More from less? – Efficient water use for macadamias

Macadamias, adapted to the fringes of subtropical rainforests of coastal, eastern Australia, are resilient to mild water stress. Even after prolonged drought, it is difficult to detect stress in commercial trees. Despite this, macadamia orchards in newer irrigated regions produce more consistent crops than those from traditional, rain-fed regions. Crop fluctuations in the latter tend to follow rainfall patterns. The benefit of irrigation in lower rainfall areas is undisputed, but there are many unanswered questions about the most efficient use of irrigation water. Water is used more efficiently when it is less readily available, causing partial stomatal closure that restricts transpiration more than it restricts photosynthesis. Limited research suggests that macadamias can withstand mild stress. In fact, water use efficiency can be increased by strategic deficit irrigation. However, macadamias are susceptible to stress during oil accumulation. There may be benefits of applying more water at critical times, less at others, and this may vary with cultivar. Currently, it is common for macadamia growers to apply about 20-40 L tree-1 day-1 of water to their orchards in winter and 70-90 L tree-1 day-1 in summer. Research reported water use at 20-30 L tree-1 day-1 during winter and 40-50 L tree-1 day-1 in summer using the Granier sap flow technique. The discrepancy between actual water use and farmer practice may be due to water loss via evaporation from the ground, deep drainage and/or greater transpiration due to luxury water consumption. More irrigation research is needed to develop efficient water use and to set practical limits for deficit irrigation management.

Golf course irrigation and self-sufficiency water in Southern Spain

During the first decade of the 21st century, many golf courses were developed in the Southeast of Spain, which greatly increased the number of these facilities. Almost all of these golf courses have been accompanied by large residential developments composed of thousands of dwelling units. This article seeks to identify the factors that influence golf courses’ water consumption and estimate the number of dwelling units that an associated residential development needs to have to provide the effluent necessary to fully meet the irrigation needs of a golf course. The study indicates that private golf courses achieve greater levels of irrigation efficiency than public golf courses and that the golf courses associated with residential developments subject the irrigation needs of the grassland to the sale requirements of the real estate properties. The study also estimates that a golf course requires approximately 3000 dwelling units with an average annual occupancy of 33% to achieve self-sufficiency for irrigation.

UPGRADING AN INTERMITTENT & BRANCHED WATER NETWORK TO A CONTINUOUS & LOOPED NETWORK: A CASE STUDY IN COASTAL PERU

This case study sought to determine how the potable water network of Cerro Prieto, Peru could be improved. The network as it exists now is branched and operated intermittently, exposing residents to water contamination risks and inconvenience. Using EPANET, it was found that the as-built network can support continuous water service, all points could stay over 10 psi, and the current water consumption rate could be maintained. To keep all points over 20 psi, the height of elevated water tank must be increased 6 feet, and the pump switched on whenever the tank drains. It was also found that almost the entire community would benefit from several possible closed loops in the network, but the high cost gives downstream loops higher priority. Due to the scarcity of water in the region, the first action must be assessing the well capacity, and a water conservation plan that may include water meters.

Rice development and water demand under drought stress imposed at distinct growth stages.

2016

Polydipsia : a feature of peritoneal dialysis

Background Some dialysis patients fail to comply with their fluid restriction causing problems due to volume overload. These patients sometimes blame excessive thirst. There has been little work in this area and no work documenting polydipsia among peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients. Methods We measured motivation to drink and fluid consumption in 46 haemodialysis patients (HD), 39 PD patients and 42 healthy controls (HC) using a modified palmtop computer to collect visual analogue scores at hourly intervals. Results Mean thirst scores were markedly depressed on the dialysis day (day 1) for HD (P<0.0001). The profile for day 2 was similar to that of HC. PD generated consistently higher scores than HD day 1 and HC (P = 0.01 vs. HC and P<0.0001 vs HD day 1). Reported mean daily water consumption was similar for HD and PD with both significantly less than HC (P<0.001 for both). However, measured fluid losses were similar for PD and HC whilst HD were lower (P<0.001 for both) suggesting that the PD group may have underestimated their fluid intake. Conclusion Our results indicate that HD causes a protracted period of reduced thirst but that the population's thirst perception is similar to HC on the interdialytic day despite a reduced fluid intake. In contrast, the PD group recorded high thirst scores throughout the day and were apparently less compliant with their fluid restriction. This is potentially important because the volume status of PD patients influences their survival.

Retrofitting commercial office buildings for sustainability : tenants’ expectations and experiences

Introduction Buildings, which account for approximately half of all annual energy and greenhouse gas emissions, are an important target area for any strategy addressing climate change. Whilst new commercial buildings increasingly address sustainability considerations, incorporating green technology in the refurbishment process of older buildings is technically, financially and socially challenging. This research explores the expectations and experiences of commercial office building tenants, whose building was under-going green refurbishment. Methodology Semi-structured in-depth interviews with seven residents and neighbours of a large case-study building under-going green refurbishment in Melbourne, Australia. Built in 1979, the 7,008m² ‘B’ grade building consists of 11 upper levels of office accommodation, ground floor retail, and a basement area leased as a licensed restaurant. After refurbishment, which included the installation of chilled water pumps, solar water heating, waterless urinals, insulation, disabled toilets, and automatic dimming lights, it was expected that the environmental performance of the building would move from a non-existent zero ABGR (Australian Building Greenhouse Rating) star rating to 3.5 stars, with a 40% reduction in water consumption and 20% reduction in energy consumption. Interviews were transcribed, with responses analysed using a thematic approach, identifying categories, themes and patterns. Results Commercial property tenants are on a journey to sustainability - they are interested and willing to engage in discussions about sustainability initiatives, but the process, costs and benefits need to be clear. Critically, whilst sustainability was an essential and non-negotiable criterion in building selection for government and larger corporate tenants, sustainability was not yet a core business value for smaller organisations – whilst they could see it as an emerging issue, they wanted detailed cost-benefit analyses, pay-back calculations of proposed technologies and, ideally, wished they could trial the technology first-hand in some way. Although extremely interested in learning more, most participants reported relatively minimal knowledge of specific sustainability features, designs or products. In discussions about different sustainable technologies (e.g., waterless urinals, green-rated carpets), participants frequently commented that they knew little about the technology, had not heard of it or were not sure exactly how it worked. Whilst participants viewed sustainable commercial buildings as the future, they had varied expectations about the fate of existing older buildings – most felt that they would have to be retrofitted at some point to meet market expectations and predicted the emergence of a ‘non-sustainability discount’ for residing in a building without sustainable features. Discussion This research offers a beginning point for understanding the difficulty of integrating green technology in older commercial buildings. Tenants currently have limited understandings of technology and potential building performance outcomes, which ultimately could impede the implementation of sustainable initiatives in older buildings. Whilst the commercial property market is interested in learning about sustainability in the built environment, the findings highlight the importance of developing a strong business case, communication and transition plan for implementing sustainability retrofits in existing commercial buildings.

Sewer performance reporting : factors that influence blockages

Managing sewer blockages represents a significant operational challenge for water utilities. In Australia, company-level blockage rates are used to compare the effectiveness of the management strategies of different utilities. Anecdotal evidence suggests this may not be a fair basis for comparison because blockages are influenced by a range of factors beyond management control and that vary from company to company. This issue was investigated as part of a broader research effort on sewer blockage management undertaken in conjunction with the Water Services Association of Australia (WSAA) and its members. A Web-based survey was used to collate expert opinion on factors that influence blockage rate. The identified factors were then investigated in an exploratory analysis of blockage-related data provided by two participating utilities, supported by literature reviews. The results indicate that blockage rate is influenced by a range of factors, including asset attributes, climatic conditions, water consumption, and soil type. Since these factors vary from utility to utility, this research supports the assertion that company-level blockage rate is not in itself an appropriate metric for comparing management effectiveness.

Comparing the sustainability of an innovative dry sanitation (Ecosan) system in China to a conventional waterborne sanitation system

The use of sustainability indicators for evaluating sanitation systems is applied to the Erdos Eco- Town Project (EETP) in China for illustration. The EETP is the largest urban settlement in the world employing ecological sanitation, which incorporates separation of waste streams, dry toilets, and resource recovery. The EETP’s dry sanitation system is compared against the Dongsheng District’s conventional sewer and centralised STP. The two systems are compared based on technological, environmental, economic, and societal indicators. Overall, the two systems perform reasonably well from a technological perspective. The conventional system performs significantly better than the dry system with regards to land and energy requirements, and global warming potential; it also performs better based on freshwater aquatic and terrestrial ecotoxicity potentials, but by a smaller margin. The dry system has superior environmental performance based on water consumption, eutrophication potential, and nutrient and organic matter recovery. The dry system is a more costly system as it requires greater infrastructure and higher operational costs, and does not benefit from economies of scale. The waterborne system performs better based on the societal indicators largely because it is a well-established system.

Proposta de construção de um indicador global para sustentabilidade ambiental do processo industrial numa empresa petroquímica instalada no estado do Rio de Janeiro

No presente trabalho foi realizada uma na pesquisa bibliográfica sobre indicadores globais para avaliação da eficiência de um sistema de gestão ambiental (SGA) e sobre o conceito de sustentabilidade ambiental, com o objetivo de estudar o SGA de uma empresa petroquímica, instalada no Rio de Janeiro, certificada pela ISO 9001, ISO 14001 e OSHA 18001. Procurou-se, assim, identificar, a partir da análise dos indicadores de avaliação do desempenho ambiental, a possibilidade de implantar um indicador único para avaliação da eficiência do SGA estudado, de forma a mostrar aos observadores externos e internos, o efetivo engajamento da empresa na preservação dos recursos naturais e na minimização das emissões atmosféricas e de gases de efeito estufa, dentro da ótica de sustentabilidade ambiental focando-se um processo produtivo industrial. Por meio da pesquisa, verificou-se que, apesar de a empresa utilizar indicadores relacionados com o consumo de água, de emissões fugitivas e de geração de resíduos, dentre outros, ela não monitora, de forma objetiva, as emissões em termos de CO2 equivalente e todas as ações ligadas à sustentabilidade ambiental. Assim, foi proposto um indicador global de sustentabilidade ambiental para ser utilizado como referência do processo produtivo, visando fornecer ao responsável pelo SGA os subsídios necessários para tratar da gestão do processo sob a ótica da sustentabilidade ambiental

Pegada hídrica de aglomerados subnormais: o caso do Bairro Rocinha / Rio de Janeiro.

A água é essencial à manutenção da vida. No entanto, com as situações de estresse hídrico - disponibilidade hídrica inferior a 1.700 m per capita ao ano (FALKENMARK, 1989) - vivenciadas em diversos pontos do planeta, somadas ao acelerado crescimento da população mundial, os problemas relacionados ao uso da água tendem a aumentar. Neste contexto, a pegada hídrica (PH), que é um indicador de sustentabilidade ambiental, se torna uma importante ferramenta de gestão de recursos hídricos pois indica o consumo de água doce com base em seus usos. O presente trabalho objetiva mensurar a pegada hídrica em função das componentes industrial, doméstica e alimentar da população do bairro Rocinha, um aglomerado subnormal localizado no município do Rio de Janeiro. A pesquisa se deteve a um Estudo de Caso de 20 sub-bairros da comunidade. Sua abordagem foi quantitativa, contando com uma amostra de 203 domicílios, erro amostral de 7% e grau de confiança de 93%. Para tal, foi utilizada como ferramenta de cálculo o modelo Water Footprint Network do ano de 2005. Os resultados indicaram que, em média, a PH dos indivíduos que compõem a amostra é de 1715 m/ano per capita assim divididos: PH de consumo doméstico de água de 175 m/ano per capita (479 l/hab.dia); PH de produtos agrícolas igual a 1470 m/ano per capita, e PH de produtos industrializados de 70 m/ano per capita. Os resultados obtidos sugerem que os indivíduos da amostra com uma maior despesa mensal tendem a ter pegadas hídricas industrial e total também maiores.

Percepção socioambiental aplicada em instituição de ensino no âmbito da racionalização do uso da água a partir de aproveitamento de águas pluviais.

Devido à falta de água em algumas regiões, o tema aproveitamento de águas pluviais vem se desenvolvendo ultimamente. Fica evidente a importância de sensibilizar as pessoas para que ajam de modo responsável e com consciência. A escola é um espaço de sensibilidade e conscientização que pode educar os alunos junto ao meio escolar e à comunidade local sobre o meio ambiente. O objetivo do presente trabalho foi o de realizar no Instituto de Aplicação Fernando Rodrigues da Silveira (CAp-UERJ) uma pesquisa de percepção ambiental com os alunos do 2 e 5 ano dos anos iniciais do Ensino Fundamental, a partir da conscientização pautada na educação ambiental após instalado o sistema de captação de águas pluviais, desenvolvida no projeto de Manejo de Águas Pluviais - MAPLU aprovado pelo FINEP, cujo objetivo é o desenvolvimento de soluções urbanísticas e ambientalmente adequadas de manejo de águas pluviais. Foram realizadas as oficinas com cada grupo focal e aplicados questionários para avaliar os resultados gerados. As oficinas demonstraram um avanço no conhecimento, pois a partir de uma abordagem participativa, os alunos puderam expressar os seus interesses e conhecimentos. Para quantificar o consumo de água no Instituto, foram levantadas informações relativas aos usuários, medições de vazões e faturas de consumos de água disponibilizados pela Companhia Estadual de Águas e Esgoto - CEDAE. Por meio de entrevistas com amostras de população, verificou-se a frequência e o tempo médio de utilização dos aparelhos, bem como as principais atividades que consomem água. Estimou-se o consumo médio diário de água no CAp-UERJ em 13 L/dia por aluno.

Consumo de água e tarifa social em áreas de baixa renda: estudo de caso das comunidades de Santa Marta, Complexo do Borel/Casa Branca e Complexo da Mangueira.

O município do Rio de Janeiro, desde sua fundação luta com o grave problema de abastecimento de água. Com o passar do tempo todas as pequenas captações no entorno da cidade foram exauridas tanto em termos de quantidade como em qualidade, afetadas pela poluição decorrente do lançamento de efluentes in natura. Solução foi a busca por novas fontes de abastecimento em outros municípios. Atualmente 80% (oitenta por cento) do abastecimento da região metropolitana do Rio de Janeiro, RMRJ, é proveniente de uma única fonte: o rio Guandu. Isto foi possível devido à transposição da bacia do rio Paraíba do Sul para o rio Guandu ocorrida na década de 50. Esta fonte essencial de abastecimento, onde foi construída a maior Estação de Tratamento de Água do mundo - ETA Guandu - está à beira da exaustão. Somente uma pequena parcela de água bruta foi captada e tratada nesta última década. Visando minimizar o grave problema que já se apresenta e enquanto investimentos em novas alternativas não forem alcançados, o consumo com responsabilidade e sustentabilidade passa a ser a tônica da discussão. Neste contexto, as áreas de baixa renda do município com suas 801 favelas e mais de 1.500 loteamentos irregulares representando em 2010 aproximadamente 1/3 (um terço) da população total, consumindo de 10% a 15% de toda a produção de água tratada da região metropolitana deve ser permanentemente estimulada a contribuir com esta redução de consumo. Estudos apresentados nesta dissertação em três metodologias distintas apontam para um consumo acima da média nacional deste mesmo perfil de população. Os resultados obtidos indicam a necessidade real da redução de consumo observando, entretanto que este é um trabalho extremamente árduo e difícil uma vez que exige mudança de hábitos e a envolvimento de todos, desde a população até a Companhia de Saneamento local.

补充灌溉及氮磷配施对黄土塬区冬小麦水分利用及产量的影响

采用裂区试验设计,对黄土塬区补充灌溉及氮磷配施条件下麦田土壤水分动态、作物产量及水分利用效率等进行研究。结果表明:1)冬小麦对土壤水分的利用深度随小麦生长发育逐渐加深,在越冬前期和孕穗期分别达1.2和2.2 m土层以下,不同处理土壤含水量在小麦生育前期差异不明显,孕穗后氮磷配施处理的土壤含水量显著低于不施肥处理;2)试验条件下,补充灌溉后同样施肥处理的作物产量与雨养相比,虽有增加但不显著;不论是雨养水平,还是补充灌溉水平,氮磷配施均表现出显著的增产效果,从低氮低磷到高氮高磷,增产幅度在134%到240%之间;3)氮磷配施能显著提高冬小麦水分利用效率,而补充灌溉后水分利用效率降低3%~30%,但未达显著水平;4)不同氮磷配施的增产效应高于补充灌溉,补充灌溉与高氮高磷处理有显著的水肥协同效应,能显著提高作物产量并保持较高的水分利用效率。

定位施肥对冬小麦生长、产量及水分利用的影响

基于长期定位施肥试验,研究了不同施肥对冬小麦生长、产量及水分利用的影响。结果表明:不同施肥均能促进冬小麦株高、叶面积、生物量的增长,株高、叶面积、生物量均为:单施氮肥处理(N)高于不施肥处理(CK),氮磷配施处理(NP)显著高于CK和N处理,三个有机肥处理(M、NM和NPM)均较高。不同施肥对冬小麦光合速率影响显著,NPM处理的光合速率在各个生育期均最高;其次分别为NM处理和NP处理,而M处理在前期较高,后期下降较快,N和CK处理均较低。不同施肥处理小麦产量:NPM>NM>M>NP>N>CK,不同施肥均能显著增加小麦产量(增产量为341～4388kg/hm2),除M和NM处理,其他处理均有显著差异;冬小麦耗水量和水分利用效率均随施肥水平提高而增加,NPM和NP处理显著高于N和CK处理。表明在本试验年单施氮肥对小麦生长及产量影响较小,单施有机肥及不同肥料配施均能显著促进小麦生长及产量提高,有机肥的增产效应显著高于无机肥,其中NPM处理的产量及水分利用效率均最高。

现代雨水利用技术研究进展与研发重点

具有工程化、科技化、规模化内涵的现代雨水利用技术是现代节水农业技术的重要研究内容,已成为缓解干旱缺水,实现农业高效用水,降低常规农业用水量的有效措施。在分析现代雨水利用技术研究进展及其发展趋势基础上,指出现代雨水利用技术是传统雨水利用技术与新材料技术、现代生物技术、现代信息技术、现代灌溉工程技术等高新技术相结合的产物,具有多学科相互交叉、各单项技术相互渗透的明显特征。在此基础上,提出了近中期现代雨水利用技术研发的重点,即以重大前沿性技术研究为基础,研发与雨水利用相关的重要关键技术与产品,探索建立适宜的现代雨水高效利用技术体系。