Chapter 8 – Water Resource Planning

8.1 Introduction Water is critical for life Climate change is exacerbating the normal weather patterns Use LCA to reveal inefficiencies Water in LCA – Water as impact – resource used in mfg – Water as functional unit – provide a service

8.2 Water as an Indicator Could sum water use like we would sum CO2 emissions Or handle like fossil fuels depleted Difficulty with applying to specific site – Rice grown in Arkansas – Rice grown in New Mexico

8.2 - Eutrophication Eutrophication potential – maybe looking at N or P transport – Assessing potential environmental damage Way to characterize water – Use – water utilized and returned Maybe expand system boundary to include other uses – Consumption – water used and denied to others – Depletion – water is not renewed by hydrological cycle

8.2 Difficulties with Water Use How to handle location specific – Arid area – Humid area

8.3 Synthetic Water Systems Water saving options – Greywater use due to drought – Rain barrels Water treatment steps – Primary removes sand, oils, fats – Secondary removes biological content and detergents using fixed film or suspended growth systems – Tertiary removes residual toxins and nutrient through filter, wetlands or lagoons – Final is UV, chlorination, or ozone

Fig 8.5 Horne et al., 2009

8.5 Conclusions Finite supply of drinking water Water as an indicator of system impact is difficult to interpret – Inventory item, not directly environmental damage Problems with seasonality of rainfall – People expect water all the time – Drought – Water storage needs