Stormwater WorkshopTuesday 4th December 2012

Dr Steven Kenway

Benchmarking the role that water plays in efficient, resilient and liveable cities

Urban Water Security Research Alliance

– 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 brandBUT, 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.

Drivers for performance evaluation of cities

• 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.

Rating systems need good design (Busan 2012)

• 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.

UWSRA Technical Report 43:Towards Assessment Criteria for Water Sensitive Cities

Priestley et al 2012

Newman’s Extended Urban Metabolism model

inpu

t

Climatecon – European EnvironmentAgency - Extended and pragmaticconcept for urban metabolism

Conceptual Frameworks

Resilience Alliance

Alberti et al. Integrated modelof humans and ecological processes

Conceptual Frameworks

Water mass balances demonstrate how much water our cities waste (2004-2005) – one application of metabolism

0

2 5 0

5 0 0

7 5 0

1 ,0 0 0

1 ,2 5 0

1 ,5 0 0

1 ,7 5 0

2 ,0 0 0

2 ,2 5 0

S y d n e yIn p u ts

S y d n e yO u tp u t s

M e lb o u rn eIn p u ts

M e lb o u rn eO u tp u ts

S E QIn p u ts

S E QO u tp u ts

P e rthIn p u ts

P e rthO u tp u t s

GL/

a

C e ntra lis e d W a te r D e c e ntra lis e d W a te r (R a inw a te r Ta nk s )D e c e ntra lis e d W a te r (G ro und w a te r) P re c ip i ta tio nW a s te w a te r S to rm w a te rE va p o tra ns p ira tio n O utflo 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

Wastewater % of use

Stormwater % of use

Reuse % of anthropogenic input

(D/P) (W/(C+D)) (S/(C+D)) (Re/C+D)Sydney 0.1% 86% 76% 1%Melbourne 0.5% 79% 68% 4%SEQ 0.1% 48% 104% 2%Perth 22% 26% 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)

• resource loss

• water use

• water supply

INDIRECT ENERGY

DIRECT ENERGY

Kenway , Lant, Priestley (Water and Climate, 2011)

A B

Which is the more sustainable future?

B – Water-related energy useB – Water-related energy useA - Utility energy use

A B

A B

A B

A

Kenway, 2012 The Water Energy Nexus and Urban Metabolism

Current StatePossible Future States

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 leakageWastewater 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

SKYSCRAPERCITY.COM RESIDENCE ANTILIA IN MUMBAI RELIANCE INDUSTRIIES ARCHITECTS PERKINS + WILL

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?

Source: Steve Moddemeyer 2009

GRAPHIC BY MKA MAGNUSON KLEMENCIC

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. 1983- 1990.

• 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 Kenway2010-11 Australian Fulbright Research Scholar

Email: s.kenway@uq.edu.au

Urban Water Security Research Alliance

Thank You

www.urbanwateralliance.org.au