title: Measuring the embodied energy in drinking water supply systems: a case study in the Great Lakes region.
abstract: A sustainable supply of both energy and water is critical to long-term national security, effective climate policy, natural resource sustainability, and social wellbeing. These two critical resources are inextricably and reciprocally linked; the production of energy requires large volumes of water, while the treatment and distribution of water is also significantly dependent upon energy. In this paper, a hybrid analysis approach is proposed to estimate embodied energy and to perform a structural path analysis of drinking water supply systems. The applicability of this approach is then tested through a case study of a large municipal water utility (city of Kalamazoo) in the Great Lakes region to provide insights on the issues of water-energy pricing and carbon footprints. Kalamazoo drinking water requires approximately 9.2 MJ/m(3) of energy to produce, 30% of which is associated with indirect inputs such as system construction and treatment chemicals.
authors.affiliation: Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, United States.
authors.forename: Weiwei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Mo
authors.forename: Fuzhan
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Nasiri
authors.forename: Matthew J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Eckelman
authors.forename: Qiong
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Julie B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Zimmerman
mesh_terms: D058572:Carbon Footprint; D003247:Conservation of Natural Resources; D004736:Energy-Generating Resources / Q000191:economics; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods*; D005160:Facility Design and Construction; D008824:Michigan; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D014881:Water Supply / Q000032:analysis* / Q000191:economics