sustainability-logo

Journal Browser

Journal Browser

Development in Sustainable Water Management: Processes, Barriers, Protection and Future Perspectives

A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Sustainable Water Management".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 July 2024 | Viewed by 4655

Special Issue Editors


E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Sanitary Engineering and Water Management, University of Agriculture in Krakow, Mickiewicza Ave. 24/28, 30-059 Krakow, Poland
Interests: water resources; groundwater and surface water protection and management; natural attenuation; therapeutic waters; geothermal waters; hydropower
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

E-Mail Website1 Website2
Guest Editor
Department of Sanitary Engineering and Water Management, University of Agriculture in Krakow, Mickiewicza Ave. 24/28, 30-059 Krakow, Poland
Interests: constructed wetland, small and household wastewater treatment plants - reliability operation; sewage systems on village area

E-Mail Website1 Website2
Guest Editor
Department of Sanitary Engineering and Water Management, University of Agriculture in Krakow, Mickiewicza Ave. 24/28, 30-059 Krakow, Poland
Interests: household treatments plants; technological reliability; accidental water in sewerage system
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Nowadays, water supplies (surface water and groundwater) are too often contaminated or overused.  According to the Water Framework, it is one of our most important responsibilities as humans to guarantee water sources for future generations. Scientists believe in this responsibility very strongly—and based upon their knowledge, education, and research they should show the innovative and effective solutions possible to improve, renew, or maintain the best condition of the water environment. One approach to this challenge is to work towards setting up a balance in the use and supply of water. The amount of water used should be less or about the same as the amount of water that is returning to the water source. This approach is an example of sustainability, the use of a natural resource in a manner so that it can be renewed or preserved for future generations. In addition, it should be remembered that sewage and pathogens (micropollutants, bacteria, and poorly biodegradable components) are one of the most common causes of water quality deterioration. Sustainable water management includes all types of water: natural resources as surface water and groundwater and also used water called wastewater. The current challenge is to find resources of potable water with high quality and quantity, maintain the waters in the best conditions or renew them, and also optimize the processes and design assumptions for wastewater treatment plants in order to achieve effective removal of this type of contamination.

The sustainable water management are key facilities for protecting human health and the environment. The primary goal of water management should be focused on water protection from pollution in order to meet water quality standards. Currently, equally important as a part of water management, have been optimization of using conditions, including especially quantity of resources and retention. Sustainable water management becomes a complex multivariable problem, which need to be solved by different mathematical techniques and experimental studies.

Accordingly, this Special Issue aims to publish original research or reviews on advanced or alternative water resources (surface water and groundwater) recognizing, protecting and balancing. Additionally, wastewater treatment processes for the removal of pollutants is the aim of this Special Issue.

Topics of interest include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Sustainability and new technology of water management;
  • Innovation in infrastructure engineering (surface intakes, boreholes, wastewater plants);
  • Water environment protection (remediation, treatment processes and natural attenuation);
  • Sustainable project management of water using;
  • Risk management;
  • Assessing the water resources;
  • Human impact in water quality and quantity;
  • Recognizing the water resources (surface water and groundwater).

Dr. Agnieszka Operacz
Dr. Karolina Migdał
Dr. Piotr Bugajski
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • water cycle
  • potable water resources (surface water and groundwater)
  • wastewater
  • protection
  • natural attenuation
  • sustainable water management

Published Papers (4 papers)

Order results
Result details
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

Jump to: Review

23 pages, 2983 KiB  
Article
Examining the Long-Run and Short-Run Relationship between Water Demand and Socio-Economic Explanatory Variables: Evidence from Amman
by Dua’a B. Telfah, Aiman Q. Jaradat and Rabah Ismail
Sustainability 2024, 16(6), 2315; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16062315 - 11 Mar 2024
Viewed by 532
Abstract
This study investigates the key factors that influence household water usage in Amman, Jordan, with the aim of improving water management practices in a region facing significant scarcity. The research focuses on factors such as temperature, water pricing, system input, and family size. [...] Read more.
This study investigates the key factors that influence household water usage in Amman, Jordan, with the aim of improving water management practices in a region facing significant scarcity. The research focuses on factors such as temperature, water pricing, system input, and family size. The Vector Error Correction Model with Exogenous Variables (VECMX) is applied to data from 1980 to 2015 to provide insights into consumption patterns, both in the short-term and long-term. The results show that family size and marginal costs significantly impact long-term water demand, while system input and family size influence short-term water demand. The study also finds that water pricing has a limited impact on consumer behavior, indicating inelasticity. Temperature and income, however, did not emerge as significant determinants. These findings highlight the need for water management policies in arid areas like Amman to prioritize factors other than price, such as household size and water infrastructure, to establish more effective strategies for conserving water. Full article
Show Figures

Figure 1

16 pages, 8390 KiB  
Article
Impact of Climate Conditions on Pollutant Concentrations in the Effluent from a One-Stage Constructed Wetland: A Case Study
by Agnieszka Operacz, Krzysztof Jóźwiakowski, Joanna Rodziewicz, Wojciech Janczukowicz and Piotr Bugajski
Sustainability 2023, 15(17), 13173; https://doi.org/10.3390/su151713173 - 01 Sep 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 728
Abstract
This paper reports the results of an investigation into the influence of precipitation and air temperature on the efficiency of pollutant removal processes and effluent pollutant concentrations in a one-stage constructed wetland with subsurface vertical flow. We studied an on-site constructed wetland system [...] Read more.
This paper reports the results of an investigation into the influence of precipitation and air temperature on the efficiency of pollutant removal processes and effluent pollutant concentrations in a one-stage constructed wetland with subsurface vertical flow. We studied an on-site constructed wetland system that used Phragmites australis for the treatment of domestic wastewater. The system was located in central Europe, in the south-east of Poland, in a temperate climate zone with transitional features. Physico-chemical analyses of influent and effluent wastewater, as well as measurements of precipitation and air temperature were carried out in the years 2001–2010. It was shown that the pollutant removal efficiency of the treatment plant was significantly higher in the growing season than outside the growing season (the mean efficiency is usually a few percent higher but generally this parameter is highly varied). This indicated that temperature determined the efficiency of the wastewater treatment. We found that the amount of precipitation affected the concentration of pollutants in the effluent. The more rainfall there was, the lower the content of pollutants in the effluent from the treatment plant, which demonstrated that rainwater diluted the concentrations of pollutants in the treated wastewater—thus improving the efficiency of the wastewater treatment plant. Full article
Show Figures

Figure 1

21 pages, 4224 KiB  
Article
Influence of the Bed Temperature on the Operational Reliability of a Hybrid Constructed Wetland Wastewater Treatment Plant in South-Western Poland—A Case Study
by Karolina Jóźwiakowska and Piotr Bugajski
Sustainability 2023, 15(15), 11790; https://doi.org/10.3390/su151511790 - 31 Jul 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 891
Abstract
The aim of this study was to assess the influence of atmospheric air temperature on the efficiency and reliability of pollutants removal from wastewater. The studied facility was a hybrid constructed wetland wastewater treatment plant with vertical and horizontal flow serving a single-family [...] Read more.
The aim of this study was to assess the influence of atmospheric air temperature on the efficiency and reliability of pollutants removal from wastewater. The studied facility was a hybrid constructed wetland wastewater treatment plant with vertical and horizontal flow serving a single-family building in the village of Krajanów in south-western Poland. The operation of the facility was evaluated on the basis of studies conducted in 2021–2022. The tests included a physico–chemical analysis of wastewater treated mechanically in a settling tank and effluents from constructed wetland beds with the vertical and horizontal flow. The following parameters were determined: BOD5, COD, total suspended solids, total nitrogen, and total phosphorus. No statistically significant effect of air temperature on the analyzed pollutants removal levels was found. The temperature in the soil–plant bed never fell below 0 °C, and so the wastewater flowing through the beds never froze. The discussed facility was characterized by high efficiency and reliability of the tested pollutants removal across the seasons. The mean concentrations of pollutants in treated wastewater did not exceed the limit values specified in the currently binding legal act. It was shown that hybrid constructed wetlands can be successfully used for wastewater treatment in the climatic conditions of southern Poland. Full article
Show Figures

Figure 1

Review

Jump to: Research

23 pages, 3418 KiB  
Review
Impounding Reservoirs, Benefits and Risks: A Review of Environmental and Technical Aspects of Construction and Operation
by Maksymilian Połomski and Mirosław Wiatkowski
Sustainability 2023, 15(22), 16020; https://doi.org/10.3390/su152216020 - 16 Nov 2023
Viewed by 1495
Abstract
The operation of multi-functional reservoirs, together with their benefits and risks, is a complex issue. The scientific and social discussion has been burgeoning recently, and all the more so as no planning and technological solutions for the realisation of storage reservoirs have yet [...] Read more.
The operation of multi-functional reservoirs, together with their benefits and risks, is a complex issue. The scientific and social discussion has been burgeoning recently, and all the more so as no planning and technological solutions for the realisation of storage reservoirs have yet been worked out that could represent a universal approach, assuming ecologically and socially sustainable operations, maximising economic returns and supporting the development of the region concerned. Although the creation of each reservoir facility involves different engineering and environmental considerations, this article attempts to isolate the key benefits of impounding reservoirs and to summarise the risks associated with their operation, considering flood protection, retention, environmental and social aspects and water quality. Based on a review of the scientific literature for each of these aspects, various sub-categories representing intensively developing sectors of research were distinguished, and the published results were used to formulate a register taking into account the spectrum of impact of a given factor and a proposal for remedial action. As a basic conclusion of this review, it can be pointed out that the current development of scientific research, technological progress in hydrotechnical engineering and information technology, as well as advanced data analysis capabilities, provide the basis for developing sustainable solutions to avoid or mitigate the negative impact of all the identified risks. In addition, remedial measures in the catchment area and the reservoir should be taken on board to counteract the negative effects of reservoirs. The results presented can be a valuable source of information for institutions responsible for the planning and implementation of investments in the construction of multi-functional reservoirs. Full article
Show Figures

Figure 1

Back to TopTop