Robert C. Brears - Developing the Circular Water Economy

Palgrave Studies in Climate Resilient Societies

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Robert C. Brears

Avonhead, Canterbury, New Zealand

The Palgrave Studies in Climate Resilient Societies series provides readers with an understanding of what the termsresilience and climate resilientsocieties mean; the best practices and lessons learnt from various governments, in both non-OECD and OECD countries, implementing climate resilience policies (in other words what is desirable or undesirable when building climate resilient societies); an understanding of what a resilient society potentially looks like; knowledge of when resilience building requires slow transitions or rapid transformations; and knowledge on how governments can create coherent, forward-looking and flexible policy innovations to build climate resilient societies that: support the conservation of ecosystems; promote the sustainable use of natural resources; encourage sustainable practices and management systems; develop resilient and inclusive communities; ensure economic growth; and protect health and livelihoods from climatic extremes.

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Robert C. Brears

Developing the Circular Water Economy

Robert C. Brears

Our Future Water, Christchurch, New Zealand

ISSN 2523-8124 e-ISSN 2523-8132

Palgrave Studies in Climate Resilient Societies

ISBN 978-3-030-32574-9 e-ISBN 978-3-030-32575-6

https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-32575-6

The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2020

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Acknowledgements

First, I wish to first thank Rachael Ballard, who is not only a wonderful commissioning editor but a visionary who enables books like mine to come to fruition. Second, I wish to thank Mum, who has a great interest in the environment and water-related issues and has supported me in this journey of writing the book.

Contents

List of Tables

Table 2.1 Summary of climate change implications on water resources

Table 4.1 Waters value in the circular water economy

Table 4.2 Elements and factors that determine resilience

Table 5.1 Water-saving potential in industry

Table 5.2 Practices to lower water consumption and improve water efficiency in agriculture

Table 5.3 Queensland Urban Utilities prices and charges for customers

Table 5.4 City of Vancouver water restriction examples

Table 5.5 South East Waters online games

Table 6.1 Benefits of water reuse and recycling

Table 6.2 Recycled water pricing

Table 6.3 Benefits of stormwater harvesting systems

Table 8.1 Anglian Waters free water-saving products

Table 8.2 Anglian Water case study summary

Table 9.1 Austin Waters water rates

Table 9.2 Free residential indoor and outdoor water conservation tools

Table 9.3 Conservation stage restrictions

Table 9.4 Austin Water rebates

Table 9.5 Onsite water reuse systems

Table 9.6 Austin Water case study summary

Table 10.1 On-site water reuse grants

Table 10.2 NYC DEP case study summary

Table 11.1 Residential water use prices

Table 11.2 SA Waters educational resources and learning programmes

Table 11.3 SA Water case study summary

Table 12.1 Volumetric charge for water

Table 12.2 Drought surcharge

Table 12.3 Non-potable grant program criteria

Table 12.4 SFPUC case study summary

Table 13.1 Revised water price for domestic customers

Table 13.2 Revised water price for non-domestic customers

Table 13.3 Revised water price for NEWater

Table 13.4 Water Efficient Building (Basic) water efficient flow rate/flush volume

Table 13.5 Key benefits of the integrated waste management facility

Table 13.6 Key Tuas Nexus synergies

Table 13.7 PUB case study summary

Table 14.1 Education programmes for children and young people

Table 14.2 Waternet case study summary

This book discusses how the development of the circular water economy, which mitigates emissions and enhances resilience to climate change, can be guided by innovative policies that encourage the reducing of water consumption, reusing and recycling of water, and recovery of materials from wastewater.

In our current economic model, manufactured capital, human capital, and natural capital all contribute to human welfare by supporting the production of goods and services in the economic process, where natural capital the worlds stock of natural resources (provided by nature before their extraction or processing by humans)is typically used for material and energy inputs into production and acts as a sink for waste from the economic process.

In the linear economy , following the Take-Make-Dispose model, the water sector typically employs the Take-Use-Discharge strategy. In this strategy, water is withdrawn from streams, rivers, lakes, reservoirs, oceans, and groundwater reservoirs as well as harvested directly as rainwater. Water is then used by municipalities, industries, agriculture , the environment, etc. within the water cycle, including for consumptive and non-consumptive uses. Non-consumptive used water is returned to the river basin directly or via a municipal treatment facility. Depending on the location within the basin this returned water could then be used downstream or lost to the basin. While the current linear economic model has generated an unprecedented level of growth, the model has led to constraints on the availability of water resources in addition to the generation of waste and environmental degradation from a variety of climatic and non-climatic trends.