The master's thesis deals with actual possibilities of acquisition water from air humidity in order to obtain fresh water, focusing on energy intensity of vapor-compression refrigeration for it is production. There is a basic determine study for Czech climatic zone in selected localities. For graded cooling capacity dependencies describing the acquisition of water from the air, where is the energy intensity ranges on average between 0,3 ÷ 0,5 kWh/l. For the selected family house are set the individual variants of non-potable rainwater management.

Der Gegenstand dieser Arbeit ist eine neue Optimierungsmethode zur Minimierung der Produktkosten von Kraftwerksprozessen ohne und mit nachgeschalteten Anwendungen. Diese Methode, die Planern und Projektanten als Werkzeug zur Auslegung von Kraftwerken dienen soll, wird erläutert und exemplarisch zur Optimierung eines ausgewählten Gas- und Dampfturbinenkraftwerkes verwendet. Im Rahmen der Untersuchungen werden dabei zwei Varianten betrachtet: Der Kraftwerksentwurf/-betrieb ohne und mit Auskopplung von Energie- und Stoffströmen. Beim Kraftwerksentwurf/-betrieb mit Auskopplung von Energie- und Stoffströmen wird das Gas- und Dampfturbinenkraftwerk mit einer nachgeschalteten hybriden Meerwasserentsalzungsanlage verknüpft. Zur Identifizierung der jeweils zu optimierenden Komponenten/Parameter werden bei der neuen Methode Elemente der thermo- bzw. exergoökonomischen Analyse und der Sensitivitäts- und Trendlinienanalysen verwendet. Die Optimierung selbst folgt dem Koordinatenverfahren nach Gauß und Seidel. Anhand der Optimierungsergebnisse und der Kriterien ’Auswahl/Beitrag der Komponenten/Parameter’ sowie ’Rechenumfang’ wird die neue Optimierungsmethode mit bekannten thermo- bzw. exergoökonomischen Optimierungsmethoden (Quadranten-/Matrix-Methode, thermo-/exergoökonomische Kennzahlen-Methode) verglichen und bewertet. Zur Ergebnisdiskussion werden Parameterstudien erstellt. Abschließend werden Empfehlungen zur Gestaltung des untersuchten Gas- und Dampfturbinenkraftwerkes gegeben und Ansätze für weiterführende Forschungsarbeiten in der Kraftwerkstechnik abgeleitet.

Norrvatten is a municipal association which owns a water treatment plant capable of supplying good quality drinking water to the consumers in the associated neighbouring municipalities. After preliminary investigations for the future year of 2050, there were estimates which suggest a potential water quality degradation in the lake which supplies the raw water for treatment due to uncertain future climatic conditions and other forms of pollutions from the surrounding. There is also a forecast of future population increase in the respective neighbouring municipalities of Stockholm county, which consequently increases the demand for additional quantity of supplied drinking water. The supplied drinking water, which even though is currently acceptable by the standards set by Swedish Food Agency, still requires additional advanced treatment techniques in order to provide an upscale to its quality. This increase in water quality can be achieved by increasing the natural organic matter removal treatment techniques in the water treatment plant by implementing more chemical and microbiological barriers. Norrvatten has proposed several alternative water purification methods, out of which one of them can be implemented in the water treatment plant, after an expansion in the capacity of the plant to achieve all the above-mentioned requirements.  A case study has been performed at Norrvatten in Stockholm, Sweden for evaluating the environmental performance of the proposed treatment alternatives. This study adopts a cradle-to-gate life cycle assessment methodology to analyze the alternatives using stand-alone and comparative assessment methods. An explicit focus is given with the selection of 15 different environmental categories to assess the related environmental burdens. The various hotspots identified from the analysis is investigated and identified to find the associated trade-offs with the alternatives under study. Additional parameter changes have been made in the alternatives to apprehend how the impacts change accordingly.  The various hotspots identified from the results of the study were, the utilization of granular activated carbons for filtration, the consumption of aluminium sulphate for coagulation, the consumption of soda if iron chloride is selected as the main coagulant, the consumption of electricity in the WTP by nanofiltration process, hydropower from pumped storage and the use of heavy trucks for transporting chemicals from suppliers to the site. Other aspects and assumptions from conducting a sensitivity analysis indicated that there are possibilities to decrease the impacts through the following changes. By switching the main coagulant from aluminium sulphate to iron chloride to decrease the major resource depletion and human health impacts with a trade-off increase in impacts from an increased production of soda for chemical consumption. By switching the current purchase of electricity, from a green energy mix to the Swedish grid mix, to greatly improve the environmental performance of the treatment plant. This energy change was observed to result in the reduction of global warming potential from CO2 emissions. Other changes which can be implemented to reduce the overall environmental impacts are switching from fuel- based transportation trucks to electric trucks and switching chemical suppliers from outside Sweden to suppliers located near or within Sweden, closer to the water treatment plant. / Norrvatten är en kommunförening som äger en vattenreningsanläggning som kan leverera dricksvatten av god kvalitet till konsumenterna i de angränsande grannkommunerna. Efter preliminära undersökningar för det kommande året 2050 fanns det uppskattningar som tyder på en potentiell nedbrytning av vattenkvaliteten i sjön som ger råvattnet för behandling på grund av osäkra framtida klimatförhållanden och andra former av föroreningar från omgivningen. Det finns också en prognos om framtida befolkningsökning i respektive grannkommuner i Stockholms län, vilket följaktligen ökar efterfrågan på ytterligare mängd levererat dricksvatten. För närvarande levererat Dricksvatten, som trots att det är acceptabelt enligt de standarder som fastställts av Livsmedelsverket, kräver ytterligare avancerade behandlingstekniker för att ge en förbättring av dess kvalitet. Denna ökning av vattenkvaliteten kan uppnås genom att öka de tekniska behandlingsteknikerna för avlägsnande av organiskt material i vattenreningsverket genom att implementera fler kemiska och mikrobiologiska barriärer. Norrvatten har föreslagit flera alternativa vattenreningsmetoder, varav en av dem kan implementeras i vattenreningsverket, efter en utvidgning av anläggningens kapacitet att uppnå alla ovannämnda krav.  En fallstudie har utförts vid Norrvatten i Stockholm för att utvärdera miljöprestanda för de föreslagna behandlingsalternativen. Denna studie använder livscykelanalys för att analysera alternativen. Ett uttryckligt fokus ges med valet av 15 olika miljökategorier för att bedöma relaterade miljöbördor. De olika hotspots som identifierats från analysen undersöks och identifieras för att hitta tillhörande avvägningar med alternativen som studeras. Ytterligare parameterändringar har gjorts i alternativen för att förstå hur effekterna förändras i enlighet därmed.  De olika hotspots som identifierats från resultaten av studien var användningen av grandulerat aktivt kol för filtrering, konsumtionen av aluminiumsulfat för koagulering, konsumtionen av läsk om järnklorid väljs som huvudkoaguleringsmedel, förbrukningen av el i vattenreningsverket genom nanofiltreringsprocessen , vattenkraft från pumplagring och användning av tunga lastbilar för transport av kemikalier från leverantörer till anläggningen. Andra aspekter och antaganden från att genomföra en känslighetsanalys visade att det finns möjligheter att minska effekterna genom följande förändringar. Genom att byta huvudkoaguleringsmedlet från aluminiumsulfat till järnklorid för att minska den största resursutarmningen och människors hälsoeffekter med en avvägning av effekterna från en ökad produktion av natriumkarbonat. Genom att byta det aktuella inköpet av el, från en grön energimix till den svenska nätmixen, för att kraftigt förbättra reningsverkets miljöprestanda. Denna energiförändring observerades leda till en minskning av den globala uppvärmningspotentialen från koldioxidutsläpp. Andra förändringar som kan genomföras för att minska den totala miljöpåverkan är att byta från bränslebaserade transportbilar till elektriska lastbilar och byta kemikalieleverantörer från utanför Sverige till leverantörer nära eller inom Sverige, närmare vattenreningen växt.

Climate change and increasing population demands expansion of infrastructures in urban areas. Drinking water treatment plants are part of the critical infrastructure and must upgrade in the future. However, expansions and technological advancements often come with impacts on the environment. Therefore, this thesis compares two drinking water treatment technologies regarding its environmental impacts through a life cycle assessment. In specific, the thesis elaborates the impacts of membrane precipitation and conventional precipitation in the suspended solids removal stage at a treatment plant in Piteå, Sweden. The research addresses the environmental challenges posed by traditional and modern water treatment methods, providing insights and knowledge to more sustainable water practices. The research involves an attributional, comparative life cycle assessment. The findings from this thesis intend to guide decision-making for future drinking water treatment plant designs.  The research was conducted through an attributional and comparative LCA using SimaPro software based on ISO 14040-series standards. This approach allowed for a detailed analysis of both the operational and construction phases of the treatment technologies, considering various environmental impact categories.  The results indicate that membrane system presents for most impact categories, a lower  environmental impact in the combined configuration scenario. The combined configuration scenario includes for the membrane system calcium carbonate, aluminium sulfate and 95% reduced hypochlorite consumption. The conventional system considers in the combined configuration scenario aluminum sulfate and calcium carbonate This is primarily due to its efficiency in reducing chemical usage such as coagulants. However, if both systems use the same chemical composition (same coagulant, pH-controlling chemicals as in the base scenario), the conventional system becomes more environmentally friendly than the membrane system in most impact categories. This is mainly due to the additional CEB chemical consumption of the membrane system, which nullifies the advantage of lower consumed coagulants. Compared to the operational phase in both systems, the construction phase is insignificant over the lifetime of the treatment plants. The major hotspots are identified as operational chemicals and chemical enhanced backwash chemicals, which are used for the membrane system only. Scenario analysis shows that chlorine/aluminum-based chemicals such as polyaluminum chloride and hypochlorite have a high environmental impact and with reducing or even changing these chemicals major improvements can be achieved. Especially changing aluminum-based chemicals to iron-based chemicals show a significant decrease of impacts in all categories. Further, the scenario analysis shows that by changing lime to calcium carbonate, the environmental impacts can be reduced significantly. Therefore, the future focus should rely on reducing and changing chemicals, especially switching aluminum/chlorine based to iron-based chemicals. / Klimatförändringarna och den ökande befolkningen kräver utbyggnad av infrastrukturen i stadsområden. Reningsverk för dricksvatten är en del av den kritiska infrastrukturen och måste uppgraderas i framtiden. Expansioner och tekniska framsteg medför dock ofta påverkan på miljön. Detta examensarbete jämförs därför två tekniker för dricksvattenberedning med avseende på miljöpåverkan genom en grundlig livscykelanalys. Mer specifikt behandlar avhandlingen effekterna av membranfiltrering och konventionell fällning i steget för avlägsnande av suspenderade ämnen vid ett reningsverk i Piteå, Sverige. Forskningen tar upp de miljömässiga utmaningar som traditionella och moderna vattenbehandlingsmetoder innebär och ger insikter och kunskap om mer hållbara vattenmetoder. Resultaten från denna avhandling är avsedda att vägleda beslutsfattandet för framtida utformningar av dricksvattenreningsverk och erbjuder ett första verktyg för mer hållbara vattenbehandlingsmetoder.  Forskningen genomfördes genom en bokförande och jämförande LCA med hjälp av programvaran SimaPro baserat på ISO 14040-seriens standarder. Detta tillvägagångssätt möjliggjorde en detaljerad analys av både drifts- och konstruktionsfaserna för behandlingsteknikerna, med beaktande av olika miljöpåverkanskategorier.  Resultaten tydar på att membranfiltrering ger en lägre total miljöpåverkan vid vanliga förhållanden. Detta beror främst på dess effektivitet när det gäller att minska kemikalieanvändningen, t.ex. koaguleringsmedel. Men om båda systemen använder samma kemiska sammansättning (samma koaguleringsmedel) är det konventionella systemet mer miljövänligt än det konventionella systemet. Detta beror främst på den extra kemikalieförbrukningen för CEB i membransystemet, vilket upphäver fördelen med lägre förbrukning av koaguleringsmedel. Jämfört med driftsfasen i båda systemen är byggfasen obetydlig under reningsverkens livstid. De viktigaste aspekterna identifieras som driftskemikalier och kemikalier för kemiskt förstärkt backspolning, som endast används för membransystemet. Scenarioanalysen visar att klor-/aluminiumbaserade kemikalier som polyaluminiumklorid och hypoklorit har en hög miljöpåverkan och att stora förbättringar kan uppnås genom att minska eller till och med byta ut dessa kemikalier. Särskilt om aluminiumbaserade kemikalier byts ut mot järnbaserade kemikalier minskar påverkan betydligt i alla kategorier. Vidare visar scenarioanalysen att miljöpåverkan kan minskas betydligt genom att byta ut kalk mot kalciumkarbonat. Därför bör fokus i framtiden ligga på att minska och byta ut kemikalier, särskilt att byta ut aluminium/klorbaserade kemikalier mot järnbaserade kemikalier.

Stormwater runoff has negative impacts on water resources, human health and environment. In this research the effectiveness of Rain Water Harvesting (RWH) systems is examined as a stormwater Best Management Practice (BMP). Time-based, evapotranspiration-based, and soil moisture-based irrigation scheduling methods in conjunction with RWH and a control site without RWH were simulated to determine the effect of RWH as a BMP on a single-family residence scale. The effects of each irrigation scheduling method on minimizing water runoff leaving the plots and potable water input for irrigation were compared. The scenario that reflects urban development was simulated and compared to other RWH-irrigation scheduling systems by a control treatment without a RWH component. Four soil types (sand, sandy loam, loamy sand, silty clay) and four cistern sizes (208L, 416L, 624L, 833L) were evaluated in the urban development scenario. To achieve the purpose of this study; a model was developed to simulate daily water balance for the three treatments. Irrigation volumes and water runoff were compared for four soil types and four cistern sizes. Comparisons between total volumes of water runoff were estimated by utilizing different soil types, while comparisons between total potable water used for irrigation were estimated by utilizing different irrigation scheduling methods. This research showed that both Curve Number method and Mass-Balance method resulted in the greatest volumes of water runoff predicted for Silty Clay soil and the least volumes of water runoff predicted for Sand soil. Moreover, increasing cistern sizes resulted in reducing total water runoff and potable water used for irrigation, although not at a statistically significant level. Control treatment that does not utilize a cistern had the greatest volumes of predicted supplemental water among all soil types utilized, while Soil Moisture-based treatment on average had the least volume of predicted supplemental water.

From the Proceedings of the 1978 Meetings of the Arizona Section - American Water Resources Assn. and the Hydrology Section - Arizona Academy of Science - April 14-15, 1978, Flagstaff, Arizona / Intensive strip and leach mining activity within a confined region usually causes environmental impacts both on the land and on water quality. Adverse water quality effects could be realized long after any mining activity has ceased due to the continuous leaching by precipitation of contaminants from spoils piles and leach dumps. The Miami, Arizona region is unique in its surface and subsurface hydrology. Two unconnected aquifers underlay the region with both serving as domestic (private and municipal) and industrial (mining) supply sources. The shallow floodplain alluvial aquifer is hydraulically connected to surface drainage from mine tailings and leach dumps. Several wells drawing from this aquifer have been abandoned as a municipal supply source due to severe water quality degradation. Water quality in these wells varies directly with precipitation indicating a correlation between surface drainage over and through tailings and leach piles. Expansion of spoils dumps into natural recharge pathways of the deeper Gila Conglomerate aquifer has raised concern that this aquifer may also be subjected to a long term influx of mine pollutants. Questions have also been raised concerning the potential effects of a proposed in situ leaching operation on the water quality of the conglomerate aquifer.

Phytoplankton blooms compromise the quality of freshwater ecosystems and the efficient processing of water by treatment works worldwide. This research aims to determine whether in-situ filamentous biofiltration processes mediated by living roots and synthetic filters as media can reduce or remove the phytoplankton loading (micro-algae and cyanobacteria) prior to a potable water treatment works intake. The underlying biofiltration mechanisms were investigated using field and laboratory studies. A novel macroscale biofilter with three plant species, named the "Living-Filter", installed in Farmoor II reservoir, UK, was surveyed weekly for physicochemical and biological variables under continuous flow conditions during 17 weeks. The efficiency of a mesoscale biofilter using the aquatic plant Phalaris arundinacea and synthetic filters, was tested with Microcystis aeruginosa under continuous flow conditions and in batch experiments. The 'simultaneous allelochemical method' was developed for quantifying allelochemicals from Phalaris in aqueous samples. Microscale studies were used to investigate biofilter allelochemical release in response to environmental stressors and Microcystis growth inhibition in filtered and unfiltered aqueous root exudate. Results demonstrate that the removal of phytoplankton biomass by physical mechanisms has a removal efficiency of ≤45% in the "Living-Filter" (filamentous biofilter plus synthetic fabric) and that the removal of Microcystis biomass using only biofilters was 25%. Chemical mechanisms that reduce Microcystis cell numbers are mediated by allelochemicals released from biofilter roots. Root exudate treatments on Microcystis revealed that Microcystis growth is inhibited by allelochemicals, not by nutrient competition, and that protists and invertebrates play a role in removing Microcystis. Filamentous biofilters can remove phytoplankton biomass by physical, chemical and biological mechanisms. Biofilters and synthetic filters in combination improve removal efficiency. Application of macroscale biofilters prior to potable water treatment works benefits the ecosystem. Plant properties, biofilter size to surface water ratio, and retention time must be considered to maximise the benefits of biofiltration processes.

In 1994, South Africa adopted intergovernmental relations (IGR) to facilitate service delivery. Sections 40-41 of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996, link service delivery with normative aspects of IGR, which include cooperation, transparency, accountability, mutual support, and coherence. A coherent implementation of IGR was subsequently emphasised by the Intergovernmental Relations Framework Act 13 of 2005. However, South Africa continues to experience service delivery challenges, especially in marginalised and poor communities in the current and former informal settlements. The selected Diepsloot was established as an informal settlement in 1995 and has been under an in situ upgrade programme. The study’s focus was on the provision of potable water in the City of Johannesburg with specific reference to Diepsloot. A case study approach was used to assess lived experiences among the actors within the intergovernmental context of cooperative government. A qualitative methodology was utilised to source data about intergovernmental interactions among actors from the public institutions by means of semi-structured interviews and documentary analysis. Lastly, a focus group was utilised for members of the ward committees in Diepsloot. The study concluded that IGR system is not used adequately to support Diepsloot to access potable water in accordance with an established standard. In essence, the IGR system lacks an integrated approach to reverse a legacy of informality. To facilitate an IGR improvement, the study’s recommendations were three-fold: (i) provision of integrated support to the City of Johannesburg for Diepsloot despite erroneous assumption that metropolitan municipalities are self-sufficient, (ii) standardisation of potable water provision in Diepsloot by means of integrating IGR institutional responses, and (iii) institutionalisation of IGR engagements with other cities. To this end, the study proposed a model of integrated intergovernmental support to improve potable water provision and, by extension, other related services in Diepsloot. / Public Administration / D.P.L. (Public Administration)

Cette thèse analyse les enjeux de la mise en œuvre de la politique de l'eau et de l'assainissement dans l'Aire métropolitaine de Buenos Aires (AMBA) au cours de la dernière décennie. Plus précisément, on étudie les scénarios de controverses et conflits qui ont conduit à l'émergence de nouveaux acteurs dans la région responsable de la gestion des ressources. La thèse est organisée en trois axes: l'institutionnelle, axée sur l'étude des modifications dans le scénario des acteurs en charge de la gestion de l'eau depuis la création de l'entreprise publique de l'eau et de l'assainissement AySA, et l'Autorité de Bassin Matanza- Riachuelo. L'environnement, consacré à analyser controverses générées par les différentes visions présentes par ces deux organismes et l'importance qui acquiert le regard de l'environnement à l'intérieur de la provision des services par rapport à la vision sanitaire traditionnelle du secteur. Et, la dimension socio-territorial qui vise à décrire l'accessibilité à l'eau et à l'assainissement dans la région, caractérisant les zones les plus touchées par le manque de service et les conflits qui émergent là, exigeant le droit à l'accès à l'eau?Pour répondre à ces dimensions on a choisi une stratégie méthodologique mixte qui permit combiner les sources et les approches qualitatives et les quantitatives. Nous avons principalement effectué des entretiens en profondeur à des fonctionnaires, des experts et des membres d'organisations sociales. Nous avons analysé la documentation technique sur les plans de œuvres, et nous avons utilisé des sources statistiques nationales pour étudier l'évolution de la couverture sur le territoire.L'hypothèse qui guide la recherche constate que, si bien que la création de ces deux organismes a produit une transformation dans la politique de l'eau et de l'assainissement à Buenos Aires, l'inertie du système de réseau centralisé et les limitations de la gestion territoriale de la part de l'autorité du bassin versant Matanza Riachuelo, limite la portée de cette transformation. / The thesis analyzes the challenges presented by the implementation of water and sanitation policy in the Metropolitan Area of Buenos Aires (AMBA) during the last decade (2006-2015). More precisely, it studies the scenarios of controversy and conflict that led to the appearance and raise of new actors in the region that became responsible for managing the resources.The thesis is organized in three dimensions: the institutional one, focused on studying the transformations in the framework of actors responsible for water management in the region, starting with the creation of the AySA drinking water and sanitation company and the Matanza Riachuelo Watershed Authority. The environmental, aimed at analyzing the controversies generated by the different visions present in the management of water through these two organisms and the weight that acquires the environmental view within the provision of the service against the traditional sanitary view of the sector. And the socio-territorial, which seeks to describe accessibility to water and sanitation in the region, characterizing the areas most affected by the lack of service and the conflicts that arise there, in claiming the right to water.To address these dimensions, we opted for a methodological strategy that complement qualitative and quantitative approaches and sources. We have conducted in-depth interviews with officials, academics and members of social organizations; We have analyzed technical documentation on the plans of works, and we have appealed to national statistical sources to study the evolution of the coverage in the territory.The hypothesis that guides the investigation indicates that although the creation of these two organisms implies a transformation in the politics of water and sanitation in Buenos Aires, the inertia of the centralized system of networks and the limitations in the territorial management of the basin authority , Crossed by the criminalization of the Riachuelo pollution, limit the scope of this transformation. / La tesis analiza los desafíos que presenta la implementación de la política del agua y saneamiento en el Área Metropolitana de Buenos Aires durante la última década. Más precisamente estudia los escenarios de controversia y conflicto que supuso la aparición de nuevos actores en la región encargados del manejo del recurso.La tesis se organiza en tres dimensiones: la institucional, centrada en estudiar las transformaciones en el entramado de actores encargados del manejo del agua a partir de la creación de la empresa de agua potable y saneamiento AySA y la Autoridad de Cuenca Matanza Riachuelo. La ambiental, destinada a analizar las controversias generadas por las distintas visiones presentes en estos dos organismos y el peso que adquiere la mirada ambiental dentro de la provisión del servicio frente a la tradicional visión sanitarista del sector. Y la socio-territorial, que busca describir la accesibilidad al agua y saneamiento en la región, caracterizando las áreas más afectadas por la falta del servicio y los conflictos que allí emergen, en reclamo del derecho al agua.Para atender a estas dimensiones optamos por una estrategia metodológica que permita complementar fuentes y enfoques cualitativos y cuantitativos. Principalmente hemos realizado entrevistas en profundidad a funcionarios, académicos y miembros de organizaciones sociales; hemos analizado documentación técnica sobre los planes de obras, y hemos apelado a fuentes estadísticas nacionales para estudiar la evolución de la cobertura en el territorio. La hipótesis que guía la investigación señala que si bien la creación de estos dos organismos supone una transformación en la política del agua y saneamiento en Buenos Aires, la inercia del propio sistema centralizado de redes y las limitaciones en la gestión territorial de la autoridad de cuenca, atravesada por la judicialización de la contaminación del Riachuelo, limitan el alcance de dicha transformación.

International LCA literature indicates that little data is available pertaining to potable water production and supply, in particular with respect to the environmental burdens generated within the system. This study aims to investigate and assess the environmental burdens associated with the potable water supply to an industrial area (Rosslyn, north of Pretoria, in the Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality). The procedure, as well as the assessment of the environmental impacts of a life cycle, is dependent on a comprehensive life cycle inventory (LCI) of the evaluated system. Water use is included in LCIs, which are incorporated into the LCIA procedure, as it reflects a direct extraction from available resources. The water supply system diagram has been developed and data was collected, treated and analysed in the inventory analysis phase. The study closely followed the four phases as stipulated in the International Organization for Standardization (ISO 14040 series of standards) for conducting LCAs, including: -- goal and scope definition; -- LCI analysis; -- LCIA; and -- interpretation, conclusions and recommendations. The methodology used in the impact assessment phase was the introduced LCIA framework for South Africa in order to determine the extent of different environmental impacts. The inventory analysis, conforming to the scope of the study, provided an overall inventory of energy and other resource requirements, emissions to water and air, dust fallouts and solid or liquid wastes for the system under study. By using this methodology and by tracing all unit processes involved in the potable water supply system, the main contribution to the environmental burdens imposed on the potable water supply system was found to be the extraction of the required water from nature to supply potable water to Rosslyn. The toxicity potential impacts on water resources, mainly due to the electricity required for the water supply system, are of minor importance. This conclusion is valid for the system investigated, and as a result, the recommendations for environmental improvements should focus on water losses that must be addressed foremost. What is required at this stage is strategic planning regarding the extraction, use and conservation of water resources. Furthermore, to optimise all processes of water extraction, and to make them more efficient, electricity and other energy inputs are also of importance, albeit to a lesser extent. / Dissertation (M (Applied Sciences : Environmental Technology))--University of Pretoria, 2007. / Chemical Engineering / unrestricted