Journal articles on the topic 'Water consumption Australia'
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Tariq, Muhammad Atiq Ur Rehman, Riley Raimond Damnics, Zohreh Rajabi, Muhammad Laiq Ur Rahman Shahid, and Nitin Muttil. "Identification of Major Inefficient Water Consumption Areas Considering Water Consumption, Efficiencies, and Footprints in Australia." Applied Sciences 10, no. 18 (September 4, 2020): 6156. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/app10186156.
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Due to population growth, climatic change, and growing water usage, water scarcity is expected to be a more prevalent issue at the global level. The situation in Australia is even more serious because it is the driest continent and is characterized by larger water footprints in the domestic, agriculture and industrial sectors. Because the largest consumption of freshwater resources is in the agricultural sector (59%), this research undertakes a detailed investigation of the water footprints of agricultural practices in Australia. The analysis of the four highest water footprint crops in Australia revealed that the suitability of various crops is connected to the region and the irrigation efficiencies. A desirable crop in one region may be unsuitable in another. The investigation is further extended to analyze the overall virtual water trade of Australia. Australia’s annual virtual water trade balance is adversely biased towards exporting a substantial quantity of water, amounting to 35 km3, per trade data of 2014. It is evident that there is significant potential to reduce water consumption and footprints, and increase the water usage efficiencies, in all sectors. Based on the investigations conducted, it is recommended that the water footprints at each state level be considered at the strategic level. Further detailed analyses are required to reduce the export of a substantial quantity of virtual water considering local demands, export requirements, and production capabilities of regions.
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Reutter, Beatriz, Paul A. Lant, and Joe L. Lane. "Direct and indirect water use within the Australian economy." Water Policy 20, no. 6 (September 24, 2018): 1227–39. http://dx.doi.org/10.2166/wp.2018.055.
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Abstract We present the first analysis of water use in the Australian economy to account for inter-state trade, exports and consumption patterns, across all economic sectors and incorporating a temporal analysis. This is achieved by using the environmentally extended input-output technique, combining state-level input-output and water accounts from the Australian Bureau of Statistics. Results show that the three big eastern economies (New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland) rely mostly on water used within their jurisdictions. Approximately one-third of water consumption is for exported commodities, with the biggest export flows of virtual water being associated with agricultural production. Comparing results across the years (2000–2011), the water consumption associated with the provision of goods and services has decreased by 32% for exports, and by 38% for domestic markets. To date in Australia, the focus for improved trans-boundary water management (within Australia) has been on improved mechanisms for sharing physical allocation of water; these results provide the trans-boundary economic dependencies related to water availability. Recent innovations in the compilation of economic input-output models create an opportunity to progress this analysis, exploring in detail the economy–water interlinkages. It is our intention that the paper shows the value of analysing water flows using the multi-regional input-output techniques.
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Adapa, Sujana. "Factors influencing consumption and anti-consumption of recycled water: Evidence from Australia." Journal of Cleaner Production 201 (November 2018): 624–35. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2018.08.083.
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Evenden, A. R. "Sea water reverse osmosis - energy efficiency & recovery." Water Practice and Technology 10, no. 1 (March 1, 2015): 187–95. http://dx.doi.org/10.2166/wpt.2015.023.
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The Adelaide desalination plant, located in South Australia, was designed and built by the AdelaideAqua construction consortium for the South Australian Water Corporation (SA Water), a wholly owned public utility. Construction commenced in 2009 at a green field site (Port Stanvac) south of Adelaide, with drinking water production from October 2011 and full production capability and handover to the plant operator on 12 December 2012. The facility uses 100% renewable energy and provides the people of South Australia with one of the most energy efficient sea water desalination plants in the World. This paper examines the performance of the Adelaide desalination plant in terms of energy efficiency. Specific energy saving technologies and innovations are described, including assessment of design and actual performance. The Adelaide desalination plant has achieved 8% lower energy consumption compared to the project's initial design requirements and the specific energy consumption of 3.48 kWh/m3 compares well with industry benchmark efficiencies.
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Lim, Allan E. K., Anthony Perkins, and John W. M. Agar. "The carbon footprint of an Australian satellite haemodialysis unit." Australian Health Review 37, no. 3 (2013): 369. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/ah13022.
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Objectives. This study aimed to better understand the carbon emission impact of haemodialysis (HD) throughout Australia by determining its carbon footprint, the relative contributions of various sectors to this footprint, and how contributions from electricity and water consumption are affected by local factors. Methods. Activity data associated with HD provision at a 6-chair suburban satellite HD unit in Victoria in 2011 was collected and converted to a common measurement unit of tonnes of CO2 equivalents (t CO2-eq) via established emissions factors. For electricity and water consumption, emissions factors for other Australian locations were applied to assess the impact of local factors on these footprint contributors. Results. In Victoria, the annual per-patient carbon footprint of satellite HD was calculated to be 10.2 t CO2-eq. The largest contributors were pharmaceuticals (35.7%) and medical equipment (23.4%). Throughout Australia, the emissions percentage attributable to electricity consumption ranged from 5.2% to 18.6%, while the emissions percentage attributable to water use ranged from 4.0% to 11.6%. Conclusions. State-by-state contributions of energy and water use to the carbon footprint of satellite HD appear to vary significantly. Performing emissions planning and target setting at the state level may be more appropriate in the Australian context. What is known about the topic? Healthcare provision carries a significant environmental footprint. In particular, conventional HD uses substantial amounts of electricity and water. In the UK, provision of HD and peritoneal dialysis was found to have an annual per-patient carbon footprint of 7.1 t CO2-eq. What does this paper add? This is the first carbon-footprinting study of HD in Australia. In Victoria, the annual per-patient carbon footprint of satellite conventional HD is 10.2 t CO2-eq. Notably, the contributions of electricity and water consumption to the carbon footprint varies significantly throughout Australia when local factors are taken into account. What are the implications for practitioners? We recommend that healthcare providers consider local factors when planning emissions reduction strategies, and target setting should be performed at the state, as opposed to national, level. There is a need for more comprehensive and current emissions data to enable healthcare providers to do so.
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Miller, Caroline, Kerry Ettridge, Melanie Wakefield, Simone Pettigrew, John Coveney, David Roder, Sarah Durkin, Gary Wittert, Jane Martin, and Joanne Dono. "Consumption of Sugar-Sweetened Beverages, Juice, Artificially-Sweetened Soda and Bottled Water: An Australian Population Study." Nutrients 12, no. 3 (March 19, 2020): 817. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/nu12030817.
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Reducing consumption of free sugars, such as those found in high concentrations in manufactured products such as sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) and 100% fruit juices, is a global public health priority. This study aimed to measure prevalence of widely available pre-packaged non-alcoholic water-based beverages (carbonated sodas, sports drinks, energy drinks, artificially-sweetened sodas, fruit juices (any type), and bottled water) and to comprehensively examine behavioral, environmental, current health, and demographic correlates of consumption. A cross-sectional, nationally-representative population survey of 3430 Australian adults (18+ years) was conducted using computer-assisted telephone (mobile and landline) interviewing. Past week prevalence of pre-packaged drinks containing free sugar was 47.3%; daily prevalence was 13.6%. Of all the pre-packaged drinks assessed, consumption of fruit juices (any type) was the most prevalent (38.8%), followed by bottled water (37.4%), soda (28.9%), artificially-sweetened soda (18.1%), sports drinks (8.1%), and energy drinks (4.2%). Higher soda consumption was associated with males, younger age, socio-economic disadvantage, frequent takeaway food consumption, availability of soda in the home, obesity, and a diagnosis of heart disease or depression. A diagnosis of Type 2 Diabetes was associated with increased likelihood of consuming artificially-sweetened sodas and decreased likelihood of consuming sugar-sweetened soda. SSB consumption is prevalent in Australia, especially among young adults and males, foreshadowing continued population weight gain and high burdens of chronic disease. To reduce consumption, Australia must take a comprehensive approach, incorporating policy reform, effective community education, and active promotion of water.
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Moazzem, Shadia, Enda Crossin, Fugen Daver, and Lijing Wang. "Life Cycle Assessment of Apparel Consumption in Australia." Environmental and Climate Technologies 25, no. 1 (January 1, 2021): 71–111. http://dx.doi.org/10.2478/rtuect-2021-0006.
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Abstract This study presents the environmental impact of apparel consumption in Australia using life cycle assessment methodology according to ISO14040/14044:2006. Available published references, the Ecoinvent v3 dataset, the Australian life cycle assessment dataset and apparel country-wise import data with the breakdown of apparel type and fibre type were used in this study. The environmental impact assessment results of the functional unit were scaled up to the total apparel consumption. The impact results were also normalized on a per-capita/year basis. The Total Climate Change Potential (CCP) impact from apparel consumption of 2015 was estimated to be 16 607 028 tonnes CO2eq and 698.07 kg CO2eq/per capita-year. This study also assessed the impact of acidification potential (AP), water depletion (WD), abiotic resource depletion potential (ADP) - fossil fuel and agricultural land occupation (ALO) using the same methodology. The market volume of cotton apparel in Australia is 53.97 %, which accounts for 45 %, 96 %, 40 %, 46 % and 79 % of total CCP, WD, ADP, AP and ALO impact, respectively. Apparel broad categories of cotton shirt, cotton trouser, polyester shirt and polyester trouser have a high volume in the apparel market as well as a high environmental impact contribution. These high-volume apparel products can be included in the prioritization list to reduce environmental impact throughout the apparel supply chain. It was estimated that from 2010 to 2018 the per capita apparel consumption and corresponding impact increased by 24 %.
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Ridoutt, B. G., P. Juliano, P. Sanguansri, and J. Sellahewa. "Consumptive water use associated with food waste: case study of fresh mango in Australia." Hydrology and Earth System Sciences Discussions 6, no. 4 (July 23, 2009): 5085–114. http://dx.doi.org/10.5194/hessd-6-5085-2009.
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Abstract. In many parts of the world, freshwater is already a scarce and overexploited natural resource, raising concerns about global food security and damage to freshwater ecosystems. This situation is expected to intensify with the FAO estimating that world food production must double by 2050. Food chains must therefore become much more efficient in terms of consumptive water use. For the small and geographically well-defined Australian mango industry, having an average annual production of 44 692 t of marketable fresh fruit, the average virtual water content (sum of green, blue and gray water) at orchard gate was 2298 l kg−1. However, due to wastage in the distribution and consumption stages of the product life cycle, the average virtual water content of one kg of Australian-grown fresh mango consumed by an Australian household was 5218 l. This latter figure compares to an Australian-equivalent water footprint of 217 l kg−1, which is the volume of direct water use by an Australian household having an equivalent potential to contribute to water scarcity. Nationally, distribution and consumption waste in the food chain of Australian-grown fresh mango to Australian households represented an annual waste of 26.7 Gl of green water and 16.6 Gl of blue water. These findings suggest that interventions to reduce food chain waste will likely have as great or even greater impact on freshwater resource availability as other water use efficiency measures in agriculture and food production.
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Mons, M. N., J. M. L. van der Wielen, E. J. M. Blokker, M. I. Sinclair, K. F. A. M. Hulshof, F. Dangendorf, P. R. Hunter, and G. J. Medema. "Estimation of the consumption of cold tap water for microbiological risk assessment: an overview of studies and statistical analysis of data." Journal of Water and Health 5, S1 (September 1, 2007): 151–70. http://dx.doi.org/10.2166/wh.2007.141.
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The volume of cold tap water consumed is an essential element in quantitative microbial risk assessment. This paper presents a review of tap water consumption studies. Study designs were evaluated and statistical distributions were fitted to water consumption data from The Netherlands, Great Britain, Germany and Australia. We conclude that the diary is to be preferred for collecting water consumption data. If a diary is not feasible, a 24 h recall would be the best alternative, preferably repeated at least once. From the studies evaluated, the mean daily consumption varies from 0.10 L to 1.55 L. No conclusions could be drawn regarding the effects of season, age and gender on tap water consumption. Physical activity, yearly income and perceived health status were reported to influence water consumption. Comparison of the different statistical probability distribution functions of the datasets demonstrated that the Poisson distribution performed better than the lognormal distribution as suggested by Roseberry and Burmaster. For quantitative microbiological risk assessment (QMRA) it is recommended to use country-specific consumption data and statistical distributions, if available. If no country specific data are available we recommend to use the Australian distribution data from the Melbourne diary study (Poisson, λ=3.49 glasses/d) as a conservative estimate.
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Worthington, Andrew C., Helen Higgs, and Mark Hoffmann. "Residential water demand modeling in Queensland, Australia: a comparative panel data approach." Water Policy 11, no. 4 (August 1, 2009): 427–41. http://dx.doi.org/10.2166/wp.2009.063.
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This paper uses monthly data from eleven local governments to model residential water demand in Queensland, Australia from 1994 to 2004. In the sample, residential consumption is charged using a variety of structures including fixed charges without allowance, fixed charges with allowance and excess rates, two-part tariffs comprising an access charge and a flat consumption rate, and multi-part tariffs with an access charge and two or more limits with increasing consumption rates. Water demand is specified as average monthly household water consumption and the demand characteristics include the marginal and average price of water and daily average maximum temperatures and rainfall. The findings confirm residential water as price inelastic, more responsive to average than marginal prices, and more responsive to changes in temperature than rainfall. The results also suggest that cross-sectional variation in demand is related to local government-specific factors.
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Cary, J. W. "Influencing attitudes and changing consumers' household water consumption behaviour." Water Supply 8, no. 3 (September 1, 2008): 325–30. http://dx.doi.org/10.2166/ws.2008.078.
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Programs for demand management have become critical following extended water shortage in Australia. Changing attitudes is a major element of water conservation programs. Information and education are likely to be necessary but not sufficient components of any program for behaviour change. A combination of factors is needed to promote water saving behaviour. Changing the behaviours of less responsive water users requires a better understanding of what shapes water conservation behaviours. Programs and conservation behaviour models need to take account of both ‘internal’ influences, such as attitudes and habits, and ‘external’ influences, such as the water delivery environment, pricing and social norms for water use.
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Retamal, Monique, and Andrea Turner. "Unpacking the energy implications of distributed water infrastructure: how are rainwater systems performing?" Water Supply 10, no. 4 (September 1, 2010): 546–53. http://dx.doi.org/10.2166/ws.2010.136.
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Drought and concern over climate change has led to the increased use of distributed water systems in Australia to supplement centralised supply systems. A literature review carried out by the Institute for Sustainable Futures (ISF) into the energy consumption of water infrastructure found that very little data on energy consumption exists, particularly for distributed systems. This paper reviews the findings of the literature review and presents results from a preliminary monitoring study on the energy implications of household rainwater systems. Typical household systems that are currently being installed in ouses cross Australia use approximately 1.5 kWh/kL.
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Jonasson, Olof J., and Jaya Kandasamy. "Decentralised water reuse in Sydney, Australia: drivers for implementation and energy consumption." Journal of Environmental Engineering and Science 13, no. 1 (March 2018): 2–7. http://dx.doi.org/10.1680/jenes.17.00012.
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Schwecke, M. A., and B. Simmons. "The use of alternative water sources on urban playing fields: are they acceptable from a community stance?" Water Supply 8, no. 6 (December 1, 2008): 603–9. http://dx.doi.org/10.2166/ws.2008.111.
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Many cities in Australia are experiencing the effects of the current drought. This drought has illustrated the unsustainable nature of the Australian community's water consumption patterns. In order to change this unsustainable water consumption the community needs to be aware of and encouraged to make use of alternative water sources. This paper draws upon a series of community questionnaires conducted with people who live adjacent to playing fields and golf courses within the Manly Local Government Area, inside the Sydney Metropolitan Area. The questionnaires explored the communities’ attitudes towards and awareness of the use of alternative water sources on public and private recreational land. Using results from the questionnaires this paper outlines the community's attitudes towards the necessity to use alternative water sources. It also examines the need the community has to be assured that this water does not present a hazard to public health or the environment. Through development of an understanding of community attitudes and awareness, local government and relevant authorities can implement water reuse projects with support from the community.
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Chubaka, Chirhakarhula E., Harriet Whiley, John W. Edwards, and Kirstin E. Ross. "A Review of Roof Harvested Rainwater in Australia." Journal of Environmental and Public Health 2018 (2018): 1–14. http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2018/6471324.
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To address concern regarding water sustainability, the Australian Federal Government and many state governments have implemented regulatory mechanisms and incentives to support households to purchase and install rainwater harvesting systems. This has led to an increase in rainwater harvesting in regional and urban Australia. This review examines the implementation of the regulatory mechanisms across Australia. In addition, the literature investigating the potential health consequences of rainwater consumption in Australia was explored. Studies demonstrated that although trace metals such as arsenic, cadmium, chromium, lead, and iron were present in Australian rainwater, these metallic elements were generally found below the health limit guideline, except in high industrial areas. In addition, pathogenic or indicator microorganisms that include, but are not limited to,Escherichia coli, total and faecal coliforms,Campylobacter,Salmonella,Legionella,Pseudomonas,Cryptosporidium, Enterococci,Giardia,Aeromonas, andMycobacterium aviumComplex (MAC) have been detected in rainwater collected in Australia. However, epidemiological evidence suggests that drinking rainwater does not increase the risk of gastrointestinal disease. It was also identified that there is a need for further research investigating the potential for rainwater to be a source of infection for opportunistic pathogens.
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GIBBS, ROBYN, NEVADA PINGAULT, TERRY MAZZUCCHELLI, LYN O'REILLY, BRIAN MacKENZIE, JENNIFER GREEN, RAY MOGYOROSY, et al. "An Outbreak of Salmonella enterica Serotype Litchfield Infection in Australia Linked to Consumption of Contaminated Papaya." Journal of Food Protection 72, no. 5 (May 1, 2009): 1094–98. http://dx.doi.org/10.4315/0362-028x-72.5.1094.
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An outbreak of 26 cases of Salmonella Litchfield infection occurred in the states of Western Australia and Queensland between October 2006 and January 2007. A case-control study was conducted with 12 cases and 24 controls, and a significant association was found between illness and consumption of papaya (odds ratio, 32.8; 95% confidence interval, 2.71 to 883.5). Papaya samples were collected from 26 stores in Western Australia, and 9 of 38 samples were contaminated with Salmonella Litchfield. These samples had pulsed-field gel electrophoresis patterns and multilocus variable-number tandem-repeat analysis profiles indistinguishable from the outbreak strain. Three farms in Western Australia supplied the contaminated papaya, and two of these farms were inspected. Salmonella Litchfield was not detected in papaya samples, fungal sprays, or water samples from the farms; however, at one farm other serotypes of Salmonella were detected in untreated river water that was used for washing papaya. Only treated potable water should be used for washing fresh produce that is to be eaten raw.
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Sarker, R. C., and S. Gato-Trinidad. "Developing a demand model integrating end uses of water (DMEUW): structure and process of integration." Water Science and Technology 71, no. 4 (January 2, 2015): 529–37. http://dx.doi.org/10.2166/wst.2015.002.
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The process of developing an integrated water demand model integrating end uses of water has been presented. The model estimates and forecasts average daily water demand based on the end-use pattern and trend of residential water consumption, daily rainfall and temperature, water restrictions and water conservation programmes. The end-use model uses the latest end-use data set collected from Yarra Valley Water, Australia. A computer interface has also been developed using hypertext markup language and hypertext pre-processor. The developed model can be used by water authorities and water resource planners in forecasting water demand and by household owners in determining household water consumption.
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Beal, C. D., A. Makki, and R. A. Stewart. "What does rebounding water use look like? An examination of post-drought and post-flood water end-use demand in Queensland, Australia." Water Supply 14, no. 4 (February 14, 2014): 561–68. http://dx.doi.org/10.2166/ws.2014.008.
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Rebounding water use behaviour has been observed in communities that have experienced plentiful water supply following a very dry period. However, the drivers of such rebounds in water consumption are varied and not well understood. Knowledge of such drivers can greatly assist managers towards proactive demand management, modelling and timely promotion of water efficient behaviours. Total and end-use residential water consumption has been tracked in South East Queensland, Australia for a sample of up to 252 homes in post-drought conditions (dam supplies growing but water restrictions continued, changed water use behaviours still ‘fresh’), and during and post-flooding conditions (eased restrictions, 100% dam capacity). Data on end-use water consumption trends using nearly 3 years of residential water end-use data have revealed several interesting patterns of consumption such as a delayed return to pre-drought use, the influence of climate and end-use specific rebounds (e.g. indoor versus outdoor use). The end-use data have helped to identify the drivers of rebounding water consumption which appear to include environmental cues (rainfall, temperature), social cues (e.g. government encouraging consumers to turn on tap) and a gradual general reduction in conservative water use behaviours. The paper concludes with a discussion of how this knowledge can be used to inform long-term demand management policy, particularly in variable climates.
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Keating, B. A., and P. S. Carberry. "Emerging opportunities and challenges for Australian broadacre agriculture." Crop and Pasture Science 61, no. 4 (2010): 269. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/cp09282.
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Agriculture globally and in Australia is at a critical juncture in its history with the current changes to input costs, commodity prices, consumption patterns and food stocks. Constraints are emerging in terms of land and water resources as well as imperatives to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. There is evidence that rates of increase in agricultural productivity are reducing, both in Australia and overseas. On top of all these drivers of change, agriculture is the sector probably most exposed to climate change, and Australian agriculture is as exposed as any in the world. Against this turbulent background, this paper explores some of the emerging opportunities and challenges in Australian agriculture. These include new products or services from agriculture such as biofuels, forest-based carbon storage in agricultural landscapes, bio-sequestration of carbon in agricultural soils, and environmental stewardship schemes that would reward farmers for nature conservation and related non-production services from farming land. Although there are situations where all these emerging opportunities may deliver benefits to both farmers and the wider community, an overall conclusion is that none of these, on their own, will transform the nature of Australian agriculture. Instead, the greatest emerging opportunity for Australian agriculture must be sought from productivity breakthroughs in the face of current and emerging constraints. This view is formed by looking through the lens of the global food production challenge which sees a demand for close to a doubling of food production by 2050 in the face of increasingly constrained land and water resources, soil degradation, increasing energy scarcity and limits on greenhouse gas release to the atmosphere. These same land, water, soil, energy and atmospheric constraints to agriculture apply in Australia and will shape both farming and the agricultural research agenda over coming decades. In the face of such national and global agronomic challenges, a significant threat looms with the skills challenge facing agricultural science in Australia. The demand for the integrative skills of agronomy appears strong but the sector has suffered from disinvestment in recent decades.
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Day, D., and S. White. "Minimum performance standards for showerheads in Australia: the benefits and the barriers." Water Supply 3, no. 3 (June 1, 2003): 239–45. http://dx.doi.org/10.2166/ws.2003.0032.
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This paper discusses the potential merits and opportunities of introducing national minimum performance standards (MPS) for water efficient appliances, in particular showerheads. At a national level the introduction of MPS for showerheads by 2005 is expected to result in a reduction in the demand for water by over 79 GL/annum by 2015. The reduction in energy consumption associated with reduced water heating needs by water efficient showerheads is 7.7 million GJ/annum, while greenhouse gas emissions will be reduced by 1.3 million tonnes CO2/annum, by 2015. This initiative will generate benefits to an array of stakeholders. These benefits include: increased allocation of water for environmental flows, reduced demand on groundwater sources, reduced wastewater flows and associated pollution, and financial benefits to water utilities, particularly if the utility is experiencing water supply or wastewater treatment constraints. Regulation will also protect the investment (estimated to be of the order of $16 million) that a number of water utilities are making in incentive and retrofit programs. The most effective form of regulation to achieve the greatest outcomes in terms of reducing water and energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions is a regulation that controls the supply of showerheads on the basis of flow rate. The MPS being proposed is 9 L/minute, and regulation would involve mandatory labelling of showerheads and compliance with the AAA-rating. The legislative options and challenge of introducing such a requirement within the current regulatory environment are discussed.
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Wiedemann, Stephen, Eugene McGahan, Caoilinn Murphy, and Mingjia Yan. "Resource use and environmental impacts from beef production in eastern Australia investigated using life cycle assessment." Animal Production Science 56, no. 5 (2016): 882. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/an14687.
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Resource use and environmental impacts are important factors relating to the sustainability of beef production in Australia. This study used life cycle assessment to investigate impacts from grass-finished beef production in eastern Australia to the farm gate, reporting impacts per kilogram of liveweight (LW) produced. Mean fossil fuel energy demand was found to vary from 5.6 to 8.4 MJ/kg LW, mean estimated fresh water consumption from 117.9 to 332.4 L/kg LW and crop land occupation from 0.3 to 6.4 m2/kg LW. Mean greenhouse gas emissions ranged from 10.6 to 12.4 kg CO2-e/kg LW (excluding land use and direct land-use change emissions) and were not significantly different (P > 0.05) for export or domestic market classes. Enteric methane was the largest contributor to greenhouse gas emissions, and multiple linear regression analysis revealed that weaning rate and average daily gain explained 80% of the variability in supply chain greenhouse gas emissions. Fresh water consumption was found to vary significantly among individual farms depending on climate, farm water supply efficiency and the use of irrigation. The impact of water use was measured using the stress-weighted water use indicator, and ranged from 8.4 to 104.2 L H2O-e/kg LW. The stress-weighted water use was influenced more by regional water stress than the volume of fresh water consumption. Land occupation was assessed with disaggregation of crop land, arable pasture land and non-arable land, which revealed that the majority of beef production utilised non-arable land that is unsuitable for most alternative food production systems.
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Sinclair, M., J. O'Toole, M. Malawaraarachchi, and K. Leder. "Household greywater use practices in Melbourne, Australia." Water Supply 13, no. 2 (March 1, 2013): 294–301. http://dx.doi.org/10.2166/ws.2013.022.
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Research on the potential of greywater reuse to reduce urban tap water demand has focused mainly on permanently installed greywater treatment or irrigation systems. These may be readily implemented in new housing developments, but experience in Australia shows their uptake by established households in urban areas is low. The majority of households employ simple and temporary methods for greywater collection and use, but their behaviour has not been well documented. We characterised the greywater use practices of over 1,000 Melbourne households during a 5-year period (2007 to 2011) which included 3 years of severe drought with stringent restrictions on outdoor tap water use. Greywater was most frequently collected from the laundry and bathroom, and generally used within 24 hours. Garden watering was the most common end use, and treatment of greywater to reduce microbial contamination was very rare. Volume estimates by householders suggest that on average around 10% of tap water used in the home was being collected for reuse. When drought conditions and water restrictions eased, over 40% of user households discontinued greywater use. Widespread adoption of permanent greywater collection, treatment and storage systems by households would be required to achieve a lasting effect on urban water consumption.
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Hauber-Davidson, Guenter. "An integrated approach to water conservation for large users." Water Supply 8, no. 6 (December 1, 2008): 625–32. http://dx.doi.org/10.2166/ws.2008.110.
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Water conservation programs targeted at large users will play an integral role securing water supplies for cities in years to come. A hierarchical approach to water conservation—reducing consumption as a priority, then considering internal re-use of water and replacement of potable water with alternative sources—should be the key principle in sustainable water management. The application of this approach relies on a sound understanding of water consumption at a site: where water is used, why, when and how. This entails smart- and sub-metering of the water supply and detailed analysis of site activities to produce a site water balance. The hierarchical approach can then be applied, and conservation options can be costed to assess financial viability. ‘Packaging’ measures with different payback times together should be considered, along with funding support available. Based on implemented projects in Australia, an estimated 30% of potable water consumption within the commercial and industrial sectors could be saved at attractive payback periods. By adopting this integrated water conservation and management approach the same outcomes can be achieved with less potable water consumption. Appropriate source substitution is a pillar of sustainable water supply, providing water at less environmental, social and financial cost than the alternatives.
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Crampton, Andrea, and Angela T. Ragusa. "Perceived agricultural runoff impact on drinking water." Journal of Water and Health 12, no. 3 (March 25, 2014): 484–91. http://dx.doi.org/10.2166/wh.2014.212.
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Agricultural runoff into surface water is a problem in Australia, as it is in arguably all agriculturally active countries. While farm practices and resource management measures are employed to reduce downstream effects, they are often either technically insufficient or practically unsustainable. Therefore, consumers may still be exposed to agrichemicals whenever they turn on the tap. For rural residents surrounded by agriculture, the link between agriculture and water quality is easy to make and thus informed decisions about water consumption are possible. Urban residents, however, are removed from agricultural activity and indeed drinking water sources. Urban and rural residents were interviewed to identify perceptions of agriculture's impact on drinking water. Rural residents thought agriculture could impact their water quality and, in many cases, actively avoided it, often preferring tank to surface water sources. Urban residents generally did not perceive agriculture to pose health risks to their drinking water. Although there are more agricultural contaminants recognised in the latest Australian Drinking Water Guidelines than previously, we argue this is insufficient to enhance consumer protection. Health authorities may better serve the public by improving their proactivity and providing communities and water utilities with the capacity to effectively monitor and address agricultural runoff.
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Harris, Steve. "Industrial Symbiosis in the Kwinana Industrial Area (Western Australia)." Measurement and Control 40, no. 8 (October 2007): 239–44. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/002029400704000802.
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The Kwinana Industrial Area of Western Australia has emerged as a world leading example of industrial symbiosis. This involves businesses in close proximity exchanging by-product material, water and energy. Utilisation of a previously discarded resource as an alternative input to another company can help improve both business and sustainability performance of the participating companies. For example, the exchange can reduce disposal costs and provide a cheaper input for the receiving company. The environmental benefits can include reduced collective resource consumption and waste generation, whilst the social benefits may include new employment opportunities and reduction of emission (e.g. water or traffic) to the local community. This article presents the integrated research programme undertaken at the Centre of Excellence in Cleaner Production, Curtin University of Technology which seeks to enhance the uptake of industrial symbiosis in Australian heavy industrial areas. The case of Kwinana is discussed with illustrative case studies of industrial symbiosis exchanges. International interest in the creation of industrial symbiosis continues to grow and the article concludes with a discussion on the emerging role of measurement and control technolo
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Perry, Christina, Yvonne Dimitropoulos, John Skinner, Chris Bourke, Kate Miranda, Elyse Cain, Damien Beaufils, Vita Christie, Boe Rambaldini, and Kylie Gwynne. "Availability of drinking water in rural and remote communities in New South Wales, Australia." Australian Journal of Primary Health 28, no. 2 (February 1, 2022): 125–30. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/py21119.
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Many rural communities in New South Wales (NSW), Australia, have poor-quality water supplies. The lack of a palatable alternative increases the risk of the high consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages, a significant contributor to adverse health outcomes. This disproportionately effects Aboriginal people living in these towns, who are also profoundly affected by the social determinants of health. Therefore, examining health inequalities linked to water access is important. This study investigated the availability of drinking water fountains in rural and remote communities in NSW. Telephone interviewer-assisted surveys were conducted with 32 representatives from local government councils or Local Aboriginal Land Councils in NSW from communities with a population of <5000 and an Aboriginal population of at least 3%. The results were analysed descriptively. Towns and communities with a higher population of Aboriginal people and lower median weekly income were less likely to have access to free refrigerated and filtered water within the community or at local schools compared with towns and communities with a lower Aboriginal population and higher median weekly income. The availability of free, clean and refrigerated water in rural and remote communities is critical to reducing the consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages and the promotion of water as the preferred drink.
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Kenway, S. J., P. Lant, and T. Priestley. "Quantifying water–energy links and related carbon emissions in cities." Journal of Water and Climate Change 2, no. 4 (December 1, 2011): 247–59. http://dx.doi.org/10.2166/wcc.2011.005.
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To date, key water–energy connections have not been systematically quantified. Nor has their potential for contributing to greenhouse gas mitigation been evaluated. Lack of knowledge of these links, particularly within cities, is viewed as a major limitation to energy-sensitive urban water management and integrated urban design. This paper fills part of this void. The key contribution is a new conceptual model coupled with a systematic review of the connections of influence. Drawing on Australian and international data, the results provide a structured estimate of water-related energy use and associated emissions in a hypothetical city of 1,000,000 people. This demonstrates that water-related energy use accounts for 13% of total electricity and 18% of the natural gas used by the population in the average case. This represents 9% of the total primary energy demand within Australia or 8% of total national territorial greenhouse gas emissions. Residential, industrial and commercial water-related energy use constitutes 86% of water-related greenhouse gas emissions. We conclude that urban water is a significant and overlooked lever that could significantly influence urban energy consumption.
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Mekonnen, M. M., and A. Y. Hoekstra. "A global and high-resolution assessment of the green, blue and grey water footprint of wheat." Hydrology and Earth System Sciences Discussions 7, no. 2 (April 22, 2010): 2499–542. http://dx.doi.org/10.5194/hessd-7-2499-2010.
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Abstract. The aim of this study is to estimate the green, blue and grey water footprint of wheat in a spatially-explicit way, both from a production and consumption perspective. The assessment is global and improves upon earlier research by taking a high-resolution approach, estimating the water footprint of the crop at a 5 by 5 arc minute grid. We have used a grid-based dynamic water balance model to calculate crop water use over time, with a time step of one day. The model takes into account the daily soil water balance and climatic conditions for each grid cell. In addition, the water pollution associated with the use of nitrogen fertilizer in wheat production is estimated for each grid cell. We have used the water footprint and virtual water flow assessment framework as in the guideline of the Water Footprint Network. The global wheat production in the period 1996–2005 required about 1088 billion cubic meters of water per year. The major portion of this water (70%) comes from green water, about 19% comes from blue water, and the remaining 11% is grey water. The global average water footprint of wheat per ton of crop was 1830 m3/ton. About 18% of the water footprint related to the production of wheat is meant not for domestic consumption but for export. About 55% of the virtual water export comes from the USA, Canada and Australia alone. For the period 1996–2005, the global average water saving from international trade in wheat products was 65 Gm3/yr. A relatively large total blue water footprint as a result of wheat production is observed in the Ganges and Indus river basins, which are known for their water stress problems. The two basins alone account for about 47% of the blue water footprint related to global wheat production. About 93% of the water footprint of wheat consumption in Japan lies in other countries, particularly the USA, Australia and Canada. In Italy, with an average wheat consumption of 150 kg/yr per person, more than two times the word average, about 44% of the total water footprint related to this wheat consumption lies outside Italy. The major part of this external water footprint of Italy lies in France and the USA.
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Mekonnen, M. M., and A. Y. Hoekstra. "A global and high-resolution assessment of the green, blue and grey water footprint of wheat." Hydrology and Earth System Sciences 14, no. 7 (July 15, 2010): 1259–76. http://dx.doi.org/10.5194/hess-14-1259-2010.
Full textAbstract:
Abstract. The aim of this study is to estimate the green, blue and grey water footprint of wheat in a spatially-explicit way, both from a production and consumption perspective. The assessment is global and improves upon earlier research by taking a high-resolution approach, estimating the water footprint of the crop at a 5 by 5 arc minute grid. We have used a grid-based dynamic water balance model to calculate crop water use over time, with a time step of one day. The model takes into account the daily soil water balance and climatic conditions for each grid cell. In addition, the water pollution associated with the use of nitrogen fertilizer in wheat production is estimated for each grid cell. We have used the water footprint and virtual water flow assessment framework as in the guideline of the Water Footprint Network. The global wheat production in the period 1996–2005 required about 108 billion cubic meters of water per year. The major portion of this water (70%) comes from green water, about 19% comes from blue water, and the remaining 11% is grey water. The global average water footprint of wheat per ton of crop was 1830 m3/ton. About 18% of the water footprint related to the production of wheat is meant not for domestic consumption but for export. About 55% of the virtual water export comes from the USA, Canada and Australia alone. For the period 1996–2005, the global average water saving from international trade in wheat products was 65 Gm3/yr. A relatively large total blue water footprint as a result of wheat production is observed in the Ganges and Indus river basins, which are known for their water stress problems. The two basins alone account for about 47% of the blue water footprint related to global wheat production. About 93% of the water footprint of wheat consumption in Japan lies in other countries, particularly the USA, Australia and Canada. In Italy, with an average wheat consumption of 150 kg/yr per person, more than two times the word average, about 44% of the total water footprint related to this wheat consumption lies outside Italy. The major part of this external water footprint of Italy lies in France and the USA.
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Roberts, JR, and RV Baudinette. "Thermoregulation, Oxygen-Consumption and Water Turnover in Stubble Quail, Coturnix-Pectoralis, and King Quail, Coturnix-Chinensis." Australian Journal of Zoology 34, no. 1 (1986): 25. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/zo9860025.
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Stubble quail occur in more arid areas of Australia than king quail; however, the rates of metabolism and the ability to regulate body temperature in response to varying ambient temperature are similar in both birds, and resemble those of other quail species. At high ambient temperatures, rates of heat loss mediated by evaporative water loss are lower than those previously reported for more xerophilic species. Overall rates of water turnover and evaporative water loss at lower ambient temperatures are at the lower end of the range predicted for birds.
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Beal, Cara, Rodney A. Stewart, Anneliese Spinks, and Kelly Fielding. "Using smart meters to identify social and technological impacts on residential water consumption." Water Supply 11, no. 5 (December 1, 2011): 527–33. http://dx.doi.org/10.2166/ws.2011.088.
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Studies have shown that householders' perceptions of their water use are often not well matched with their actual water use. There has been less research, however, investigating whether this bias is related to specific types of end use and/or specific types of socio-demographic and socio-demographic household profiles. A high resolution smart metering study producing a detailed end use event registry as well as psycho-social and socio-demographic surveys, stock inventory audits and self-reported water diaries was completed for 250 households located in South-east Queensland, Australia. The study examined the contributions of end uses to total water use for each group identified as ‘low’, ‘medium’ or ‘high’ water users. Analyses were conducted to examine the socio-demographic variables such as income, percentage of water efficient stock, family size and composition, that characterise each self-identified water usage group. The paper concludes with a discussion of the general characteristics of groups that overestimate and underestimate their water use and how this knowledge can be used to inform demand management policy such as targeted community education programmes.
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Sarac, K., D. Day, and S. White. "What are we saving anyway? The results of three water demand management programs in NSW, Australia." Water Supply 3, no. 3 (June 1, 2003): 215–22. http://dx.doi.org/10.2166/ws.2003.0029.
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The use of demand management programs to achieve permanent and reliable decreases in water consumption through retrofits of water using equipment is relatively new in Australia, and has been carried out on the basis of models which predict savings, and on results of demand management programs undertaken overseas. The availability of information on actual savings achieved by demand management programs in Australia is extremely limited. This paper outlines the results of the evaluation of three retrofit programs undertaken in NSW, two of which involved a visit by a plumber to households to carry out a retrofit of indoor water using equipment at a subsidised price; the other taking a “hands-off” approach and relying on a discount incentive mechanism to increase the market share of water efficient showerheads.
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Byrne, Joshua, Mark Taylor, Tom Wheeler, and Jessica K. Breadsell. "WGV: Quantifying Mains Water Savings in a Medium Density Infill Residential Development." Sustainability 12, no. 16 (August 11, 2020): 6483. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/su12166483.
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The development called the ‘WGV precinct’ is a 2.2 ha medium density residential urban infill development in the Fremantle suburb of White Gum Valley, Western Australia. It was delivered by DevelopmentWA, the State Government development agency. DevelopmentWA and the project’s consultant team designed the WGV precinct to be an exemplar of urban water management in this type of development. Working within commercial constraints, the team established strategies to achieve ambitious reductions in mains water consumption compared to a business-as-usual approach. This paper discusses the process of establishing the precinct’s water related technologies and design features, a valuable case study in demonstrating water innovations in residential developments. Monitoring and transparently reporting on the real-world performance of the project is a key element. A comprehensive metering and data gathering system was put in place, which continues collecting data as the WGV precinct becomes increasingly established. Based on the design water strategies and early stage modelling, a target of 60–70% mains water reduction against the suburban average was set. The measured performance shows that a 65% reduction has been achieved. Barriers and constraints were observed that, if resolved, indicate that more ambitious targets can be considered for future projects. The paper includes discussion of opportunities for further work and compares some basic project qualities and outcomes to two other Australian residential development projects that had reduction in mains water consumption as an explicit objective.
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Sommer, Bea. "Dry Times Blueprint for a Red Land." Pacific Conservation Biology 17, no. 1 (2011): 80. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/pc110080.
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RESOURCE depletion, pollution, climate change, species extinctions, etc. have opened most people’s eyes to the fact that the future of humanity is irrefutably linked with the life support systems of our environment. Yet, particularly in urban Australian society, cheap clean water from ever-declining aquifers still flows freely from our taps; easily recyclable goods are collected weekly in oversized wheely-bins and dumped out of sight as landfill; our energy consumption from the burning of fossil fuels is enormous, even though Australia is blessed with practically unlimited supply of solar and wind energy. Anyone who has ever spent time travelling through outback Australia will know that our ingrained urban habits, interestingly, quickly change in the face of scarcity and uncertainty. A good example is how careful we become of not wasting a single drop of water. Suddenly it is possible to survive without electrical lighting, and other modcoms. So, we are obviously capable of changing our ways, and what Mark Stafford and Julian Cribb postulate, is that by listening to the knowledge of the desert we may have a roadmap to survival in the 21st century.
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ROBERTSON, B., M. I. SINCLAIR, A. B. FORBES, M. VEITCH, M. KIRK, D. CUNLIFFE, J. WILLIS, and C. K. FAIRLEY. "Case-control studies of sporadic cryptosporidiosis in Melbourne and Adelaide, Australia." Epidemiology and Infection 128, no. 3 (June 2002): 419–31. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0950268802006933.
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Few studies have assessed risk factors for sporadic cryptosporidiosis in industrialized countries, even though it may be numerically more common than outbreaks of disease. We carried out case-control studies assessing risk factors for sporadic disease in Melbourne and Adelaide, which have water supplies from different ends of the raw water spectrum. In addition to examining drinking water, we assessed several other exposures. 201 cases and 795 controls were recruited for Melbourne and 134 cases and 536 controls were recruited for Adelaide. Risk factors were similar for the two cities, with swimming in public pools and contact with a person with diarrhoea being most important. The consumption of plain tap water was not found to be associated with disease. This study emphasizes the need for regular public health messages to the public and swimming pool managers in an attempt to prevent sporadic cryptosporidiosis, as well as outbreaks of disease.
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Bąk, Joanna. "Wise use of water in smart cities - possibilities and limitations." E3S Web of Conferences 30 (2018): 01014. http://dx.doi.org/10.1051/e3sconf/20183001014.
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The need to save water is due, inter alia, to the paradigm of sustainable development. There are many ways to minimize the consumption of high quality water supplied by the water supply network. These include the simplest way and those complex, requiring additional installation. The lack of water is a big problem, but not only water deficit are dangerous. There is a possibility of secondary water pollution in the water supply network due to changes in network parameters. Changes in these parameters may occur due to reduced demand for water by residents and, as a result, reduced water flow - at the same pipe diameter. The article includes a review with comparative analysis of various classification systems for the tap fittings and other sanitary equipment, such as the Water Efficiency Label (WELL) in Europe or the Water Efficiency Labelling and Standards (WELS) in Australia. Several types of perlators and flow regulators were compared in the research section. This equipment was tested in the household. The possibilities of minimizing water consumption by using them was collated. In addition, the work also analyses the evolution of water consumption in Poland in recent years and their possible relationship with the threats quality of drinking water supplied to consumers.
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Fornarelli, R., M. Anda, S. Dallas, M. Schmack, F. Dawood, J. Byrne, G. M. Morrison, and K. Fox-Reynolds. "Enabling residential hybrid water systems through a water credit–debit system." Water Supply 19, no. 7 (June 27, 2019): 2131–39. http://dx.doi.org/10.2166/ws.2019.093.
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Abstract Smart metering and data analytics enable the implementation of a range of on-site infrastructures for energy, water and waste management to demonstrate the interconnected infrastructure of future smart cities. A research project in Western Australia is integrating smart metering technology, household participation and data analytics. An improved understanding of hybrid water systems at residential scale, as socially accepted solutions to promote water efficiency and economic savings, within the traditional centralized urban water network is achieved. An integrated water model and a system of water credits and debits are developed and tested on a case study for which 10-minute logged water consumption data of its hybrid water system are available for 1 year. The model is shown to provide a full characterization of the relationship between the household and the water resources, thus assisting with improved urban water management which promotes the rollout of decentralized hybrid water systems whilst accounting for the impacts on the aquifer as an ecosystem service provider.
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Edwards, Louise, and Helen Crabb. "Water quality and management in the Australian pig industry." Animal Production Science 61, no. 7 (2021): 637. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/an20484.
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Context Water is the first nutrient and an essential component of all agricultural production systems. Despite its importance there has been limited research on water, and in particular, the impact of its availability, management and quality on production systems. Aims This research sought to describe the management and quality of water used within the Australian pig industry. Specifically, the water sources utilised, how water was managed and to evaluate water quality at both the source and the point of delivery to the pig. Methods Fifty-seven commercial piggeries across Australia participated in this study by completing a written survey on water management. In addition, survey participants undertook physical farm parameter measurements including collecting water samples. Each water sample was tested for standard quality parameters including pH, hardness, heavy metals and microbiological status. Key results Responses were received from 57 farms, estimated to represent at least 22% of ‘large’ pig herds. Bore water was the most common water source being utilised within the farms surveyed. Management practices and infrastructure delivering water from the source to the point of consumption were found to differ across the farms surveyed. Furthermore, water was regularly used as a delivery mechanism for soluble additives such as antibiotics. The quality of water at the source and point of consumption was found to be highly variable with many parameters, particularly pH, hardness, salinity, iron, manganese and microbiological levels, exceeding the acceptable standard. Conclusions In general, water quality did not appear to be routinely monitored or managed. As a result, farm managers had poor visibility of the potential negative impacts that inferior water quality or management may be having on pig production and in turn the economics of their business. Indeed, inferior water quality may impact the delivery of antibiotics and in turn undermine the industry’s antimicrobial stewardship efforts. Implications The study findings suggest that water quality represents a significant challenge to the Australian pig industry. Access to drinking water of an acceptable quality is essential for optimal pig performance, health and welfare but also to ensure farm to fork supply chain integrity, traceability and food safety.
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Samaranayake, Premaratne, Weiguang Liang, Zhong-Hua Chen, David Tissue, and Yi-Chen Lan. "Sustainable Protected Cropping: A Case Study of Seasonal Impacts on Greenhouse Energy Consumption during Capsicum Production." Energies 13, no. 17 (August 30, 2020): 4468. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/en13174468.
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Sustainable food production in protected cropping is increasing rapidly in response to global climate change and population growth. However, there are significant knowledge gaps regarding energy consumption while achieving optimum environmental conditions for greenhouse crop production. A capsicum crop cultivated in a high-tech greenhouse facility in Australia was analysed in terms of relationships between key environmental variables and the comparative analysis of energy consumption during different seasons. We showed that daily energy consumption varied due to the seasonal nature of the external environment and maintenance of optimal growing temperatures. Total power consumption reported throughout the entire crop cycle for heating (gas hot water system) and cooling (pad and fan) was 12,503 and 5183 kWh, respectively; hence, heating consumed ca. 70% of the total energy requirement over the 8-month growing period (early spring to late autumn) in the greenhouse facility. Regressions of daily energy consumption within each season, designated either predominantly for heating or cooling, indicated that energy consumption was 14.62 kWh per 1 °C heating and 2.23 kWh per 1 °C cooling. Therefore, changing the planting date to late spring is likely to significantly reduce heating energy costs for greenhouse capsicum growers in Australia. The findings will provide useful guidelines to maximise the greenhouse production of capsicum with better economic return by taking into consideration the potential optimal energy saving strategy during different external environment conditions and seasons.
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Wiedemann, S. G., M. J. Yan, and C. M. Murphy. "Resource use and environmental impacts from Australian export lamb production: a life cycle assessment." Animal Production Science 56, no. 7 (2016): 1070. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/an14647.
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This study conducted a life cycle assessment (LCA) investigating energy, land occupation, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, fresh water consumption and stress-weighted water use from production of export lamb in the major production regions of New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia. The study used data from regional datasets and case study farms, and applied new methods for assessing water use using detailed farm water balances and water stress weighting. Land occupation was assessed with reference to the proportion of arable and non-arable land and allocation of liveweight (LW) and greasy wool was handled using a protein mass method. Fossil fuel energy demand ranged from 2.5 to 7.0 MJ/kg LW, fresh water consumption from 58.1 to 238.9 L/kg LW, stress-weighted water use from 2.9 to 137.8 L H2O-e/kg LW and crop land occupation from 0.2 to 2.0 m2/kg LW. Fossil fuel energy demand was dominated by on-farm energy demand, and differed between regions and datasets in response to production intensity and the use of purchased inputs such as fertiliser. Regional fresh water consumption was dominated by irrigation water use and losses from farm water supply, with smaller contributions from livestock drinking water. GHG emissions ranged from 6.1 to 7.3 kg CO2-e/kg LW and additional removals or emissions from land use (due to cultivation and fertilisation) and direct land-use change (due to deforestation over previous 20 years) were found to be modest, contributing between –1.6 and 0.3 kg CO2-e/kg LW for different scenarios assessing soil carbon flux. Excluding land use and direct land-use change, enteric CH4 contributed 83–89% of emissions, suggesting that emissions intensity can be reduced by focussing on flock production efficiency. Resource use and emissions were similar for export lamb production in the major production states of Australia, and GHG emissions were similar to other major global lamb producers. The results show impacts from lamb production on competitive resources to be low, as lamb production systems predominantly utilised non-arable land unsuited to alternative food production systems that rely on crop production, and water from regions with low water stress.
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Kenway, S. J., G. M. Turner, S. Cook, and T. Baynes. "Water and energy futures for Melbourne: implications of land use, water use, and water supply strategy." Journal of Water and Climate Change 5, no. 2 (December 21, 2013): 163–75. http://dx.doi.org/10.2166/wcc.2013.188.
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This paper quantifies the effect of three policy levels on the water and energy futures of Melbourne, Australia. During a time of severe water shortages attributed to climate change, water strategies lacked consideration of energy consequences. Modeling, guided by urban metabolism theory, demonstrated that a compact urban form, reduced water consumption by 90 GL/a, compared with a sprawling city, and had greater water conservation impact than simulated demand management measures. Household water conservation, coupled with increased use of solar hot water systems, reduced grid energy use by some 30 PJ/a. Desalination, tripled water supply energy demand, growing to a total of 4.5 PJ/a, by 2045. While the increase is less than 1% of total Melbourne urban energy use, it contributes to a substantial increase in the energy bill for urban water provision. Importantly, the energy impact could be offset through demand management measures. Recommendations for the combined management of water and energy include improving energy characterization of the urban water cycle; impact-evaluation of regional plans; using total urban water and energy balances in analysis to provide context; and developing reporting mechanisms and indicators to help improve baseline data across the water and energy systems.
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Nguyen, Viet-Anh. "EVALUATION OF PERFORMANCE INDICATORS OF SELECTED WATER COMPANIES IN VIETNAM." Vietnam Journal of Science and Technology 58, no. 5A (November 12, 2020): 42. http://dx.doi.org/10.15625/2525-2518/58/5a/15190.
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Performance indicators of water supply company can provide important information of its service quality and business efficiency, and be intelligent basis for decision making process. The authors have analyzed key performance indicators of 19 selected municipal water supply systems in Vietnam, including operation and design capacities, treated water quality, unit investment cost, water tariff, non-revenue water (NRW) ratio, and energy consumption rate. The average NRW of the 19 systems was 12.6% which was lower than country-wide value of 21%. The energy consumption rate of selected systems was ranging from 0.16 to 0.5KWh/m3, in average 0.3KWh/m3, which was also lower than country average of 0.35KWh/m3, whereas the rate of energy consumption in municipal water systems in China, USA, Australia, Chile, Canada was ranging from 0.1 to 1.33KWh/m3, depending on ground elevation, transfer distance, influent water quality, and applied technologies for water treatment and transportation. The selected water systems have applied improved treatment technologies such as mechanized coagulation-flocculation, lamella settling tank, dual media sand filter, combined contact clarifier with lamella plates, etc. The average treated water turbidity was ≤0.5NTU. The domestic water tariff of the selected systems was within the country range, from USD0.2 to 0.4/m3. Further, the authors have indicated correlation between selected performance indicators, such as energy consumption rate and non-revenue water ratio. The analytical results shown performance indicators of top water companies in Vietnam were in fairly good position compared to others, but improvements were still needed. Reduction of NRW ratio and keeping it at a low value are other challenges requiring water utility efforts.
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Jenkins, K. M., R. T. Kingsford, G. P. Closs, B. J. Wolfenden, C. D. Matthaei, and S. E. Hay. "Climate change and freshwater ecosystems in Oceania: an assessment of vulnerability and adaptation opportunities." Pacific Conservation Biology 17, no. 3 (2011): 201. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/pc110201.
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Human-forced climate change significantly threatens the world’s freshwater ecosystems, through projected changes to rainfall, temperature and sea level. We examined the threats and adaptation opportunities to climate change in a diverse selection of rivers and wetlands from Oceania (Australia, New Zealand and Pacific Islands). We found common themes, but also important regional differences. In regulated floodplain rivers in dry regions (i.e. Australia), reduced flooding projected with climate change is a veneer on current losses, but impacts ramp up by 2070. Increasing drought threatens biota as the time between floods extends. Current measures addressing water allocations and dam management can be extended to adapt to climate change, with water buy-back and environmental flows critical. Freshwater wetlands along coastal Oceania are threatened by elevated salinity as sea level rises, potentially mitigated by levee banks. In mountainous regions of New Zealand, the biodiversity of largely pristine glacial and snow melt rivers is threatened by temperature increases, particularly endemic species. Australian snow melt rivers face similar problems, compounding impacts of hydro-electric schemes. Translocation of species and control of invasive species are the main adaptations. Changes to flow regime and rising water temperatures and sea levels are the main threats of climate change on freshwater ecosystems. Besides lowering emissions, reducing impacts of water consumption and protecting or restoring connectivity and refugia are key adaptations for conservation of freshwater ecosystems. Despite these clear imperatives, policy and management has been slow to respond, even in developed regions with significant resources to tackle such complex issues.
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Peres, M. A., X. Ju, M. Mittinty, A. J. Spencer, and L. G. Do. "Modifiable Factors Explain Socioeconomic Inequalities in Children’s Dental Caries." Journal of Dental Research 98, no. 11 (August 3, 2019): 1211–18. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0022034519866628.
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The aim of this article was to quantify socioeconomic inequalities in dental caries experience among Australian children and to identify factors that explain area-level socioeconomic inequalities in children’s dental caries. We used data from the National Child Oral Health Survey conducted in Australia between 2012 and 2014 ( n = 24,664). Absolute and relative indices of socioeconomic inequalities in the dental caries experience in primary and permanent dentition (decayed, missing, and filled surfaces [dmfs] and DMFS, respectively) were estimated. In the first stage, we conducted multilevel negative binomial regressions to test the association between area-level Index of Relative Socioeconomic Advantage and Disadvantage (IRSAD) and dental caries experience (dmfs for 5- to 8-y-olds and DMFS for 9- to 14-y-olds) after adjustment for water fluoridation status, sociodemographics, oral health behaviors, pattern of dental visits, and sugar consumption. In the second stage, we performed Blinder-Oaxaca and Neumark decomposition analyses to identify factors that explain most of the area-level socioeconomic inequalities in dental caries. Children had a mean dmfs of 3.14 and a mean DMFS of 0.98 surfaces. Children living in the most disadvantaged and intermediately disadvantaged areas had 1.96 (95% confidence interval, 1.69–2.27) and 1.45 (1.26–1.68) times higher mean dmfs and 1.53 (1.36–1.72) and 1.43 (1.27–1.60) times higher mean DMFS than those living in the most advantaged areas, respectively. Water fluoridation status (33.6%), sugar consumption (22.1%), parental educational level (14.2%), and dental visit patterns (12.7%) were the main factors explaining area-level socioeconomic inequalities in dental caries in permanent dentition. Among all the factors considered, the factors that contributed most in explaining inequalities in primary dental caries were dental visits (30.3%), sugar consumption (20.7%), household income (20.0%), and water fluoridation status (15.9%). The inverse area-level socioeconomic inequality in dental caries was mainly explained by modifiable risk factors, such as lack of fluoridated water, high sugar consumption, and an unfavorable pattern of dental visits.
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Bradshaw, S. D., and K. A. Nagy. "Energetics, osmoregulation, and food consumption by free-living desert lizards, Ctenophorus (= Amphibolurus) nuchalis." Amphibia-Reptilia 16, no. 1 (1995): 25–35. http://dx.doi.org/10.1163/156853895x00163.
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AbstractThe ecophysiology of the agamid lizard Ctenophorus nuchalis was studied near Shark Bay, Western Australia, during three seasons, over four years, in order to evaluate seasonal and year-to-year variation in energy and material balance, and to compare this agamid with similar-sized iguanid lizards. We measured water influx and efflux rates and field metabolic rates with doubly-labelled water, sodium fluxes with radiosodium, and osmotic status (plasma osmotic and ionic concentrations) in free-ranging adults of both sexes, as well as juveniles. Feeding rates were calculated from diet composition information in conjunction with rates of water and sodium intake, and body condition indices were also determined. There were marked seasonal and year-to-year differences in body condition, and in rates of body mass gain or loss, and these correlated with drought periods. Rates of resource use were highest in spring, and declined through summer and autumn, and rates were lowest during 1983, a year having unusually low winter rainfall. Hatchlings, which emerged in autumn, were able to find and capture food resources, even though adults were eating little during that season. The annual pattern of energy, water and salt balance in this agamid lizard is quite similar to that of an equivalent-sized iguanid lizard.
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Keen, Gordon. "Water conservation at ExxonMobil facilities." APPEA Journal 48, no. 1 (2008): 261. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/aj07017.
Full textAbstract:
As a result of Australia’s long-running drought there has been renewed community focus on water as a vital resource. In response to this and as part of ExxonMobil’s environmental performance improvement program, local water conservation teams have been established at multiple ExxonMobil Australia sites in Victoria. This has stimulated an increased focus on water as a precious resource across the entire workforce resulting in additional emphasis on pro-active planning for water conservation. In one initiative, freshwater use at Altona Refinery was reduced by one megalitre per day. This was achieved through multiple initiatives such as optimising use of standby equipment and the frequency of flushing operations. At Long Island Point, an engineering study supported by the water conservation team identified a cost effective means of ensuring that water used in the flare-stacks is synchronised with the volume of gas being processed at the flare-tip. This initiative is on track to reduce site fresh water consumption since late February 2007 by up to 55 megalitres of potable water a year. Since 2001 Longford has successfully reduced water use by 40% from 5 ML a day in 2001 to 3 ML a day in 2006. Similarly, 2006 water usage for Long Island Point was the lowest on record. Now, with water conservation teams firmly established on these and other sites and further projects yet to be implemented, water consumption is set to decline even further. Overall water saving initiatives have been aligned with increased regulatory and community expectations to reduce water usage, driven by the drought conditions.
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Vanitha, S. "CONSUMER’S AWARENESS AND ATTITUDE TOWARDS PACKAGED DRINKING WATER IN THOOTHUKUDI DISTRICT." International Journal of Research -GRANTHAALAYAH 5, no. 1(SE) (January 31, 2017): 47–57. http://dx.doi.org/10.29121/granthaalayah.v5.i1(se).2017.1921.
Full textAbstract:
Today, one million people are drinking unhealthy water in the world. Each year 5 million people worldwide die due to the diseases caused by unhealthy drinking water. Unhealthy water creates a great risk, especially for children because of their undeveloped immune system (G8 Action Plan Decisions, 2003)1. Indeed, the World Health Organization estimates that 4.1 million children die from diarrhea, which can be inhibited by healthy water (WHO, 2010)2.
In developed countries, it is observed that water is not only a basic consumption food, but also a lifestyle product. As mentioned in the Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, packaged water consumption reflects the choices related to the lifestyle as well as being a basic need at the bottom of the pyramid (Sipos, et al., 2007)3. Water is increasingly becoming an important economic resource, and its public distribution is being privatized in many countries (e.g., France, England, Brazil, Australia, Bolivia and, recently proposed in Italy), opening new market opportunities for private investors. The consumption of bottled mineral water is significantly increasing worldwide and has become an important factor both for economic and health issues (King, 2008)4. Natural mineral water means microbiologically wholesome water, originating in an underground water table or deposit and emerging from a spring tapped at one or more natural or bore exits. This type of water cannot be sterilized, pasteurized or otherwise treated to remove or destroy microorganisms (European Commission, 2009)5. Hence, the researcher has made an attempt to find out the existing awareness and attitudes of consumers towards using packaged drinking water in Thoothukudi District.
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Yang, Ao, Hong Zhang, Rodney Stewart, and Khoi Nguyen. "Enhancing Residential Water End Use Pattern Recognition Accuracy Using Self-Organizing Maps and K-Means Clustering Techniques: Autoflow v3.1." Water 10, no. 9 (September 10, 2018): 1221. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/w10091221.
Full textAbstract:
The aim of residential water end-use studies is to disaggregate water consumption into different water end-use categories (i.e., shower, toilet, etc.). The authors previously developed a beta application software (i.e., Autoflow v2.1) that provides an intelligent platform to autonomously categorize residential water consumption data and generate management analysis reports. However, the Autoflow v2.1 software water end use event recognition accuracy achieved was between 75 to 90%, which leaves room for improvement. In the present study, a new module augmented to the existing procedure improved flow disaggregation accuracy, which resulted in Autoflow v3.1. The new module applied self-organizing maps (SOM) and K-means clustering algorithms for undertaking an initial pre-grouping of water end-use events before the existing pattern recognition procedures were applied (i.e., ANN, HMM, etc.) For validation, a dataset consisting of over 100,000 events from 252 homes in Australia were employed to verify accuracy improvements derived from augmenting the new hybrid SOM and K-means algorithm techniques into the existing Autoflow v2.1 software. The water end use event categorization accuracy ranged from 86 to 94.2% for the enhanced model (Autoflow v3.1), which was a 1.7 to 9% improvement on event categorization.
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Ellis, WAH, A. Melzer, B. Green, K. Newgrain, MA Hindell, and FN Carrick. "Seasonal-Variation in Water Flux, Field Metabolic-Rate and Food-Consumption of Free-Ranging Koalas (Phascolarctos-Cinereus)." Australian Journal of Zoology 43, no. 1 (1995): 59. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/zo9950059.
Full textAbstract:
Mass-corrected field metabolic rates of free-ranging male koalas in central Queensland, Australia, varied between 0.329 MJ kg0.75 day-1 in summer and 0.382 MJ kg0.75 day-1 in winter. Field water influx measured 50.8 mL kg-0.8 day-1 in winter, increasing to 59.9 mL kg0.8 day-1 in summer for the same koalas, and was positively correlated with values for leaf moisture of food. Winter rates of water influx for koalas from Springsure were lower than those recorded for koalas from Victoria for the same period of the year. Mass-corrected feeding rates were lower in summer than winter; wet food intake was significantly lower than reported for similar sized female koalas from Victoria. The preferred browse was Eucalyptus crebra in winter and E. tereticornis in summer. Our study indicates that in central Queensland seasonal changes in diet selection by male koalas reflect increased energy requirements in winter and increased water requirements in summer.
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Brown, Belinda, Ian Hollins, Joe Pickin, and Sally Donovan. "Asbestos Stocks and Flows Legacy in Australia." Sustainability 15, no. 3 (January 26, 2023): 2282. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/su15032282.
Full textAbstract:
Information about asbestos stocks and flows is paramount for effective legacy management, both for understanding potential asbestos exposure risks from the different product types remaining in the built environment and proactive resource planning for their safe decommissioning, removal and disposal. This paper provides an overview of the Australian Stocks and Flows Model for Asbestos, a national model that provides best estimates to examine asbestos legacy stocks remaining in the built environment and flows to waste, now and into the future in Australia. The model was updated in 2021 to reflect new information from literature and input from industry experts and includes a Monte Carlo analysis to better reflect the range in the value estimates, as well as allowing for input of data from asbestos removal programs. Australia’s total asbestos stocks peaked at approximately 11 million tonnes in the 1980s. Over 95% of stocks comprise asbestos cement products, such as wall sheeting and water pipes. Australia’s current remaining asbestos stocks in the built environment are estimated at 6.2 million tonnes, with just under half of total consumption estimated to have gone to landfill as waste. The model can continue to be used with updated information to help track how much of Australia’s hazardous asbestos legacy is remaining and by how much it is reducing. The model can also be used to test scenarios and implications for predicted development trends and waste infrastructure needs. It is a valuable resource to assist with sustainable planning across a range of government departments that are responsible for managing asbestos waste in Australia.