title: Multi-objective models of waste load allocation toward a sustainable reuse of drainage water in irrigation.
abstract: The present study proposes a waste load allocation (WLA) framework for a sustainable quality management of agricultural drainage water (ADW). Two multi-objective models, namely, abatement-performance and abatement-equity-performance, were developed through the integration of a water quality model (QAUL2Kw) and a genetic algorithm, by considering (1) the total waste load abatement, and (2) the inequity among waste dischargers. For successfully accomplishing modeling tasks, we developed a comprehensive overall performance measure (E wla ) reflecting possible violations of Egyptian standards for ADW reuse in irrigation. This methodology was applied to the Gharbia drain in the Nile Delta, Egypt, during both summer and winter seasons of 2012. Abatement-performance modeling results for a target of E wla = 100 % corresponded to the abatement ratio of the dischargers ranging from 20.7 to 75.6 % and 29.5 to 78.5 % in summer and in winter, respectively, alongside highly shifting inequity values. Abatement-equity-performance modeling results for a target of E wla = 90 % unraveled the necessity of increasing treatment efforts in three out of five dischargers during summer, and four out of five in winter. The trade-off curves obtained from WLA models proved their reliability in selecting appropriate WLA procedures as a function of budget constraints, principles of social equity, and desired overall performance level. Hence, the proposed framework of methodologies is of great importance to decision makers working toward a sustainable reuse of the ADW in irrigation.
authors.affiliation: Civil Engineering Department, Faculty of Engineering, Kafr Elsheikh University, Kafr El-Shaikh, Egypt. ayman_allam@eng.kfs.edu.eg.|Environmental Engineering Department, Egypt-Japan University of Science and Technology (E-JUST), Alexandria, Egypt. ayman_allam@eng.kfs.edu.eg.
authors.forename: Ayman
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Allam
authors.affiliation: Environmental Engineering Department, Egypt-Japan University of Science and Technology (E-JUST), Alexandria, Egypt. ahmed.tawfik@ejust.edu.eg.
authors.forename: Ahmed
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tawfik
authors.affiliation: Department of Civil Engineering, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Meguro-ku, Tokyo, 152-8552, Japan.
authors.forename: Chihiro
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Yoshimura
authors.affiliation: Irrigation Engineering and Hydraulics Department, Faculty of Engineering, Alexandria University, El-Horia St, Alexandria, 21544, Egypt.
authors.forename: Amr
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fleifle
mesh_terms: D057914:Agricultural Irrigation / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards*; D004534:Egypt; D008522:Mediterranean Sea; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D045483:Rivers; D012621:Seasons; D062065:Wastewater / Q000032:analysis*; D060753:Water Quality
chemical_list: D062065:Wastewater
keywords: Agricultural drainage water; Drainage water reuse; Multi-objective; Pareto-optimal solutions; Waste load allocation; Water quality modeling