project

Exploratory Research: Water Quality Footprint

The water sector is today actively working on CO2 emission reduction (and climate neutrality). Up until now, the possibility of including water quality improvement in environmental impact methodologies has however been very limited. Thus, the removal for example of pharmaceutical residues and micropollutants from the water is (unjustifiably) not attributed any (positive) environmental impact in the CO2 footprint. This can lead to an inaccurate assessment of innovations, which, even if they are not actually associated with reduced CO2 emissions, do in fact result in improved water quality. In the present project a methodology is being developed which determines in a gradual manner this wider environmental impact of water quality innovations, so that these can be incorporated into a total environmental impact analysis.

Development of methodology to assess environmental impact of water quality

In the present project a methodology is being developed to determine in a gradual manner this wider environmental impact of an (innovative) water quality treatment technology, so that this can be incorporated into a total environmental impact analysis. This involves an important ultimate goal: we want to be in a position of weighing the achieved water quality improvement against the environmental costs, for example, in the use of energy and chemicals. It is important to note that the tool to be developed will also make it possible to consider improvements in water quality that exceed the existing established standards.

To achieve this, we aim to combine different databases, information systems and multidisciplinary knowledge. This means that there will soon be a single tool that is able, as in an LCA approach, to calculate the impact of an innovation or scenario, while also taking the water quality footprint into account. This involves parameters such as pharmaceuticals, heavy metals, microplastics, but conceivably biological safety as well.

Expanded tool for environmental impact assessment

This new assessment methodology for a total environmental impact, which also includes the impact on the water quality, will enable the weighing of all the pros and cons of an innovation. Up until now, this has been limited to references to the ‘removal of additional pharmaceutical residues’, but these could not be incorporated in concrete/quantitative terms. Once this becomes possible with the new methodology, it will also be feasible to apply a break-even-point approach. Is it then justifiable, based on the environmental impact, to make use of extra chemicals and energy to further treat the water to quality levels that exceed the established standard?