Sustainable Water Management - Assignment Example

Sustainable Water Management By + Executive summary Effective water resource management is a result a cumulative effort of several policies and cannot be addressed by individual interventions. The problem needs to be approached from a portfolio management view so that the intervention measures is cost effective, has minimal implementation costs and can cover the different water needs met by the resource (Johnson 2008). Implementation risks and excess economic costs usually put the sustainability of such a program at risk and usually results in budget increases and delays in the program. In this paper, I would focus on the water situation in Mexico City. The city has limited surface water supply, the quality of the ground water is under threat due to the absence of an effective water treatment plant while the aquifers are under threat due to over exploitation. To address the situation, I shall propose a number of policies that will deal with the problem. It should be noted that these measures have to not only be economically viable and technically feasible but also institutionally and politically implementable. Sustainable water management can be done effectively by use of three policies (Scheineder, 2010). One, urban water demand management through the upgrading of the existing distribution systems, non-portable domestic water re use and portable water reuse through aquifer recharge. It is also important to consider the feasibility of these policies based on institutional, political and economic dimensions. Introduction Water is a natural resource that is not only scarce but finite in nature. There is the possibility that at one time the water resources shall be depleted. This implies that in future the water situation is only likely to worsen. This is despite the fact that global demand for this resource grows at an annual rate of 2% per year. This means that by 2030 there will be an increase in the worldwide demand of water from 4500 billion m3 annually to 6900 billion m3. Given the present situation, the existing supply will can only meet 60% of tis demand and this leaves behind a gap that needs to be realized. To ensure that this gap is closed, appropriate measures should be put in place that address an increase in productivity of the existing use of water resources, expansion of water supply and to reduce the demand of water by shifting the economy towards less water intensive activities. It should be noted that consumption by humans competes with demand by the various industrial and agricultural needs; therefore there should be a portfolio that addresses the various uses of the water (Griggs 2008). Such measures should cover three main areas: water products, implementation risks and cost effectiveness. The Water Crisis in Mexico City Mexico City is the 3rd biggest metropolitan area in the world; it has an estimated population of 20 million. In the last 45 years, the population of the town has quadrupled and this figure is set to grow as many more people troop in from the country sides. The water situation in Mexico City is characterized by poor water quality due to ineffective waste water treatment, limited supply of surface water and over exploitation of the existing aquifers. The city is characterized by unplanned urban expansion and this has resulted in widespread ecological deterioration. 70% of the water used in the city is obtained from aquifers below the ground. The aquifers get water from various natural springs, rains during the summer and the mountains in the region (Gooch, 2010). This has ensured that even though water is removed from them, there is a natural recharge mechanism, although this is lower than the rate of exploitation. Given the large population of Mexico City, 85% of the water demand is used to cater for domestic demand, with industrial use and agriculture covering the rest. The end result is that there is a strain on the water resources and these have to be over exploited so as to meet the demand from this large population. However, some of this shortage is caused by technical factors and can only be solved by coming up with the designated technical solutions. It is estimated that 40% of water that is supplied to Mexico City is lost through leaks that are in the water distribution systems. A large portion is also lost due to poor coordination between various government levels. The political situation is also a factor in water management (Carolyn 2008). There is widespread patronage within the government and water is one of the resources used to exercise political power. It is therefore exploited by political parties for personal gain. Within Mexico City, there lacks an effective system for treating water wastes. This therefore means that the waste water is usually left lying around and this seep into the soil. It usually gets to the aquifers where it contaminates the water supply. As a result the aquifer water becomes unsafe for human consumption and it cease to be a viable water source that can be exploited to be used by the population. The direct impact is that there is strain in the existing water sources that are considered clean and this presents a danger in the form of overexploitation. The above factors are the main reason why Mexico City is at a dangerous position in regards to its water resource management. There are several factors that ultimately lead to the over exploitation of the available aquifers and if appropriate measures are not put in place, water sources might just dry up. The issue with water in Mexico city is not only lack of enough water but also poor water management practices that result in loss of water in the form of wastages, as a result, there are measures that need to be taken to address this situation and to ensure that their water needs are guaranteed in the future (Grafton 2011). Measures to Address the Situation There are three ways that can be used to address the water situation in Mexico City and these are discussed in this part. To ensure the feasibility of these factors there should be an appropriate legal framework that supports such actions, organizational structures that will guide its implementation and relevant monitoring and enforcement mechanisms to ensure that they are properly important. It is important to have an incentive system that will motivate people and the relevant authorities to be involved in these measures. 1. Urban domestic demand management through upgrading of the existing distribution system The most cost effective measure when it comes to dealing with the demand for water is by upgrading the distribution system (Molden 2007). This will play a key role in the water supply by reducing the leakages that occur within the system. 40% of water that is pumped to Mexico City from the aquifers is lost through leakages and upgrading the system will mark a major step in an effort to improve water management. The distribution systems is also important in the households and this can be enhanced by making use of toilets and shower heads that make use of very little amount of water. This problem is made worse by the fact that when leakages are rectified it results in an increase in pressure within the system. As a result new leakages develop in other areas of the system. An effective way to deal with this situation is to couple the upgrading system with sectorization. This increases the level of control of the pressure within the system. Implementation of this can create problems in regards to the social aspect since upgrading of the system is likely to inconvenience a lot of people and cause disturbances (Chartes 2010). It should therefore be approached with a lot of care to ensure all the stakeholders are consulted and upgrading is done in the correct manner. It is also public knowledge that there are leakages in the system, but establishment of the exact points at which this happens is not known, this makes planning of an appropriate action plan to be very difficult. Another option of dealing with this situation is changing the entire distribution system as the maintenance costs of the existing network may be too high and result in economic wastes. The process of repair or installation of a new system will most definitely require the use of an external contractor and strict measures have to be met to ensure that they meet the requirements of the project. The management of the distribution systems should also be shared evenly among various municipalities (Mund 2014). Given that each municipality will have the role to ensure that there are no leakages within the system, there will be constant monitoring to ensure that the part of the network under their control does not disrupt the national supply. 2. Non-potable domestic water reuse There is a lot of water that is used for agricultural purposes. This strains the system and results in overexploitation of the system. Such practices should stop and agriculture can be watered by use of recycled water from domestic use. Water from domestic waste, kitchen and laundry is collected in a sump. This is then pumped via a comminutor to the aeration chamber. It is important to note that primary sedimentation is not vital when using this process. The aerated solution then flows out of the chamber and into a clarifier for the process of gravity separation. The clarifier produces effluent which is passed through a chlorine disinfection chamber after which it can be connected to the irrigation system (Walmsly, 2010). Due to health uses, this recycled water is used only for industrial use and for irrigation purposes. This technology has been used successfully in various parts of the world and as a result Mexico City will not be an exception, it reduces the demand on the potable sources of freshwater. There is also the direct impact on aquatic life which will thrive due to minimal discharge of wastewater discharges into the system. Wastewater is also rich in nutrients and so can lead to an increase in the agricultural production in arid. Apart from the issue of health, the other disadvantage of using this method is that there may be a reduction in revenues to water supply authorities since the demand for clean water for non-potable uses will drop significantly. In order for these programs to be successful they should be aligned to strict regulations, constant monitoring and control of the water quality should be regularly done to ensure both consumers and workers are safe from any health hazards. If such measures are implemented in Mexico City, it can result to a lot of savings in regard to use of water. This is made possible by the fact that the large population provides a ready source of waste water that can be recycled. 3. Portable water reuse through adequate aquifer recharge. The main aim of this method is to ensure that the water supply is maintained at a constant. In Mexico City, about 52 m3 of untreated water is used for irrigation of large parcels of land. This water is seeped into the soil and as a result of natural processes it is purified and recharged into the available aquifers. There is evidence that water that is recycled in such a manner is safe for human consumption. Another way by which aquifers can be recharged is by indirectly recharging them (Davidson 2011). This process involves focus on the systems that supply the aquifers with water such as the streams and rivers. Waste water is taken and added to these streams and since these undergo natural filtration systems underground, the end result is that the water reaches the aquifers when it is purer and can be extracted on the other end and put to use without any biasness. However, this process requires adequate planning and testing to ensure that the water is safe for human use and consumption. Stringent tests should consider all the possibilities before the water is introduced into the public grid. The various factors that are important are; the water quality, soil mechanics and water volumes (Roberta 2003). Given the technical nature of this process, the authorities might have to outsource for professionals to undertake it and therefore it becomes quite a costly venture. The chosen company will not only have the mandate to set up the relevant systems but also the duty to constantly monitor the process to ensure all the appropriate standards are met. The use of aquifer recharge also involves the use of space. Policies will have to be put that set aside certain areas and this will result in a limit on urbanization in such areas. This can bring political tension as the authorities can envision more benefits from increased urbanization than from recharging of the aquifers. The good thing of using such a method is that it is a long term method and the new infrastructure requirements will be able to serve the location for a very long time to come. 4. Use of indirect tools such as water tariffs Supply of any given commodity is dependent on the amount of money people are willing to pay to be able to access it. There should be a tariff policy that considers the mode of billing and the water pricing. Such modest changes can reduce the demand on the water supply while also improving the financial health of the administration. To ensure that there is fairness in the water distribution costs across households with various levels of income, the structure of the tariff should be considered (Gandy 2004). There are a number of payment methods that can be adopted; one of them is payment by actual use while the other is a periodic payment regardless of the amount of water used. This payment is related to the diameter of the pipe that connects the given household. It is also important to run a public awareness campaign. When this public education program is well designed there is expected to be a substantial drop on the demand of water demand by the general population. Column1 Column2 Sustainability Equity Security SUPPLY rainfall Is reliable limited dependent on nature injection of waste water Not sustainable as it can be influenced by other factor DEMAND population increasing agriculture increasing demand environmental flows fluctuate transfers limited demand Conclusion Water is an important resource and its presence is crucial for survival. The following measures can be taken to try and improve the situation. However, there are several other factors that are crucial and should also be considered. Top of these factors is the political goodwill. Politicians are most likely to promote policies that will benefit them either directly or indirectly. Implementation of some of these measures is likely to require the use of force and this can make the politicians very unpopular, they are therefore likely to oppose such measures. Other measures are technical and require the procurement of experienced companies. This can be influenced by the politicians and the selection might not be based on merit but by political connections. The end result is that the workmanship will be shoddy and the new systems will not attain the standards that are required. Despite all this factors, water management should be deeply considered because the consequences of ignoring this will be quite severe. In reality, nothing can be done to reduce the number of immigrants moving to the urban centers. It is therefore left to the authorities to come up with measures that will ensure these people can access the basic services once they get to the urban areas. 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