Physically decentralised water management systems may contribute to improving the sustainability of urban water management. Any shift toward decentralised systems needs to consider not just physical system design but also social values, knowledge frames, and organisations, and their interconnections to the physical technology. Four cases of recent Australian urban water management improvement projects were researched using qualitative methods. Three cases were of decentralised water management innovation. The other was of a centralised system, although decentralised options had been considered. These cases were studied to identify institutional barriers and enablers for the uptake of decentralised systems, and to better understand how emerging environmental engineering knowledge might be applied to overcome an implementation gap for decentralised urban water technologies. Analysis of each case focused on the institutional elements of urban water management, namely: the values, knowledge frames and organisational structures. These elements were identified through in-depth interviews, document review, and an on-line survey. The alignment of these elements was identified as being a significant contributor to the stability of centralised systems, or to change toward decentralised systems. A new organisational home for innovative knowledge was found to be common to each case where decentralised innovation occurred. ??Institutional entrepreneurs??, strong stakeholder engagement, and inter-organisational networks were all found to be linked to the creation of shared meaning and legitimacy for organisational and technological change. Existing planning frameworks focus on expert justification for change rather than institutional support for change. Institutional factors include shared understandings, values and organisational frameworks, and the alignment of each factor. Principles for, and examples of, appropriate organisational design for enabling and managing decentralised technological innovation for urban water management are proposed. This research contributes to the understanding of the institutional basis and dynamics of urban water management, particularly in relation to physical centralisation and decentralisation of urban water management technologies and, to a lesser extent, in relation to user involvement in urban water management. Understanding of factors that contribute to enabling and constraining decentralised technologies is extended to include institutional and organisational factors. New and practical pathways for change for the implementation of decentralised urban water systems are provided.

Much public attention has been given lately to the concept of sustainability, a notion which is increasingly viewed as a desirable goal of viticulture development and environmental management. The emergence of the sustainability concept has seen a concomitant rise in the interest of its measurement. It has been suggested that through the analysis of regulatory and non-regulatory methods, the attainment of how sustainable freshwater use in vineyards can be assessed. Regulation has to date been the policy tool of choice in regards to environmental protection. While regulation is often necessary, non-regulatory approaches may, in some circumstances, serve as useful supplements to an effective regulatory regime. There are a number of stages to achieving the aim of this research. The first is designed at galvanising New Zealand‟s will to stride out down the sustainability road through the development of the sustainable vineyard concept. Investigations into regulatory freshwater policies were undertaken to assess the relative efficacy of such methods in guiding vineyards in sustainable freshwater use. The research then explored the elements of freshwater use as they relate to non-regulatory methods for achieving sustainable environmental outcomes. Qualitative research was undertaken through the instigation of an email questionnaire and semi-structured interviews to provide an understanding of freshwater use in vineyards within Marlborough. The research focuses on the discussion of the methodological considerations which are important in developing a working framework for assessing how vineyards achieve sustainable freshwater use. The ideal properties and characteristics of sustainability are identified and critically examined. An evaluation of the different types of regulatory and non-regulatory policies on freshwater management are considered. Both regulatory and non-regulatory methods were seen to be significant in developing an operational framework, as they are capable of representing the management of freshwater use and sustainability practices in vineyards. It is observed that the policy goal of both regulatory and non-regulatory organisations in achieving sustainable freshwater outcomes generally cannot be attained to the full satisfaction of all the dimensions of sustainability. Rather, sustainable freshwater use could be considered as a „road‟ and not a fixed destination. Along the way, trade-offs and balances have to be made. It is up to individual vineyard managers to weight the various alternatives, with the policy and decision makers providing information upon which rational choices can be based. This research demonstrates the efficacy of regulatory and non-regulatory methods in guiding sustainable environmental outcomes. It appears that the „ideals‟ of policies, as outlined in the literature and data collected, recommend an overall adaptive management approach if achieving sustainable freshwater use is the ultimate goal.

Physically decentralised water management systems may contribute to improving the sustainability of urban water management. Any shift toward decentralised systems needs to consider not just physical system design but also social values, knowledge frames, and organisations, and their interconnections to the physical technology. Four cases of recent Australian urban water management improvement projects were researched using qualitative methods. Three cases were of decentralised water management innovation. The other was of a centralised system, although decentralised options had been considered. These cases were studied to identify institutional barriers and enablers for the uptake of decentralised systems, and to better understand how emerging environmental engineering knowledge might be applied to overcome an implementation gap for decentralised urban water technologies. Analysis of each case focused on the institutional elements of urban water management, namely: the values, knowledge frames and organisational structures. These elements were identified through in-depth interviews, document review, and an on-line survey. The alignment of these elements was identified as being a significant contributor to the stability of centralised systems, or to change toward decentralised systems. A new organisational home for innovative knowledge was found to be common to each case where decentralised innovation occurred. ??Institutional entrepreneurs??, strong stakeholder engagement, and inter-organisational networks were all found to be linked to the creation of shared meaning and legitimacy for organisational and technological change. Existing planning frameworks focus on expert justification for change rather than institutional support for change. Institutional factors include shared understandings, values and organisational frameworks, and the alignment of each factor. Principles for, and examples of, appropriate organisational design for enabling and managing decentralised technological innovation for urban water management are proposed. This research contributes to the understanding of the institutional basis and dynamics of urban water management, particularly in relation to physical centralisation and decentralisation of urban water management technologies and, to a lesser extent, in relation to user involvement in urban water management. Understanding of factors that contribute to enabling and constraining decentralised technologies is extended to include institutional and organisational factors. New and practical pathways for change for the implementation of decentralised urban water systems are provided.

L'eau est un besoin vital pour l'Homme et chaque société se doit de la gérer au mieux pour subvenir à ce besoin élémentaire aujourd'hui et dans l'avenir. Les changements climatiques en cours et en particulier le réchauffement climatique influencent fortement les hydrosystèmes et les activités économiques de montagne forçant ces territoires à s'adapter à ces nouvelles conditions. Les choix de développement socio-économiques ont également une importance prépondérante dans l'émergence ou non de pénuries d'eau.Au cours de cette thèse un modèle couplant représentations des ressources naturelles et des activités socio-économiques a été construit. Il permet d'explorer à la fois les impacts sur la disponibilité des ressources en eau, des changements climatiques et des choix socio-économiques pour un territoire de montagne à différents horizons temporels. Toutes les combinaisons de scénarios climatiques et socio-économiques peuvent être expérimentées dans le modèle.La station de ski de Megève (France) a servi de terrain d'application pour le développement du modèle hydro-anthropique. Ce modèle devant servir comme aide à la décision pour la mise en place de politiques d'adaptation, la délicate question du transfert de connaissances entre Science et Société est interrogée. Via l'insertion du modèle scientifique développé dans des Serious-Games une proposition d'interface est réalisée. A travers le projet C3-Alps qui a financé cette thèse, d'autres transferts de connaissances pour l'adaptation aux changements climatiques dans les Alpes ont également été réalisés. / Water is a vital need for Human and each society have to manage it at best to meet this basic need today and in the future.Current climatic changes and especially global warming strongly impact hydrosystems and economical activities of mountainous areas, forcing these territories to adapt to these new conditions. Socio-economic development choices have also a great importance in water shortages occurrence. In this thesis a model coupling representations of water resources and and socio-economic activities was built.It allows to explore both climate change impacts and socio-economic choices impacts on water resources availability in a mountain territories at different time scales. All combinations of climate change and socio economic choices scenarios are testable.The Megève ski resort station in France was used to develop and apply the hydro-anthropic model. The latter must contribute, as a decision support tool, to climate change adaptation policies developpement. Therefore, the tricky question of knowledge transfer between Science and Society is addressed in this thesis. The scientific model developped was introduced in Serious-Games as an interface proposal. Through the C3-Alps projet which financed this thesis, others knowledge tranfers for climate change adapation in the Alps were also addressed.

abstract: Research shows that many water governance regimes are failing to guide social-ecological systems away from points, beyond which, damage to social and environmental well-being will be difficult to correct. This problem is apparent in regions that face water conflicts and climate threats. There remains a need to clarify what is it about governance that people need to change in water conflict prone regions, how to collectively go about doing that, and how research can actively support this. To address these needs, here I present a collaborative research project from the dry tropics of Guanacaste Province, Costa Rica. The project addressed the overarching questions: How can water be governed sustainably in water-contested and climate-threatened regions? And, how can people transition current water governance regimes toward more sustainable ones? In pursuit of these questions, a series of individual studies were performed with many partners and collaborators. These studies included: a participatory analysis and sustainability assessment of current water governance regimes; a case analysis and comparison of water conflicts; constructing alternative governance scenarios; and, developing governance transition strategies. Results highlight the need for water governance that addresses asymmetrical knowledge gaps especially concerning groundwater resources, reconciles disenfranchised groups, and supports local leaders. Yet, actions taken based on these initial results, despite some success influencing policy, found substantial challenges confronting them. In-depth conflict investigations, for example, found that deeply rooted issues such friction between opposing local-based and national institutions were key conflict drivers in the region. To begin addressing these issues, researchers and stakeholders then constructed a set of governing alternatives and devised governance transition strategies that could actively support people to achieve more sustainable alternatives and avoid less sustainable ones. These efforts yielded insight into the collective actions needed to implement more sustainable water governance regimes, including ways to overcoming barriers that drive harmful water conflicts. Actions based on these initial strategies yielded further opportunities, challenges, and lessons. Overall, the project addresses the research and policy gap between identifying what is sustainable water governance and understanding the strategies needed to implement it successfully in regions that experience water conflict and climate impacts. / Dissertation/Thesis / Ph.D. Sustainability 2014

Water is vital for human s activity development and its use has to be permitted by a water Grant. The water grant s legal definition given by the law nº 9433/97 express the sustainable development principle, since its purpose is to quarantee water uses control in terms of quality and quantity, and also enable the acess of water implicitly to present and future generations. In this context, the-main goo of this Master thesis is to verify if water grant it self can be considered on instrument to the sustainable development. The question alluded us to the study of the Sergipe River water shed for its importance in the context of political, economic, social and cultural development of the state. During the researches, was verified that the water grants given made the economic activities development possible, but did not provide the environmental sustainability, never the less, the main result of this study is to find that water grant, in basin, only can be considered sustainable, in other words, became on instrument to promote the sustainable development, if they are implemented within a feedback water management instruments system, within on integration between user s sectors and water resources management sector, the preservation of multiple uses and water s quality and quantity indissolubility, and also the existence of water inspection on the users granted and now granted to quarantee the carry out of the law and the penalties application. / A água é essencial para o desenvolvimento das atividades humanas. Seu uso é permitido pela emissão da outorga de direito de uso da água. A definição legal da outorga, pela Lei 9433/97, imprime o comando de desenvolvimento sustentável, pois tem por finalidade assegurar o controle dos usos da água em termos de qualidade e quantidade, referindo-se implicitamente às presentes e também futuras gerações. Neste contexto, o objetivo central deste trabalho é verificar se a outorga de direito de uso de recursos hídricos pode ser considerada um instrumento para o desenvolvimento sustentável. O aludido questionamento remeteu ao estudo da bacia hidrográfica do rio Sergipe pela sua importância no contexto político, econômico, social e cultural do Estado. No estudo de caso, foi verificado que, as outorgas, dentro da realidade em que foram concedidas, possibilitam o desenvolvimento das atividades econômicas, mas não têm proporcionado a sustentabilidade ambiental, devido a constatação de que as outorgas na bacia, somente podem ser consideradas sustentáveis, ou seja, tornarem-se um instrumento para promover o desenvolvimento sustentável, caso sejam implementadas no contexto do sistema de retroalimentação dos instrumentos de gestão, com a integração entre os setores usuários com o setor hídrico, a observância da preservação dos usos múltiplos e da indissociabilidade da quantidade e da qualidade da água, e a existência de uma efetiva fiscalização sobre os usos outorgados e os não outorgados para fins de garantir o cumprimento da norma e a aplicação de penalidades.

The growing pressure on the world‘s fresh water resources is enforced by population growth that leads to conflicts between demands for different purposes. A main concern on water use is the conflict between the environment and other purposes like hydropower, irrigation for agriculture and domestic and industry water supply, where total flows are diverted without releasing water for ecological conservation. As a consequence, some of the common problems related to water faced by many countries are shortage, quality deterioration and flood impacts. Hence, utilization of integrated water resources management in a single system, which is built up by river basin, is an optimum way to handle the question of water. However, in many areas, when planning for balancing water demands major gaps exist on baseline knowledge of water resources. In order to bridge these gaps, hydro-logical models are among the available tools used to acquire adequate understanding of the characteristics of the river basin. Apart from forecasting and predicting the quantity and quality of water for decision makers, some models could also help in predicting the impacts of natural and anthropogenic changes on water resources and also in quantifying the spatial and temporal availability of the resources. However, main challenges lie in choosing and utilizing these models for a specific basin and managerial plan. In this study, an analysis of the different types of models and application of a selected model to characterize the Awash River basin, located in Ethiopia, is presented. The results from the modeling procedure and the performance of the model are discussed. The different possible sources of uncertainties in the modeling process are also discussed. The results indicate dissimilar predictions in using different methods; hence proper care must be taken in selecting and employing available methods for a specific watershed prior to presenting the results to decision makers. / QC 20110516

<div>This dissertation focused on examining the potential unintended consequences of sustainability on drinking water quality at the tap. The rising trend in water conservation awareness has given rise to the use of water-efficient appliances and fixtures for residential potable water systems. The first study (Chapter 1) characterized the microbial dynamics at a water-efficient residential building over the course of one year and examined the effects of water stagnation, season, and changes in physicochemical properties on the occurrence of opportunistic pathogen markers. When rainwater harvesting is utilized as an alternative water resource in buildings, a combination of municipal water and rainwater is typically required to meet water demands. However, altering source water chemistry can disrupt pipe scale and biofilm and negatively impact water quality at the distribution level. The second study (Chapter 2) in this dissertation evaluated the potential water quality consequences of using intermittent supplies of municipal water and rainwater within building plumbing systems. Cross-linked polyethylene (PEX) pipes are considered by some to be more sustainable than copper pipes and are commonly installed in building plumbing. The goal of the third study (Chapter 3) was to better understand chemical release from commercially available PEX pipes, to characterize toxicological characteristics of the contact water, and to compare microbial growth potential among the three pipe types. During the COVID-19 pandemic, many commercial and office buildings were closed for extended periods of time, allowing water age to increase over the course of several months. Heightened water age is often associated with an increase in chemical and microbial contamination. The objective of the fourth study (Chapter 4) was to evaluate the impacts of an extended COVID-19 related building closure and stagnation on water quality. The goal of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of flushing and shock chlorination remediation strategies on water quality at the tap. </div><div><br></div><div>This dissertation contains four chapters and each chapter is a single manuscript. The first two chapters have been published.</div><div><br></div><div>“Drinking water microbiology in a water-efficient building: Stagnation, seasonality, and physiochemical effects on opportunistic pathogen and total bacteria proliferation.” (Chapter 1) Utilizing a residential building that had been retrofitted with low-flow fixtures, the unintended water quality consequences of increased stagnation in low-flow plumbing were evaluated over a year long period. The study results indicated that microbial growth and potential opportunistic pathogen markers, Legionella and Mycobacterium spp. were detected at higher levels within the home as compared to the municipal water main. Reduced water usage induced longer stagnation times and longer stagnation times were correlated with an increase in Legionella spp., Mycobacterium spp., and total cell counts.</div><div><br></div><div>“Impacts of Municipal Water−Rainwater Source Transitions on Microbial and Chemical Water Quality Dynamics at the Tap.” (Chapter 2) Altering source water chemistry can disrupt pipe scale and biofilm and negatively impact water quality at the distribution level. Still, it is unknown if similar reactions occur within building plumbing following a transition in source water quality. To date, no prior studies had evaluated the water quality impacts of transitioning between rainwater and municipal groundwater sources in low-flow plumbing. The study revealed that influent water chemistry impacted rates of metal release from plumbing. Because of differences in source water treatment and water chemistry, rainwater and municipal water uniquely interacted with building plumbing and generated distinctively different drinking water chemical and microbial quality profiles. </div><div><br></div><div>“Contaminant Leaching and Toxicological Assessment of Drinking Water in Contact with Cross-linked Polyethylene (PEX) Pipes.” (Chapter 3) Cross-linked polyethylene (PEX) plastic water pipes are increasingly being installed instead of copper pipes for conventional and green building construction. Unlike metal pipe, PEX pipe is easier to install and not vulnerable to corrosion. However, potential health concerns associated with PEX pipe are: 1.) the organic contaminant release that occurs during its service-life, 2.) increased microbial growth compared to metal pipes, and 3.) compound toxicity. Our study goal was to better understand chemical release from commercially available PEX pipes, to characterize toxicological characteristics of the contact water, and to compare microbial growth potential among the three pipe types at varying chlorine concentrations. Results indicated that PEX contact waters did not affect the neurobehavioral development of zebrafish, but affected development in the zebrafish model. Further studies should be conducted to determine how influent water chemistry impacts carbon migration and the water’s toxicity.</div><div><br></div><div>“Water quality during the COVID-19 pandemic: The role of flushing and shock chlorination strategies in reducing building water problems.” (Chapter 4) The COVID-19 pandemic led to widespread “stay at home” orders across the United States. As a result, many office buildings, schools, and commercial buildings were left empty, allowing water age within the plumbing to increase dramatically. Heightened stagnation and water age can lead to increased metal leaching from pipe walls, as well as increases in microbial growth and opportunistic pathogen proliferation. Water quality in a large school building was monitored after approximately six months of being closed due to COVID-19 related restrictions. Upon sampling the building, chemical and microbial water quality indicators were affected by the initial six month stagnation period. To monitor the relationship between shock chlorination and water quality at the tap, samples were collected at fixtures at different time points to gain a better understanding of the effects of shock disinfection on drinking water chemistry and microbiology. This study raises concerns with respect to the impact of extended building closures on drinking water quality and the best approach to remediate and monitor water quality issues thereafter.</div>

Global food systems are facing a grand challenge due to daunting food security targets, risk vulnerabilities (e.g., COVID-19 crisis), internal unsustainability regarding resource use and contribution to environmental degradation (e.g., GHG emissions, land degradation and biodiversity loss). Such a situation demands a transformation of the global food system towards more local, alternative, community, and sustainable food systems. Past studies of the food system have shown that major advances toward socio-environmental sustainability can be achieved through the application of technology and the push for innovation. Therefore, since water is at the center of all food system challenges this study focused on climate-resilient water innovation, which includes using hydroponics, aeroponics or aquaponics technologies within a Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) to bring about this change. This qualitative study was undertaken to uncover the individual, institutional, technological, and farm/organizational factors that influenced the adoption of such climate-resilient water technologies. Additionally, it also involved investigating the individual construals and their relation to sustainable water innovation adoption. The study was able to discover new constructs, namely- sustainability ethos, individual construals, land/soil characteristics, location of urban farm, farm size bias, inter-provincial variation, complex systemic technologies, localization, and all-year-round production, that act as barriers and facilitators to sustainable water innovation adoption. Finally, developed a sustainable water innovation adoption model using an inductive and deductive approach that can be used by technology providers, the government and policy institutions for insightful decision-making with respect to water innovation in the Canadian agri-food sector.

Denna fältstudie kommer att undersöka betydelsen av regnvattenanvändning som vattenförsörjnings alternativ. Hur kan hållbara innovativa lösningar tas fram för att lösa vattenförsörjningen på Sri Lanka? Efter lidandet av mer än 30 års inbördeskrig och efter de omfattande skadorna från tsunamin 2004, står nu Sri Lanka inför många utmaningar rörande landets återuppbyggnad. Tillgången till vatten är den viktigaste grundläggande förutsättningen för ett fungerande samhälle. I landets torra zon är det långa perioder av torka då vattenkällor sinar och inget naturligt vatten finns att tillgå. Detta trots att det under monsunen kommer tillräckligt med regn för att täcka vattenbehovet om det skulle samlas på ett optimalt sätt. Avrinningskoefficienten är här mer än 60% outnyttjat regnvatten. I ett flertal lyckade projekt har man samlat regnvatten i RWH system för senare användning. Människor i dessa områden saknar kranvatten eftersom detta område ej är täckt av vattenförsörjningsnätet. Detta gör att dessa människor har en positiv inställning till att ha RWH system..I den våta zonen, och då speciellt i Colombos stadsmiljö som denna studie handlar om, är situationen annorlunda. Här har de flesta invånare kranvatten. Det kommunala kranvattnet är högt subventionerat av regeringen vilket gör att kostnaden är låg för användarna samt ökar vattenkonsumtionen. Invånarna känner inget ansvar för vattenresurserna eftersom den gemena uppfattningen är att det är en evig källa. Majoriteten av hushållen ser inget skäl till att installera RWH på grund av den låga lönsamheten. Trots att det finns ett förordnande att det ska ingå ett RWH system, så följs inte detta. Saknande av uppföljningsplikt anges som orsak av vatten styrelsen. Kostnaden för att behandla och leverera vatten till invånarna är väldigt hög och är mycket energi krävande. Det finns ett behov av enorma investeringar för att rusta upp och bygga ut både vattenverken och vattennätet för att klara av att möta det växande invånarantalet i Colombo området. Ett annat problem är att 40% av hushållen i Colombo saknar avloppsanslutning. De leder sitt avloppsvatten direkt eller efter en septi-tank ut i jorden eller havet.Om medvetenheten kring dessa frågor ökar, samt att förhållandet mellan kranvattnets kostnad och RWH justeras med ändringar i subventionerna, kunde en hållbar lösning på vattensituationen med såväl ekonomiska som miljövinster ske.Resultatet av denna studie är att RWH får ses som ett komplement när det gäller vattenförsörjningen för hushållens del. Fokus bör istället ligga på industrier, sjukhus, skolor, kommunala byggnader och andra byggnader med stora vattenbehov och med de största möjligheterna att uppnå optimalt resultat.Studien visar också på en hållbar lösning på avloppshanteringen. Den visar DWWT och dess fördelar. / The field study will investigate the importance of Rain Water Harvesting (RWH) as a water supply option. How can sustainable innovative solutions be developed to solve the water problem of Sri Lanka? Suffering from more than 30 years of civil war and damages after being struck by the tsunami 2004, Sri Lanka faces many challenges to recover and rebuilt the country. The access to water is the most important need for a civilization´s existence. In the dry zones of the island people suffer from long drought periods with dried up wells and no natural sources for water. However the rainfall during the monsoon, even in these areas, is more than enough to provide the water needs if properly collected, thus the run-off coefficient is more than 60%. Several projects with rain water harvesting in so called RWH systems have been implemented with success. Because these areas are not covered by the water supply net and therefore have no tap water, the people are very positive to having the RWH system. In the wet zones and especially in the urban environment of Colombo the situation is different. Here most of the people have treated pipe-borne tap water. The metered tap water is highly subsidized by the government which makes the cost low for the users and increases the water consumption. The citizens do not feel a responsibility to be careful with resources since the common opinion is that water is a never ending source. The majority of the households find no reasons for installing a RWH system because it´s low economic profits. Even if there is a legislation that demands all new buildings should have a RWH system not many households have installed these systems. However the cost to deliver and treat this water is very expensive for the government and demands a lot of energy. Huge investments need to be done in both the treatment plants and the pipe-line net to meet the growing population in Colombo area. Another problem is that 40% of the households today in Colombo have no sewage connection but lead their wastewater directly or after a septic tank into the ground or the sea. If the awareness regarding these concerns could be improved and the conditions between tap water costs and RWH be adjusted with changes in the subsidized system, a sustainable solution to the water situation in Colombo with both economic and environmental benefits could be found. The result from the case study is a recommendation about installing RWH as a complimentary source of water for the households. And investments in RWH systems should be focused to industries, hospitals, schools, municipal buildings and other public buildings with a high water demand and with the best possibilities for optimal results. Further the case study treats a sustainable solution to the sewage situation. It shows the Decentralized waste water treatment plant (DWWT) and its advantages.