Carbon footprint of drinking water over treatment plant life span (2025–2075) is probably dominated by construction phase
Drinking water companies must limit their effects on climate change. Therefore, in this study, we conducted a hybrid life cycle assessment (LCA) for a new drinking water treatment plant (DWTP) to be built in 2025 and expected to be operational until 2075. We focused on obtaining a nearly complete ca...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2022-06-01
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| Series: | Cleaner Environmental Systems |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666789422000101 |
| _version_ | 1818555602589188096 |
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| author | Bas Hofs Wilbert van den Broek Andries van Eckeveld Albert van der Wal |
| author_facet | Bas Hofs Wilbert van den Broek Andries van Eckeveld Albert van der Wal |
| author_sort | Bas Hofs |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Drinking water companies must limit their effects on climate change. Therefore, in this study, we conducted a hybrid life cycle assessment (LCA) for a new drinking water treatment plant (DWTP) to be built in 2025 and expected to be operational until 2075. We focused on obtaining a nearly complete carbon footprint (CF), including both construction (activities and materials) and operation phases. We compared three DWTP concepts: (i) conventional treatment followed by granular activated carbon (GAC) and ultrafiltration; (ii) conventional treatment followed by reverse osmosis; and (iii) capillary nanofiltration followed by GAC. As the DWTP is to be built in The Netherlands, we considered the current plans of the European Union for reducing CFs using two future scenarios (reductions of 80% and 100% in 2050). We found that the CF of the construction over the lifetime of the DWTP accounts for 20–70% of the total (excluding beneficial effects), depending mainly on the electricity used (Dutch mix, solar, or wind) and the future scenario. This means that the construction phase should be investigated in detail to obtain a complete and accurate estimate of the total CF of drinking water production for new DWTPs. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-12T09:55:35Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-52449826e1ab488c9ae6c356c7ba8bff |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2666-7894 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-12T09:55:35Z |
| publishDate | 2022-06-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Cleaner Environmental Systems |
| spelling | doaj.art-52449826e1ab488c9ae6c356c7ba8bff2022-12-22T00:28:09ZengElsevierCleaner Environmental Systems2666-78942022-06-015100079Carbon footprint of drinking water over treatment plant life span (2025–2075) is probably dominated by construction phaseBas Hofs0Wilbert van den Broek1Andries van Eckeveld2Albert van der Wal3Department of Technology and Source Protection, Evides Waterbedrijf, P.O. Box 4472, 3006 AL, Rotterdam, the Netherlands; Corresponding author.Department of Process & Technology, Evides Industriewater, P.O. Box 4472, 3006 AL, Rotterdam, the NetherlandsDepartment of Technology and Source Protection, Evides Waterbedrijf, P.O. Box 4472, 3006 AL, Rotterdam, the NetherlandsDepartment of Technology and Source Protection, Evides Waterbedrijf, P.O. Box 4472, 3006 AL, Rotterdam, the Netherlands; Department of Environmental Technology, Wageningen University, Bornse Weilanden 9, 6708 WG, Wageningen, the NetherlandsDrinking water companies must limit their effects on climate change. Therefore, in this study, we conducted a hybrid life cycle assessment (LCA) for a new drinking water treatment plant (DWTP) to be built in 2025 and expected to be operational until 2075. We focused on obtaining a nearly complete carbon footprint (CF), including both construction (activities and materials) and operation phases. We compared three DWTP concepts: (i) conventional treatment followed by granular activated carbon (GAC) and ultrafiltration; (ii) conventional treatment followed by reverse osmosis; and (iii) capillary nanofiltration followed by GAC. As the DWTP is to be built in The Netherlands, we considered the current plans of the European Union for reducing CFs using two future scenarios (reductions of 80% and 100% in 2050). We found that the CF of the construction over the lifetime of the DWTP accounts for 20–70% of the total (excluding beneficial effects), depending mainly on the electricity used (Dutch mix, solar, or wind) and the future scenario. This means that the construction phase should be investigated in detail to obtain a complete and accurate estimate of the total CF of drinking water production for new DWTPs.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666789422000101Hybrid life cycle assessmentCarbon footprintDrinking waterConstruction |
| spellingShingle | Bas Hofs Wilbert van den Broek Andries van Eckeveld Albert van der Wal Carbon footprint of drinking water over treatment plant life span (2025–2075) is probably dominated by construction phase Cleaner Environmental Systems Hybrid life cycle assessment Carbon footprint Drinking water Construction |
| title | Carbon footprint of drinking water over treatment plant life span (2025–2075) is probably dominated by construction phase |
| title_full | Carbon footprint of drinking water over treatment plant life span (2025–2075) is probably dominated by construction phase |
| title_fullStr | Carbon footprint of drinking water over treatment plant life span (2025–2075) is probably dominated by construction phase |
| title_full_unstemmed | Carbon footprint of drinking water over treatment plant life span (2025–2075) is probably dominated by construction phase |
| title_short | Carbon footprint of drinking water over treatment plant life span (2025–2075) is probably dominated by construction phase |
| title_sort | carbon footprint of drinking water over treatment plant life span 2025 2075 is probably dominated by construction phase |
| topic | Hybrid life cycle assessment Carbon footprint Drinking water Construction |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666789422000101 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT bashofs carbonfootprintofdrinkingwaterovertreatmentplantlifespan20252075isprobablydominatedbyconstructionphase AT wilbertvandenbroek carbonfootprintofdrinkingwaterovertreatmentplantlifespan20252075isprobablydominatedbyconstructionphase AT andriesvaneckeveld carbonfootprintofdrinkingwaterovertreatmentplantlifespan20252075isprobablydominatedbyconstructionphase AT albertvanderwal carbonfootprintofdrinkingwaterovertreatmentplantlifespan20252075isprobablydominatedbyconstructionphase |