Urban Water Security Research Alliance
Stormwater Workshop
Tuesday 4th December 2012
Dr Steven Kenway
Benchmarking the role that water plays
in efficient, resilient and liveable cities
Drivers for performance evaluation of cities
– You can’t manage what you don’t measure (anon).
– New accounting makes it possible.
– Pressure to account for all upstream, and
downstream consequences of actions & policies.
– Tracking and reporting performance helps bring a
wider stakeholder group along the journey.
– Creates motivation, discussion, learning
opportunities and brand
BUT, wrong indicators / ratings could drive poor
outcomes…..rating can be complex, self-serving,
and difficult for slow-moving/wicked problems
– Rating systems are happening anyway.
Rating systems need good design (Busan 2012)
• Ratings systems must have meaning in different
situations. eg. wet/dry, tropical/sub-tropical,
developed/developing.
• Cities have different goals and institutional, finance,
social, and governance barriers.
• Balance is needed between locally-specific indicators
(for flexibility), and generically-applicable (for
benchmarking).
• Clear principles and value propositions are needed.
These should link with community objectives,
constraints and outcomes.
• Example principles could be (a) preserve human
health and biodiversity (b) consider waste as a
resource (c) work towards a zero footprint.
• A clear boundary is important for benchmarking.
Virtual water and energy flows should be included.
• Agreement by all is needed, as is verification by a
credible independent body.
UWSRA Technical Report 43:
Towards Assessment Criteria for Water Sensitive Cities
• Common, guiding Conceptual Framework is
missing
– Urban metabolism could help
– Comparable performance indicators
• Land use – water-energy-carbon (including
resource efficiency and virtual water flows)
for the overall city.
• Constraints including limited tools/models
• “metabolic” efficiency needs to be
considered with cost, resilience and risk.
• There is a need for city/regional level rather
than building and cluster scale.
Priestley et al 2012
input
Conceptual Frameworks
Newman’s Extended Urban Metabolism model
Climatecon – European Environment
Agency - Extended and pragmatic
concept for urban metabolism
Conceptual Frameworks
Alberti et al. Integrated model
of humans and ecological processes
Resilience Alliance
Water mass balances demonstrate how much water our
cities waste (2004-2005) – one application of metabolism
2 ,2 5 0
2 ,0 0 0
1 ,7 5 0
GL/a
1 ,5 0 0
1 ,2 5 0
1 ,0 0 0
750
500
250
0
S ydney
In p u t s
S y dney
O u tputs
M e lb o u rn e M e lb o u rn e
In p u t s
O utp uts
C e n tra li s e d W a te r
D e c e n tra li s e d W a te r (G ro und w a te r)
W a s te w a te r
E va p o tra ns p i ra ti o n
SEQ
In p u t s
SEQ
O utp uts
P e rt h
In p u t s
P e rt h
O utputs
D e c e n tra li s e d W a te r (R a i n w a te r T a nk s )
P re c i p i ta ti o n
S to rm w a te r
O u tflo w to G ro und w a te r
Kenway et al 2011 (Journal of Industrial Ecology).
10.1111/j.1530-9290.2011.00357.x
Mass-balanced“metabolic” performance indicators
quantify performance (2004-05)
Rainfall
harvesting
(D/P)
Sydney
0.1%
Melbourne
0.5%
SEQ
0.1%
Perth
22%
Wastewater
% of use
(W/(C+D))
86%
79%
48%
26%
Reuse % of
Stormwater anthropogenic
% of use
input
(S/(C+D)) (Re/C+D)
76%
1%
68%
4%
104%
2%
47%
1%
Kenway et al 2011 (Journal of Industrial Ecology).
10.1111/j.1530-9290.2011.00357.x
How do we consider energy….given urban water indirectly influences
13% of Australia’s electricity plus 18% of Australia’s natural gas use
(this equals 8% of Australia’s primary energy or 9% ghg emissions)
INDIRECT
ENERGY
• resource loss
• water use
• water supply
DIRECT
ENERGY
Kenway , Lant, Priestley (Water and Climate, 2011)
Which is the more sustainable future?
Current State
Possible Future
States
A
A
B
AA
A - Utility energy use
B – Water-related energy use
B
B
A
B
Kenway, 2012 The Water Energy Nexus and Urban Metabolism
Example of current international performance indicators
for water in cities. LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental
Design) for new construction / major renovation
Green Cities Rating Index (EIU / Siemens) water
indicators (each are weighted 3.125% out of 100%)
Water consumption
Water system leakage
Wastewater treatment
Water efficiency and treatment policies
Challenges at the water-energy-carbon
intersection (PMSEIC 2010)
• Resilient pathways will simultaneously
reduce GHG emissions, lower overall
water demand, maintain overall
environmental quality and allow living
standards to continue to improve.
• Recommendation 4 (of 5): Resilient Cities and Towns
- foster resilient, low-emission energy systems, water systems
and built environments by focusing jointly on technological
developments in supply and on adaptation in demand
• scope for a National Energy and Water Efficiency Target
scheme to combine state and federal rebates, incentives and
regulations (Section 5, Recommendation 1).
Where are we at? Where are we heading with urban
performance assessment?
Currently:
• Fragmented analysis,
• No common system
boundary,
• Effects of interactions not
considered,
• Problem shifting between
water, energy and nutrient
impacts.
Future:
• Co-ordinated analysis,
• Common system boundary,
• Interactions / overall system
performance considered
Kenway, 2012
GRAPHIC BY MKA MAGNUSON KLEMENCIC
What water-energy outcome could we
achieve if we use all the elements of
rainwater harvesting, water reuse,
green roofs, urban agriculture,
hydropower, evaporative cooling &
thermal storage?
SKYSCRAPERCITY.COM RESIDENCE ANTILIA IN MUMBAI RELIANCE
INDUSTRIIES ARCHITECTS PERKINS + WILL
Source: Steve Moddemeyer 2009
References / Further Reading
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Kenway, (2012). The Water-Energy Nexus and Urban Metabolism. Identification,
Quantification and Interpretation of the connections in cities. University of Queensland
Thesis. School of Chemical Engineering.
Kenway, S. J., Lant, P. and Priestley, A. (2011b). Quantifying the links between water and
energy in cities. Journal of Water and Climate Change, 2(4), 247-259.
Kenway, S. Scheidegger, R. Larsen, T. Lant, P. Bader, H-P. (2012). Energy and
Buildings. Water-related energy in households: a model designed to understand the
current state and simulate possible measures.
Kenway, S.J., A. Gregory, and J. McMahon, Urban Water Mass Balance Analysis. Journal
of Industrial Ecology. 2011. 15(5): p. 693-706.
Kenway, S.J. Priestley, A, Cook, S., Seo,S., Inman, M. Gregory, A and Hall, M. (2008)
Energy Use in the consumption and provision of urban water in Australia and New
Zealand. A report for the Water Services Association of Australia. ISBN 978 0 643 0916 5.
https://www.wsaa.asn.au/Media/Press%20Releases/20081212%20CSIRO%20%20Water%20Energy%20Final%20Report%2010%20Nov%202008.pdf
Kenway, S.J., P. Lant, A. Priestley, and P. Daniels. (2011). The connection between
water and energy in cities - a review. Water Science and Technology, 63(9): p. 19831990.
Priestley, Laves, Biermann (2012). Towards Assessment Criteria for Water Sensitive
Cities. Urban Water Security Research Alliance.
PMSEIC (2010). Challenges at Energy-Water-Carbon Intersections. Report of the
PMSEIC Expert Working Group. Canberra, Prime Minister’s Science, Engineering and
Innovation Council.
Thanks to contributing authors
The University of Queensland and Urban Water Security Research Alliance, Swiss
Federal Institute for Aquatic Science and Technology (Eawag), Australian-American
Fulbright Commission and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and Seqwater for
supporting the research.
Steven Kenway
2010-11 Australian Fulbright Research Scholar
Email: [email protected]
Urban Water Security Research Alliance
Thank You
www.urbanwateralliance.org.au