Mains water leakage: Implications for phosphorus source apportionment and policy responses in catchments
| Autor: | R. M. Dils, Helen P. Jarvie, Benjamin William James Surridge, Rob Ward, Dan Lapworth, Matthew J. Ascott, Michael J. Bowes, Edward Tipping, Daren C. Gooddy |
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| Rok vydání: | 2016 |
| Předmět: |
Mains electricity
Environmental Engineering 010504 meteorology & atmospheric sciences Drainage basin chemistry.chemical_element Phosphate 010501 environmental sciences 01 natural sciences Ecology and Environment Hydrology (agriculture) Environmental Chemistry Mains water leakage Raw water Waste Management and Disposal 0105 earth and related environmental sciences geography geography.geographical_feature_category Phosphorus Aquatic ecosystem Environmental engineering Eutrophication Pollution 6. Clean water Policy chemistry 13. Climate action Health Environmental science Sewage treatment Hydrology |
| Zdroj: | The Science of the total environment. 579 |
| ISSN: | 1879-1026 |
| Popis: | Effective strategies to reduce phosphorus (P)-enrichment of aquatic ecosystems require accurate quantification of the absolute and relative importance of individual sources of P. In this paper, we quantify the potential significance of a source of P that has been neglected to date. Phosphate dosing of raw water supplies to reduce lead and copper concentrations in drinking water is a common practice globally. However, mains water leakage (MWL) potentially leads to a direct input of P into the environment, bypassing wastewater treatment. We develop a new approach to estimate the spatial distribution and time-variant flux of MWL-P, demonstrating this approach for a 30-year period within the exemplar of the River Thames catchment in the UK. Our analyses suggest that MWL-P could be equivalent to up to c.24% of the P load entering the River Thames from sewage treatment works and up to c.16% of the riverine P load derived from agricultural non-point sources. We consider a range of policy responses that could reduce MWL-P loads to the environment, including incorporating the environmental damage costs associated with P in setting targets for MWL reduction, alongside inclusion of MWL-P within catchment-wide P permits. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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