Whereas the global water community may have reached consensus on the need for water providers to operate on the basis of commercial principles, staff of water utilities are faced with the challenge of implementing these principles in their everyday work. In the everyday domain, these principles appear to directly conflict with the mandate of water operators to provide water services to all. Moreover, the socio-political, economic and bio-physical context in which these water operate may be ill-suited to implement commercialization. In pursuing commercialization these operators adapt, reinterpret, modify, deflect, alter or betray the original principles of commercialization during implementation. This research takes inspiration from the rich literature on policy implementation and policy translation, which argues that policy models need to be transformed and modified if they are to be successfully adopted or implemented. This research analyzes the alterations visible in the daily implementation of commercial models of water provisioning and, in doing so, present a better understanding of how water operators implement policy prescriptions of commercialization in practice. Based on the analysis of the adaptations and (re)interpretations of the implemented model of commercialization in the different cases, this thesis argues that a new way of speaking about commercialization should be developed.

The study used a combination of landscape-scale synoptic surveys (catchment, reaches) and mesocosm surveys (experimental plots) to assess the impacts of conversion of natural valley-bottom wetlands to farming land on the water quality and retention of sediment and nutrients. The results showed that temperature, pH, electrical conductivity and dissolved oxygen concentration decreased, and total suspended solids (TSS) increased with storm water increase. Nitrogen (TN) and phosphorus (TP) accumulated in the catchment during the dry season and washed into the water courses during the early stages of the higher flows, with subsequent lower concentrations at the end of the rains due to dilution. Large proportions of the annual loads of TSS, TP and TN (93%, 60% and 67%, respectively) were transported during rainfall events that occurred in 115 days. Fishponds acted as temporal traps of TSS, TN and TP at the early stages of farming, and were a source of and TN and TP at the end of the farming period, in contrast to rice farming that generated sediments and nutrients early in the farming period and trapped them at the end of the farming season. Wetlands mostly acted as sinks but sometimes as a source of sediment and nutrients.

The increasing number of dams built in the last century has underlined the necessity of these constructions to the all-round development of a country. The advent of rock mechanics, engineering geology and a better understanding of materials have made it possible to construct higher and larger dams and to tackle more difficult sites. The assumptions and risks used in the theory of dam design include such unpredictable events as earthquakes, floods, and geological faults or soft seams, which may be either underestimated or completely missed during initial exploration. Incidents relating to dams are manageable at an early stage, whereas accidents, which are largely unforeseen, result in unexpected behaviour of dams and in catastrophic failures. Investigations conducted to determine the cause of a failure may not reveal the true sequence of events, while expert analyses are often controversial. From the dams that do not fail, of course, we learn nothing. Systematically monitoring the dam's behaviour from the potential risk stage to the accident event, would allow a hazard-management programme to be implemented, minimising loss of life and property, and provide useful data.

An increasing number of hydrological datasets from earth observations, hydrological models and seasonal forecasts have become available for water managers, consultants and the general public. These datasets are state-of-the-art products which are usually accessible online and may contribute to develop hydrological studies and support water resources management. However, the added value of these datasets has not been completely explored in decision-making processes. Research studies have assessed how well data can help in predicting climate, but there is a lack of knowledge on how well data can help in water allocation decisions. This work provides numerical tools, methods and results to evaluate the value of using hydrological datasets to support water allocation decisions at river basin and irrigation district scale. An integrated approach is used to predict climate, improve decisions and reduce negative impacts. Results show that investing in hydrological data with finer spatial and temporal resolution and longer periods of record improves water allocation decisions and reduces agricultural production loss in large irrigation schemes. Using river discharge data from hydrological models and global precipitation enhances irrigation area planning when little in-situ data is available. Moreover, using seasonal streamflow forecasts improves available water estimates resulting in better water allocation decisions. The framework was tested in Costa Rica, Colombia and Australia, but can be applied in any case study around the world.

Precipitation drives the dynamics of flows and storages in water systems, making its monitoring essential for water management. Conventionally, precipitation is monitored using in-situ and remote sensors. In-situ sensors are arranged in networks, which are usually sparse, providing continuous observations for long periods at fixed points in space, and due to the high costs of such networks, they are often sub-optimal. To increase the efficiency of the monitoring networks, we explore the use of sensors that can relocate as rainfall events develop (dynamic sensors), as well as increasing the number of sensors involving volunteers (citizens). This research focusses on the development of an approach for merging heterogeneous observations in non-stationary precipitation fields, exploring the interactions between different definitions of optimality for the design of sensor networks, as well as development of algorithms for the optimal scheduling of dynamic sensors. This study was carried out in three different case studies, including Bacchiglione River (Italy), Don River (U.K.) and Brue Catchment (U.K.) The results of this study indicate that optimal use of dynamic sensors may be useful for monitoring precipitation to support water management and flow forecasting.

In recent years as globalization and market liberalization have marched forward unabated, and the global commons continue to be commodified and privatized at a rapid pace. In this global process, the ownership, sale and supply of water is increasingly the flashpoint for debates and conflict over privatization, and nowhere is the debate more advanced or acute than in southern Africa. The Age of Commodity provides an overview on the debates over water privatization including a conceptual overview of water 'privatization', how it relates to human rights, macro-economic policy and GATS and how the debates are shaped by research methodologies. The book then presents case studies of important water privatization initiatives in the region, drawing out crucial themes common to water privatization debates around the world including corruption, gender equity and donor conditionalities. This is book is powerful and necessary reading in our new age of commodity.

The literature of hydrology abounds with texts on the hydrological and water resource problems in humid regions. However, this is not the case for the arid or semi arid regions. The situation is exemplified by the fact a concrete definition for the term "wadi", as accepted by UNESCO for describing these areas, is difficult to find. Arguably the first book devoted entirely to examining this important resource, Wadi Hydrology presents methodologies for sustainable management of wadis and their water resources. Through unique physical approaches, field cases, sample interpretations, and various applications to different models, this book provides an in-depth understanding of these systems that illustrates the efficiency of harnessing water from wadis. The author compiles the most up-to-date information on arid region hydrology, including specific techniques for hydrological calculations and desertification assessments, and includes examples and solved problems in each chapter.

Groundwater is Africa's most precious natural resource, providing reliable water supplies for many people. Further development of groundwater resources is fundamental to increasing access to safe water across the continent to meet coverage targets and reduce poverty. There is also an increasing interest in the use of groundwater for irrigated agriculture as the climate becomes more variable. Sustainable development of the resource is not a trivial task and depends crucially on an understanding of the hydrogeology and people with the skills to make informed decisions on how groundwater can best be developed and managed in a sustainable fashion. Despite these obvious needs, however, little attention has been paid to the systematic gathering of information about groundwater resources in the past few decades, with the result that data are patchy, knowledge is limited and investment is poorly targeted. This book was written to start to bridge the knowledge gap. The 29 chapters are written by a combination of practitioners and researchers mainly from within Africa using experience from recent and ongoing projects. The chapters highlight the complexity and variety of issues surrounding the development and management of groundwater resources across Africa, and provide a snapshot of groundwater research and application in the early 21st century. Chapters range from strategic discussions of the role of groundwater in development and poverty reduction, to case studies on techniques used to develop groundwater, and modelling methods for managing groundwater systems.

Although valuable resources in river basins and other aqueous environments, sediments often receive much less attention from researchers, policymakers, and other professionals than other components of the ecosystem. Until now. Highlighting the important role that sediments play in the geoenvironment, Sediments Contamination and Sustainable Remediation focuses on sediment management for the purpose of environmental cleanup or management. It provides the in-depth understanding of the sediment-water environment needed to develop better management practices and meet sustainability requirements. The book discusses the contamination of sediments resulting from discharge of pollutants, excessive nutrients, and other hazardous substances from anthropogenic activities. It examines impacts observed as a result of these discharges, including the presence of hazardous materials and eutrophication, and elucidates the remediation techniques developed to restore the health of sediments and how to evaluate the remediation technologies using indicators. The text explores the problems inherent in dealing with contaminated sediments in rivers, lakes, and estuaries and includes numerous case studies that illustrate key concepts. The authors provide wide-ranging coverage of the topic and include methods for evaluating the effectiveness of different remediation technologies. They make the case for the development and application of innovative management practices that create long-term solutions to sediment contamination to reduce natural resource depletion, continued landfill contamination, and diminished biodiversity in the aquatic geoenvironment.

Hazardous Industrial Waste Treatment provides technical and economical information on how to develop the most feasible total environmental control program that can benefit both industry and local municipalities.

Fully updated and expanded into two volumes, the new edition of Groundwater Contamination explains in a comprehensive way the sources for groundwater contamination, the regulations governing it, and the technologies for abating it. This volume discusses aquifer management and strategies for stormwater control and groundwater restoration. A number of case histories on site analysis and remediation based on DOE and state documents are included. Among the many new features of this edition are a full discussion of risk assessment, the preparation of groundwater protection plans, and references linking the text to over 2,300 water-related Web sites.

This book presents a methodology to support the development of soil and water management strategies for tidal lowlands in general and Indonesian tidal lowlands in particular. It analyzes and evaluates the potential of tidal lowlands for agricultural development.

Intensifying Activated Sludge Using Media-Supported Biofilms will be of interest to practicing wastewater treatment process designers, along with those seeking more compact and energy-efficient wastewater treatment options. The advantages of Moving Bed Biological Reactor (MBBR)-based hybrid processes are now well-established in practice, leading to their increased use in the field. Membrane Aerated Biofilm Reactor (MABR)-based hybrid processes are much newer and offer further systematic process and energy advantages. This book examines the evolution of hybrid technologies as well as the potential for continued improvement of biological wastewater treatment techniques. Features: Reviews current approaches for intensifying biological wastewater treatment processes and their mechanistic bases. Examines hybrid suspended growth/biofilm-based wastewater treatment processes, including the newly-developed MABR-based processes, and their unique dynamic performance characteristics. Presents a novel method for characterizing the performance and process intensification advantages of hybrid processes. Provides guidance for simulating the performance of hybrid processes, including oxygen transfer in MABR hybrid processes.

In recognition of the trend toward using numerical methdos for analyzing aquifer test data, Aquifer Test Modeling delineates the application of numerical Laplace inversion analytical equations and numerical models and demonstrates the use of public domain software. Written by a leading expert with over fifty years of experience, this highly practical text provides a thorough grounding in the terms and methods employed in aquifer test modeling, while also establishing a protocol for organizing and simplifying conceptual model definition and data analysis. Using graphs, tables, and sample datasets to enhance understanding, the author delineates the five major steps involved in the aquifer test modeling process. He discusses the importance of the conceptual model definition as a framework for organizing, simplifying, and idealizing information. The chapters cover the selection of appropriate aquifer test mathematical model equations compatible with previously defined conceptual models and highlight the importance of reviewing the mathematical assumption and the adjustment of data for any departures. They also explain format selection, technique selection, well function or drawdown calculation, and calibration. The book provides five sample data sets to assist the reader in becoming familiar with WTAQ and MODFLOW aquifer test modeling input and output data file contents with confined nonleaky and unconfined aquifer conditions. It includes conceptual models consisting of abbreviated descriptions of aquifer test facilities, aquifer test data, and aquifer parameter values together with selected sample file sets. These are just a few of the features that make the book a valuable tool for estimating the supply and contamination characteristics of aquifers.

Until now, techniques for studying biofilms- the cellular colonies that live in drinking water systems, wastewater operations, even ground and surface water- have been limited. Yet during the last decade, biofilms have become a critical element in water quality preservation systems, a key component of wastewater treatment biological reactions and the subject of extensive microbiological inquiry. An understanding of biofilm development, structure and dynamics is one condition for improving water supplies and for addressing technical problems such as biofouling, corrosion and bioweathering. Biofilms: Investigative Methods and Applications provides the first in-depth assessment of current and experimental ways to study biofilms, both in sample form and in situ. It shows how sensors, microscopy, lasers, and calorimetry, among other tools, can be used to obtain data on the morphology and metabolism of biofilms. This text is the first to organize and examine the best methods for investigating biofilms. It covers culture-based methods and emerging nondestructive techniques. It also shows how they can be used to characterize biofilms in a variety of manmade settings, such as sewers, wastewater plants, and drinking water distribution systems, as well as in karsts and groundwater sources. In clarifying the way biofilms are studied, the book offers new insights into these living films. It also applies inquiry techniques to the many problems confronting the environmental specialist-corrosion control, biofouling, and the improvement of fixed reactors in wastewater treatment. At the same time it explains technologies for the controlled growth of biofilms and shows how biofilms can be effectively monitored and subjected to quantitative analysis. The technical information in Biofilms: Investigative Methods and Applications is designed to be of use to engineers and researchers and to be helpful in the generation of electronic data.

First published in 1978: The purpose of this two-volume series is to present a consolidated and comprehensive reference on oxygen-activated sludge technology.

This book covers the advantages, limitations and operational standards for common land application of biosolids practices, including uses on agricultural lands, forest lands, reclamation sites, and public and private use sites. It is useful to people in all aspects of the wastewater industry.

Regulation of India's rivers and other water systems has been evolving for thousands of years in the face of varying socioeconomic and technological conditions. India's Waters: Environment, Economy, and Development is a study of the current state of development, and proposed future development policies of the government of India, which is the developmental agency. The author first addresses India's physical and hydrological environment. He explains how the government, using his research, has estimated its usable resources and water requirements for life, environment, and economy for the next half-century. The book describes how, based on its own assessment, the government has made detailed suggestions about developing India's water resources. After covering the overall national study and analysis, the author addresses the current development of the major river basins- the Indus and Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna (GBM) basins, as well as the Central, Peninsular and others. He follows with analysis of watershed, groundwater, and command area development. Inter-basin water transfer has been considered throughout India's long history. This book briefly details suggestions for interlinking India's rivers and concludes by presenting legal framework and institutional issues. This is the first of Dr. M.C. Chaturvedi's three studies on the waters of India. The second, India's Waters: Advances in Development and Management, presents his proposals for revolutionizing their development, and the third focuses on development of the GBM basin, which is now an international river system. These studies are a unique contribution to the science and art of water resource development from a highly respected expert. He has designed most of the major projects in the Ganga basin and continues to teach and conduct research at the international level.

International tensions around water are rising in many of the world's most volatile regions. The policy recipe pursued by the West, and imposed on governments elsewhere, is to pass control over water to private interests, which simply accelerates the cycle of inequality and deprivation. California, as well as China, South Africa, Mexico and countries on every continent already face a crisis. This book exposes the enormity of the problem, the dangers of the proposed "solution" and the alternative, which is to recognise access to water as a fundamental human right, not dependent on ability to pay.

This classic reference begins with a brief review of the origins and early history of cooling towers and finally brings together the variety of terms in the industry into a uniform system of terminology. Facts accumulated as a result of laboratory testing together with full-scale tests in the field provide
the basis for the methods described in the book. Provides easy to use combination of steps in which to incorporate the Merkel theory. English-American units of measure are used in the examples with metric equivalents shown in parentheses. Appendices contain tables of appropriate constants and conversion factors for use with SI. This guide is of great benefit to cooling tower users, operators and plant designers.

Desertification and land degradation are complex phenomena, and we need to understand their causes, consequences, and means to mitigate and combat their impact. Therefore, this book aims to explain the concept and characteristics of drylands, desert and desertification, land degradation, wastelands, and the concept of ecosystem services. It also discusses various types of processes of land degradations, their characteristics, physics and indicators along with mapping, monitoring and assessment of methods involved. Concept of Ocean Biological Deserts is discussed along with international and regional efforts towards combating land degradation and desertification. Key Features: * Provides all the aspect of desertification and land degradation at one place * Includes comprehensive methods to monitor different desertification/land degradation processes * Comprehensive overview of the mapping, monitoring and modelling techniques * Role of space borne data in identifying, monitoring and combating desertification is evaluated and reported with real case studies * Explains the concept of ocean biological deserts, their characteristics and mapping

The world's water resources are being tapped at an ever increasing rate, to the extent that sustainability and water quality are being compromised. This book provides accounts of the technology used for managing water resources to reduce risks. Besides controlling floods, overcoming droughts and reducing pollution, the reader will learn to plan and maintain hydraulic structures, and to appreciate the diverse demands on water, including those of the environment. The topics considered include hydrology and assessment of water resources; drought management and flood management tools; and the interaction between land use and water resources, including surface runoff, groundwater and water quality. The second half of the book focuses on water use, demand management and the infrastructure required to manage water. Consideration is also given to the tools needed for planning, including economics and computer modelling. This book is aimed at a postgraduate level, suitable for students in water engineering and science. It will also serve as a reference for practitioners concerned with water resources and water supply.

This book, which was first published in 1992 and then updated in 2007, provides a tool for dealing with the legal and institutional aspects of water resources management within national contexts and at the level of transboundary water resources. Like its two previous editions, it seeks to cover all aspects that need to be known in order to attain good water governance, but it provides updates concerning developments since 2007. These relate, inter alia, to the following: - the "greening" of water law, which calls for the progressive integration of environmental law principles into domestic and international water law; - the adoption, by the International Law Commission in 2008, of the Draft Articles on the Law of Transboundary Aquifers, and subsequent developments; - the emergence of the right to water as a self-standing human right; - the adoption of domestic water laws supporting integrated water resources management (IWRM) and enhanced public participation in planning and decision making; - the integration into these laws of tools facilitating adaptive water management as a response to climate variability and change; - progress in the implementation of EU law; - recent international agreements and judicial decisions; - efforts of regional organizations other than the EU to steer cooperation in the management of transboundary water resources and the harmonization of national laws; - institutional mechanisms for the management of transboundary water resources (surface and underground). Unique in its scope and nature, the book identifies the legal and institutional issues arising in connection with water resources management and provides guidelines for possible solutions in a manner accessible to a wide range of readers. Thus, it is a useful reference for lawyers and non-lawyers - engineers, hydrologists, hydrogeologists, economists, sociologists - dealing with water resources within government institutions, river basin commissions, international organizations, financing institutions and academic institutions, among other things, and also for students of disciplines related to water resources.

Nitrogen rich wastewaters (10-400 mg N L-1) are usually produced by municipal, industrial and agricultural wastes, such as effluents from anaerobic treatments. These represent a risk to the environment due to the high nutrient concentrations (nitrogen and phosphorous), which can cause eutrophication of water bodies, deteriorating the quality of the ecosystems. As a solution, the potential nitrogen removal capacity of a novel bio-treatment system, namely the Photo-Activated Sludge (PAS), which is composed of microalgae and bacteria consortia, is presented in this thesis. This novel bio-treatment is based on the symbiosis between microalgae, nitrifiers and heterotrophic bacteria (microalgal-bacterial consortia). Experimental work using photobioreactors for the cultivation of microalgae and bacteria under sequencing batch conditions showed that microalgal-bacterial consortia can remove ammonium 50% faster than solely microalgal consortia. The increase in ammonium removal rates was due to the action of nitrifying bacteria, supplied with oxygen produced by algae. Nitrification was the main ammonium removal mechanism within the microalgal-bacterial biomass, followed by algal uptake and nutrient requirements for bacterial growth. Carbon oxidation and denitrification were the main removal mechanisms for organic carbon. Hence, the role of algae within the microalgal-bacterial system is to provide oxygen to support the aerobic processes. The microalgal-bacterial system offers the possibility of reducing the hydraulic retention time, which can decrease the large area requirements often demanded by algal systems.

Effective participatory water management requires effective co-engineering - the collective process whereby organisational decisions are made on how to bring stakeholders together. This trans-disciplinary book highlights the challenges involved in the collective initiation, design, implementation and evaluation of water planning and management processes. It demonstrates how successful management requires the effective handling of two participatory processes: the stakeholder water management process and the co-engineering process required to organise this. The book provides practical methods for supporting improved participatory processes, including the application of theory and models to aid decision-making. International case studies of these applications from Australia, Europe and all over the world, including Africa, are used to examine negotiations and leadership approaches, and their effects on the participatory stakeholder processes. This international review of participatory water governance forms an important resource for academic researchers in hydrology, environmental management and water policy, and also practitioners and policy-makers working in water management.