. http://www.letsgogreen.com/greywater-recycling.html

PHYTO-REMEDIATION Phytoremediation is a bioremediation process that uses various types of plants to remove, transfer, stabilize, and/or destroy contaminants in the soil and groundwater.

Phytoremediation basically refers to the use of plants and associated soil microbes to reduce the concentrations or toxic effects of contaminants in the environment.

Phytoremediation is widely accepted as a cost-effective environmental restoration technology.

Phytoremediation is an alternative to engineering procedures that are usually more destructive to the soil.

Phytoremediation of contaminated sites should ideally not exceed one decade to reach acceptable levels of contaminants in the environment.

Phytoremediation is, however, limited to the root-zone of plants. Also, this technology has limited application where the concentrations of contaminants are toxic to plants.

PhytoremediationBy: Sigurdur Greipsson (Department of Biology & Physics, Kennesaw State University)

TYPES OF PHYTOREMEDIATION PhytoEXTRACTION PhytoDEGRADATION PhytoVOLATALIZATION PhytoSTABILISATION PhytoSTIMULATION Phytoremediation of Soils Contaminated with Metals and Metalloids at Mining Areas: Potential of Native FloraBy Paulo J.C. Favas

USES OF PHYTOREMEDIATION

The diversity of pollutants to which it can be applied⎯crude oil, metals, explosives, pesticides, chlorinated solvents and numerous other contaminants⎯is the prime reason the technology has developed rapidly Phytoremediation would be the best cleanup method for many affected sites, stripped off all their nutrients.

CHERNOBYL: Most of the land within a 10 km radius of the Chernobyl Nuclear Plant is still heavily contaminated by the 1986 accident. In 1998, a 3 year investigation of the potential of willow vegetation systems to stabilise the contaminated land and thereby reduce the dispersion of radionuclides was initiated under the PHYTOR project.

Establishment of willow reduced resuspension and erosion of soil and sediment. This helped in bringing back the soil contamination levels to as low as possible.

Phytoremediation of Soils Contaminated with Metals and Metalloids at Mining Areas: Potential of Native FloraBy Paulo J.C. Favas

USES OF PHYTOREMEDIATION Human industry, farming, and waste disposal practices have resulted in the large-scale contamination of soil and water with organic compounds and heavy metals, with detrimental effects on ecosystems and human health.

Conventional soil remediation methods are expensive and often involve the storage of soil in designated areas, postponing rather than solving the problem. In the last decade, the pressing need to find alternative methods has highlighted the scientific and economic benefits of plants and their associated microorganisms, which can be used for the reclamation of polluted soil and water This is an elegant and low-cost approach for the decontamination of polluted sites and has been greeted with a high degree of public acceptance, therefore prompting research into the use of phytoremediation technology to address the large areas of land and water currently affected Editorial: Environmental phytoremediation: plants and microorganisms at work Front. Plant Sci., 07 July 2015

WATER SUSTAINABILITY CONTEXT Great cities are defined and illuminated by the water that surrounds or flows through them. From the harbors of New York to the river estuaries of London to Amsterdam’s canals or the beaches of Sydney, water is what gives a city its unique magnetism.

CHALLENGES Now more than ever, cities, their waterscapes and water sources face challenges: water demand is rising, aquifers are being depleted and the threat of extreme weather is increasing.

Aging infrastructure and funding issues continue to plague systems worldwide. On the other hand, increased use of automation and technology — key tools to achieve efficiency — are themselves vulnerable to disruption.

Cities are responsible for protecting their citizens from pollutants, diseases and destructive storm surges that can be difficult to anticipate.

Urbanization causes further demand for drinking water and sanitation, while increasing impermeable areas that can contribute to flooding. As a result, many cities are struggling and many more are vulnerable. https://waterfm.com/water-sustainability-achieve/

WATER SUSTAINABILITY CITIES Natural and manmade challenges call for different interventions from city to city.

STRATEGIES Policy and Planning Resiliency as a Pathway Towards Sustainability Major cities worldwide have now placed resiliency planning on the agenda, an initial step to becoming more sustainable.

Urban adaptive planning With the abundance of challenges our urban world is now facing, it is difficult to exactly plan and design for the mid- and long-term future. It is precisely for this reason that modern planning practices have to be adaptive and risk-based, as well as flexible enough to account for unexpected circumstances or developments.

WATER SUSTAINABILITY STRATEGIES

Resilience Green Space and Multi-Purpose Urban Solutions Many cities are turning to green infrastructure projects to manage stormwater issues as an alternative to traditional methods of piped drainage. Green infrastructure can provide valuable green space and recreation for the residents of a city, reduce the urban heat island effect, and enhance biodiversity and ecological resilience.

Stormwater Management When it rains, the water that runs off our roofs can be collected, where allowable, for future reuse with minimum hassle.

Rainwater harvesting is increasingly practiced in larger urban facilities including sports arenas and recreational complexes. In many cities it is worthwhile to collect this water instead of letting it drain into the subsoil or directly in collection systems.

This approach is gaining popularity in many water scarce areas.

WATER SUSTAINABILITY STRATEGIES Desalination Desalination can be a reliable source of drinking water that enables continuity and access for a city’s inhabitants. Taking saltwater from the ocean and turning it into usable freshwater is commonplace in many arid coastal locations. It is, in fact, the fastest growing alternative water supply source in the world and can be a valuable weapon for cities looking to diversify their water supply and reduce water shortages.

Water Reuse Effectively reusing and transporting water in a cost-effective and safe way can contribute considerably to water availability and can be crucial to meeting a city’s long-term demand. More and more often, the water we drink starts out as natural water that has been used before.

WATER SUSTAINABILITY STRATEGIES

Optimization of Urban Water Use Optimization of water resources starts with a good knowledge of assets, system performance and the types and levels of usage, both current and projected. Combining this information with knowledge of the system’s vulnerabilities, risks and stress points lead to actionable plans that can help utilities produce greater efficiencies.

Urban Asset Preservation and Management Aging urban water infrastructure poses a serious challenge. Deferred maintenance and spending have resulted in a major funding gap. Risk-based asset management approaches are increasingly being used to prioritize capital and operating investments. This means allocating funds to address specific risks and those assets with the highest potential of failure. This also focuses resources against assets whose failure would have the biggest impact on the urban economy, environment and communities.

Water Quality Water quality is arguably where urban sustainability performance is highest, since drinking water plays such a critical role in quality of life. Cities in the developed world have historically improved their prosperity and economies only after adequately addressing water quality and sanitation. Cities in the developing world, however, will need to improve water quality to become prosperous, sustainable urban centers.

UN SDG

UNITED NATIONS SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOAL 6 The importance of this goal is to ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all.

This is one of the most pressing of the SDGs; it includes emphasis to end open defecation and to aid women, girls, and those with disabilities in vulnerable situations.

It also challenges nations to # Reduce pollution # Eliminate dumping # Minimize the release of hazardous chemicals and materials # Halve the proportion of untreated wastewater # Increase recycling and safe reuse globally

https://www.sdg6data.org/

TARGETS OF SDG 6 6.1 By 2030, achieve universal and equitable access to safe and affordable drinking water for all 6.2 By 2030, achieve access to adequate and equitable sanitation and hygiene for all and end open defecation, paying special attention to the needs of women and girls and those in vulnerable situations 6.3 By 2030, improve water quality by reducing pollution, eliminating dumping and minimizing release of hazardous chemicals and materials, halving the proportion of untreated wastewater and substantially increasing recycling and safe reuse globally 6.4 By 2030, substantially increase water-use efficiency across all sectors and ensure sustainable withdrawals and supply of freshwater to address water scarcity and substantially reduce the number of people suffering from water scarcity

TARGETS OF SDG 6 6.5 By 2030, implement integrated water resources management at all levels, including through transboundary cooperation as appropriate 6.6 By 2020, protect and restore water-related ecosystems, including mountains, forests, wetlands, rivers, aquifers and lakes 6.a By 2030, expand international cooperation and capacity-building support to developing countries in water- and sanitation-related activities and programmes, including water harvesting, desalination, water efficiency, wastewater treatment, recycling and reuse technologies 6.b Support and strengthen the participation of local communities in improving water and sanitation management

https://www.sdg6data.org/

SDG 6 (WORLDWIDE) AT PRESENT

SDG 6 (INDIA) AT PRESENT

SDG 6 (INDIA) STATS

SDG India: Index & Dashboard 2019-20

INFERENCES

Water is the main resource that helps in maintaining and designing the site and landscape With carefully planned landscapes stunning gardens and beautiful lawns can be maintained without extensive watering, fertilization, and pesticide application.

Phytoremediation help remove contaminants in tandem with a number of different processes. They help to remove, transfer, stabilize, and/or destroy contaminants in the soil and groundwater.

Using Water sources properly in the site can help in enhancing and restoring ecosystem Preservation of the ground water and ground water aquifer replenishment is very important.

When water is treated properly and reused or recycled it helps to save water resources and makes a big difference.