Framework development for the physical vulnerability assessment index of hand-dug Wells in Are-Ekiti, Southwestern Nigeria.

The article presents a comprehensive framework for assessing the physical vulnerability of hand-dug wells within the Are Community, Southwestern Nigeria. The study spans from March to April 2023 and meticulously examines 90 wells, focusing on critical parameters such as well collar, well cover, and well lining information. The analysis reveals significant variations in well collar construction materials and dimensions, emphasizing the community's adaptive strategies. The Well Collar Height Index (WCi), Well Cover Index (WCOi), Well Lining Index (WLi), and the derived Vulnerability Index categorize wells into vulnerability classes, offering a nuanced understanding of susceptibility levels. Notably, the study identifies wells with Very High vulnerability that demand urgent attention, as well as wells with effective protective measures categorized as Very Low vulnerability. The article emphasizes the need for a nuanced understanding of local practices and materials, highlighting the variability in well collar construction. It discusses the implications of well cover conditions and the critical role of well linings in assessing groundwater vulnerability. The Vulnerability Index combines these parameters, guiding targeted interventions based on risk severity. The study lays the groundwork for future interventions to enhance the safety and sustainability of water sources within the Are Community. It recommends immediate comprehensive measures for highly vulnerable wells, ongoing monitoring, community engagement, and knowledge sharing. The future scope includes incorporating geochemical analysis, targeted interventions, regular maintenance, community training, and exploring alternative water sources for sustainable improvements.

Physico-chemical characterisation of irrigation basin waters and inventory study of their algal communities.

To cope with the water shortage in Sous Massa region of Morocco, agricultural producers in the region have resorted to different types of water supply basins, known as "irrigation basins" but the phenomenon of eutrophication has hindered the continuity of agricultural productivity by altering the quality of the water used for irrigation on the one hand, and causing economic damage to agricultural producers due to the clogging of the water pumping network on the other. We began by characterising the physico-chemical quality of the water to determine the causes of its high nutrient content, then we determined the taxonomy of the algal species in the irrigation basins to which we had access. A qualitative study of the water in the irrigation basins in order to better explain the inventory obtained from the taxonomic identification of the algal biomass collected, which proved the existence of new species, not previously identified, characterising the freshwaters of the Moroccan region, is under the scope of this work. The species studied belong mainly to the following groups: green algae (11 genera of Chlorophyta and 7 genera of Charophyta), blue algae (7 genera of Cyanobacteria), brown algae (7 genera of Diatoms), and one genus of Euglenophyta.

Strategies for integrating scientific evidence in water policy and law in the face of uncertainty.

Understanding how human actions and environmental change affect water resources is crucial for addressing complex water management issues. The scientific tools that can produce the necessary information are ecological indicators, referring to measurable properties of the ecosystem state; environmental monitoring, the data collection process that is required to evaluate the progress towards reaching water management goals; mathematical models, linking human disturbances with the ecosystem state to predict environmental impacts; and scenarios, assisting in long-term management and policy implementation. Paradoxically, despite the rapid generation of data, evolving scientific understanding, and recent advancements in systems modeling, there is a striking imbalance between knowledge production and knowledge utilization in decision-making. In this paper, we examine the role and potential capacity of scientific tools in guiding governmental decision-making processes and identify the most critical disparities between water management, policy, law, and science. We demonstrate how the complex, uncertain, and gradually evolving nature of scientific knowledge might not always fit aptly to the legislative and policy processes and structures. We contend that the solution towards increased understanding of socio-ecological systems and reduced uncertainty lies in strengthening the connections between water management theory and practice, among the scientific tools themselves, among different stakeholders, and among the social, economic, and ecological facets of water quality management, law, and policy. We conclude by tying in three knowledge-exchange strategies, namely - adaptive management, Driver-Pressure-Status-Impact-Response (DPSIR) framework, and participatory modeling - that offer complementary perspectives to bridge the gap between science and policy.

Risk-based public health impact assessment for drinking water contamination emergencies.

Chemical spills in surface waters pose a significant threat to public health and the environment. This study investigates the public health impacts associated with organic chemical spill emergencies and explores timely countermeasures deployable by drinking water facilities. Using a dynamic model of a typical multi-sourced New England drinking water treatment facility and its distribution network, this study assesses the impacts of various countermeasure deployment scenarios, including source switching, enhanced coagulation via poly­aluminum chloride (PACl), addition of powdered activated carbon (PAC), and temporary system shutdown. This study reveals that the deployment of multiple countermeasures yields the most significant reduction in total public health impacts, regardless of the demand and supply availability. With the combination PAC deployed first with other countermeasures proving to be the most effective strategies, followed by the combination of facility shutdowns. By understanding the potential public health impacts and evaluating the effectiveness of countermeasures, authorities can develop proactive plans, secure additional funding, and enhance their capacity to mitigate the consequences of such events. These insights contribute to safeguarding public health and improving the resilience of drinking water systems in the face of the ever-growing threat of chemical spills.

Mammalian Cell Genotoxicity of Potable Reuse and Conventional Drinking Waters.

Potable reuse water is increasingly part of the water supply portfolio for municipalities facing water shortages, and toxicity assays can be useful for evaluating potable reuse water quality. We examined the Chinese hamster ovary cell acute direct genotoxicity of potable reuse waters contributed by disinfection byproducts (DBPs) and anthropogenic contaminants and used the local conventional drinking waters as benchmarks for evaluating potable reuse water quality. Our results showed that treatment trains based on reverse osmosis (RO) were more effective than RO-free treatment trains for reducing the genotoxicity of influent wastewaters. RO-treated reuse waters were less genotoxic than the local tap water derived from surface water, whereas reuse waters not treated by RO were similarly genotoxic as the local drinking waters when frequent replacement of granular activated carbon limited contaminant breakthrough. The genotoxicity contributed by nonvolatile, uncharacterized DBPs and anthropogenic contaminants accounted for ≥73% of the total genotoxicity. The (semi)volatile DBPs of current research interest contributed 2-27% toward the total genotoxicity, with unregulated DBPs being more important genotoxicity drivers than regulated DBPs. Our results underscore the need to look beyond known, (semi)volatile DBPs and the importance of determining whole water toxicity when assessing the quality of disinfected waters.

Assessing the Progress toward a Water-Efficient Economy in the United States from 1985 to 2015.

United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 6 tackles the long-neglected economic dimension of water utilization by monitoring nations' water use efficiency (WUE). However, it is imperative to emphasize the need for consistent spatial-temporal subnational WUE estimates, rather than relying solely on recent national trends, which can obscure crucial water use concerns and improvement opportunities. Here, a time series analysis of national, state, and sectoral (e.g., industrial, service, and agriculture) WUE from 1980 to 2015 was developed by compiling the most comprehensive and disaggregated water and economic data from 3243 US counties and 50 US states. The US total WUE increased by 181% from 16.2 (1985) to 45.6 USD/m3 (2015), driven by service sector WUE enhancements. The increased industry and service WUEs in most states were more strongly correlated with decreased per capita water withdrawal than with economic growth. Simultaneously, reductions in agriculture WUE were observed in 18 states potentially because of the complicated interaction of diverse factors specific to local communities. Expanding WUE gaps between affluent and less affluent states, and persisting WUE gaps between water-abundant andwater-scarce states highlight the need to advance policies to support under-resourced communities in effective water planning and water pricing for advancing equitable development.

Reconciling and contextualising multi-dimensional aspects for consolidated water security index: A synthesis.

The present paper aims to review and develop a Consolidated Water Security Index (CWSI) as a tool to evaluate water security status within river basins by considering five key dimensions, namely (i) water supply and sanitation, (ii) water demand and socio-economic, (iii) water ecosystem and environment, (iv) water-related disaster and (v) water governance. This index is a holistic assessment since it aims to capture the interconnected and complex nature of water-related issues by considering multiple dimensional aspects which helps stakeholders and policymakers to understand the overall status of water security. This framework uses the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP), involving pairwise comparison, normalisation and weighting. Then, a CWSI will be calculated using the Linear Aggregation method. The robustness of this consolidated index is validated using sensitivity analysis by modifying the weight in the linear aggregation formula. By following each step cautiously, a CWSI can be constructed and interpreted correctly, thus, becoming a powerful tool for conveying complex information to the different stakeholders and assessing the status of water security with river basins. The CWSI allows decision-makers to prioritise areas that are most at risk and facilitate sustainable planning and management of water resources.

Groundwater recharge estimation using WetSpass-M and MTBS leveraging from HydroOffice and WHAT tools for baseflow in Weyib watershed, Ethiopia.

WetSpass-M model and multi-technique baseflow separation (MTBS) were applied to estimate spatio-temporal groundwater recharge (GWR) to be used to comprehend and enhance sustainable water resource development in the data-scarce region. Identification of unit Hydrographs And Component flows from Rainfall, Evaporation, and Streamflow (IHACRES) techniques outperform the existing 13 MTBS techniques to separate baseflow depending on the correlation matrix; mean baseflow was 5.128 m3/s. The WetSpass-M model performance evaluated by Nash-Sutcliff Efficiency (NSE) was 0.95 and 0.89; R2 was 0.90 and 0.85 in comparison to observed and simulated mean monthly baseflow and runoff (m3/s), respectively. The estimated mean annual water balance was 608.2 mm for actual evapotranspiration, 221.42 mm for the surface runoff, 87.42 mm for interception rate, and 177.66 mm for GWR, with an error of - 3.29 mm/year. The highest annual actual evapotranspiration was depicted in areas covered by vegetation, whereas lower in the settlement. The peak annual interception rates have been noticed in areas covered with forests and shrublands, whereas the lowest in settlement and bare land. The maximum annual runoff was depicted in settlement and bare land, while the lowest was in forest-covered areas. The annual recharge rates were low in bare land due to high runoff and maximum in forest-covered areas due to low surface runoff. The watershed's downstream areas receive scanty annual rainfall, which causes low recharge and drought. The findings point the way ahead in terms of selecting the best approach across multi-technique baseflow separations.

Study of ecosystem service functions in typical receiving areas of the South-to-North Water Diversion Central Route based on a set of long time series.

Hebi is located in the northern part of China's Henan Province and is a typical receiving area for China's South-to-North Water Diversion Project. The assessment of habitat quality and water yield over a long time series is important for evaluating the stability of ecosystem services in Hebi and other receiving areas and for maintaining ecological security and promoting sustainable development. This paper aims to evaluate and dynamically analyse habitat quality and water yield in Hebi, and analyses the characteristics of changes in spatial and temporal patterns of land cover types, habitat quality and water yield in Hebi over the past 20 years, using 2000, 2005, 2010, 2015 and 2020 as horizontal years. The results indicate that: (1) During the study period, the overall land use type in Hebi City has been constantly changing, with the most significant conversion from arable land to other land types; combined with its landscape pattern index, Hebi City has a general characteristic of significant landscape fragmentation and complexity in land use. (2) Habitat quality in Hebi shows an overall trend towards better development, with water availability decreasing and then increasing; the zoning of ecosystem services in Hebi is divided into three classes: superior, good and general, with the area covered by the superior and general classes expanding year by year. (3) Correlation analysis by SPSS software shows that the correlation between habitat quality and landscape pattern index is greater than the correlation between habitat quality and climate change. Additionally, the correlation between water availability and climate change is greater than the correlation between water availability and landscape pattern index.

Financial inclusion and improved water usage among households in Ghana.

BACKGROUND: In Ghana, about 76% of households are at risk of drinking water polluted with faecal matter, hence, poor sanitation and unsafe water are responsible for 80% of all diseases in the country. Given this, some studies have been carried out concerning the factors that determine access and use of improved water among households in Ghana. However, although financial inclusion can make it easy for households to afford and hence, use improved water, it has received very little attention. This study, thus, examines the effect of financial inclusion on the use of improved water among households in Ghana. METHODS: The Ghana Living Standards Survey round 7 (GLSS7) is used as the data source while the binary logit regression is employed as the main empirical estimation technique. RESULTS: The results show that households with financial inclusion (employing an indicator which has not been disaggregated into formal and informal financial inclusion) have a higher likelihood of using improved water sources relative to those without financial inclusion. The results are robust using formal financial inclusion as well as a combined index of financial inclusion. CONCLUSION: Enhancing financial inclusion, especially formal financial inclusion can be utilised as a major policy instrument towards increasing access and use of improved water sources among households in Ghana.

For the occurrence of PPCPs from source to tap: A novel approach modified in terms of sample preservation and SPE cartridge to monitor PPCPs in our water supply.

BACKGROUND: The ongoing infusion of pharmaceutical and personal care products (PPCPs) into ecosystems sustains a perpetual life cycle and leads to multi-generational exposures. Limited understanding of their environmental impact and their intrinsic ability to induce physiological effect in humans, even at low doses, pose great risks to human health. Few scholarly works have conducted systematic research into the occurrence of PPCPs within potable water systems. Concurrently, the associated monitoring techniques have not been comprehensively examined with regards to the specific nature of drinking water, namely whether the significant presence of disinfectants may influence the detection of PPCPs. RESULTS: A modified approach in terms of detailed investigation of sample preservation and optimization of an in-lab fabricated solid phase extraction (SPE) cartridge filled with DVB-VP and PS-DVB sorbent was proposed. Favorable methodological parameters were achieved, with correlation coefficients spanning from 0.9866 to 0.9998. The LODs of the PPCPs fluctuated from 0.001 to 2 µg L-1, while the LOQs varied from 0.002 to 5 µg L-1. The analysis of spiked samples disclosed a methodological precision of 2.31-9.86 % and a recovery of 52.4-119 %. We utilized the established method for analyzing 14 water samples of three categories (source water, finished water and tap water) from five centralized water supply plants. A total of 24 categories encompassing 72 PPCPs were detected, with the concentrations of PPCPs manifested a marked decrease from source water to finished water and finally to tap water. SIGNIFICANCE: Our research meticulously examined the enhancement and purification effects of widely used commercial SPE cartridges and suggested the use of in-lab fabricated SPE cartridges packed with DVB-VP and PS-DVB adsorbents. We also conducted a systematic evaluation of the need to incorporate ascorbic acid and sodium thiosulfate as preservatives for PPCP measurement, in consideration of the unique characteristics of drinking water matrices, specifically, the significant concentration levels of disinfectants. Furthermore, the proposed method was effectively employed to study the presence of PPCPs in source water, finished water, and tap water collected from centralized water supply plants.

Human health risk of nitrate in groundwater of Tehran-Karaj plain, Iran.

Groundwater pollution by nitrate has is a major concern in the Tehran-Karaj aquifer, Iran, where the wells provide up to 80% of the water supply for a population of more than 18 million-yet detailed human health risks associated with nitrate are unknown due to the lack of accessible data to adequately cover the aquifer in both place and time. Here, using a rich dataset measured annually in more than 75 wells, we mapped the non-carcinogenic risk of nitrate in the aquifer between 2007 and 2018, a window with the most extensive anthropogenic activities in this region. Nitrate concentration varied from ~ 6 to ~ 150 mg/L, around three times greater than the standard level for drinking use, i.e. 50 mg/L. Samples with a non-carcinogenic risk of nitrate, which mainly located in the eastern parts of the study region, threatened children's health, the most vulnerable age group, in almost all of the years during the study period. Our findings revealed that the number of samples with a positive risk of nitrate for adults decreased in the aquifer from 2007 (17 wells) to 2018 (6 wells). Although we hypothesized that unsustainable agricultural practices, the growing population, and increased industrial activities could have increased the nitrate level in the Tehran-Karaj aquifer, improved sanitation infrastructures helped to prevent the intensification of nitrate pollution in the aquifer during the study period. Our compilation of annually mapped non-carcinogenic risks of nitrate is beneficial for local authorities to understand the high-risk zones in the aquifer and for the formulation of policy actions to protect the human health of people who use groundwater for drinking and other purposes in this densely populated region.

Management zones in transboundary aquifers: A review of delineation methods under a new framework of cross-border groundwater impacts.

Attention on the use of transboundary aquifers (TBAs) and their cross-border impacts is growing as countries become increasingly concerned about their long-term water security. Cross-border impacts, in groundwater quality and quantity, tend to concentrate in specific parts of TBAs, as they largely depend on the transboundary flow dynamics where anthropogenic actions operate. Thus, there is a growing consensus that strategies intended to prevent or mitigate such impacts should be implemented in strategic zones rather than in the whole TBA. These transboundary groundwater management zones (TGMZs) are relatively recent but have become a prominent topic in TBA management. However, until now, limited effort has been put into exploring the concept of TGMZs and the methods for their delineation. This research aims to fill these gaps and provide a basis for the delineation of TGMZs, thus helping neighbouring countries meet international responsibilities regarding the right to use and enjoy groundwater in TBAs. By reviewing academic and grey literature accessible from public sources, we present an overview of the concept and terminology of TGMZs, the approaches proposed for their delineation, and current operating examples. Additionally, we build a conceptual framework for assessing cross-border groundwater impacts by identifying their typologies and causal factors. We then apply our framework to evaluate and compare three reported methods which identify and delineate TGMZs from distinct perspectives, thereby gaining insights into their principles, performances, and limitations. Finally, we provide recommendations for further research towards optimising methods for delineating TGMZs.

Responses of streamflow to forest expansion in a typical subhumid watershed under future climate conditions.

Water availability in the subhumid region is highly vulnerable to frequent droughts. Water scarcity in this region has become a limiting factor for ecosystem health, human livelihood, and regional economic development. A notable pattern of land cover change in the subhumid region of the United States is the increasing forest area due to afforestation/reforestation and woody plant encroachment (WPE). Given the distinct hydrological processes and runoff generation between forests and grasslands, it is important to evaluate the impacts of forest expansion on water resources, especially under future climate conditions. In this study, we focused on a typical subhumid watershed in the United States - the Little River Watershed (LRW). Utilizing SWAT + simulations, we projected streamflow dynamics at the end of the 21st century in two climate scenarios (RCP45 and RCP85) and eleven forest expansion scenarios. In comparison to the period of 2000-2019, future climate change during 2080-2099 will increase streamflow in the Little River by 5.1% in the RCP45 but reduce streamflow significantly by 30.1% in the RCP85. Additionally, our simulations revealed a linear decline in streamflow with increasing forest coverage. If all grasslands in LRW were converted into forests, it would lead to an additional 41% reduction in streamflow. Of significant concern is Lake Thunderbird, the primary reservoir supplying drinking water to the Oklahoma City metropolitan area. Our simulation showed that if all grasslands were replaced by forests, Lake Thunderbird during 2080-2099 would experience an average of 8.6 years in the RCP45 and 9.4 years in the RCP85 with water inflow amount lower than that during the extreme drought event in 2011/2012. These findings hold crucial implications for the formulation of policies related to afforestation/reforestation and WPE management in subhumid regions, which is essential to ensuring the sustainability of water resources.

Irrigation intelligence-enabling a cloud-based Internet of Things approach for enhanced water management in agriculture.

Advanced sensor technology, especially those that incorporate artificial intelligence (AI), has been recognized as increasingly important in various contemporary applications, including navigation, automation, water under imaging, environmental monitoring, and robotics. Data-driven decision-making and higher efficiency have enabled more excellent infrastructure thanks to integrating AI with sensors. The agricultural sector is one such area that has seen significant promise from this technology using the Internet of Things (IoT) capabilities. This paper describes an intelligent system for monitoring and analyzing agricultural environmental conditions, including weather, soil, and crop health, that uses internet-connected sensors and equipment. This work makes two significant contributions. It first makes it possible to use sensors linked to the IoT to accurately monitor the environment remotely. Gathering and analyzing data over time may give us valuable insights into daily fluctuations and long-term patterns. The second benefit of AI integration is the remote control; it provides for essential activities like irrigation, pest management, and disease detection. The technology can optimize water usage by tracking plant development and health and adjusting watering schedules accordingly. Intelligent Control Systems (Matlab/Simulink Ver. 2022b) use a hybrid controller that combines fuzzy logic with standard PID control to get high-efficiency performance from water pumps. In addition to monitoring crops, smart cameras allow farmers to make real-time adjustments based on soil moisture and plant needs. Potentially revolutionizing contemporary agriculture, this revolutionary approach might boost production, sustainability, and efficiency.

Natural hazard risk analysis in the framework of water safety plans.

The available literature on natural hazard risk analysis focused on the implementation of water safety plans (WSPs) is surprisingly quite poor, despite the significant increase in the number and severity of disasters and adverse effects on drinking water supply systems generated by natural hazards. At the same time, WSPs that conveniently account for natural hazards with a comprehensive approach 'from source to tap' are still scarce as they typically occur at larger spatial scales and adequate prevention, mitigation and adaptation require efficient inter-institutional collaborations. The aim of this paper is to highlight the main bottlenecks for water utilities to include natural hazards in the development of their WSPs. The research adopted a stakeholders-oriented approach, involving a considerable number of water utilities (168), water sectoral agencies (15) and institutions (68) across the Adriatic-Ionian Region through a stepwise process that generated joint SWOT analysis, the development of a decision support system (DSS) focused on WSPs procedures and tabletop exercises. The final outcomes generated strategic documents (REWAS - Adrion Road map for resilient water supply) that highlighted the necessity for efficient cross-sectoral and inter-institutional cooperation in the development of well-founded and robust WSPs to address natural hazard risk analysis for water supply systems (DWSS).

Occurrence and concentrations of traditional and emerging contaminants in onsite wastewater systems and water supply wells in eastern North Carolina, USA.

Onsite wastewater treatment systems (OWTSs) and private wells are commonly used in Eastern North Carolina, USA. Water from private wells is not required to be tested after the initial startup, and thus persons using these wells may experience negative health outcomes if their water is contaminated with waste-related pollutants including bacteria, nitrate or synthetic chemicals such as hexafluoropropylne oxide dimer acid and its ammonium salt (GenX). Water samples from 18 sites with OWTSs and groundwater wells were collected for nitrate, Escherichia coli (E. coli), total coliform, and GenX concentration analyses. Results showed that none of the 18 water supplies were positive for E. coli, nitrate concentrations were all below the maximum contaminant level of 10 mg L-1, and one well had 1 MPN 100 mL-1 of total coliform. However, GenX was detected in wastewater collected from all 18 septic tanks and 22% of the water supplies tested had concentrations that exceeded the health advisory levels for GenX. Water supplies with low concentrations of traditionally tested for pollutants (nitrate, E. coli) may still pose health risks due to elevated concentrations of emerging contaminants like GenX and thus more comprehensive and routine water testing is suggested for this and similar persistent compounds.

Risk factors for Cryptosporidium contamination in Minnesota public supply wells.

In a recent monitoring study of Minnesota's public supply wells, Cryptosporidium was commonly detected with 40% of the wells having at least one detection. Risk factors for Cryptosporidium occurrence in drinking water supply wells, beyond surface water influence, remain poorly understood. To address this gap, physical and chemical factors were assessed as potential predictors of Cryptosporidium occurrence in 135 public supply wells in Minnesota. Univariable analysis, regression techniques, and classification trees were used to analyze the data. Many variables were identified as significant risk factors in univariable analysis and several remained significant throughout the succeeding analysis techniques. These factors fell into general categories of well use and construction, aquifer characteristics, and connectedness to the land surface, well capture zones, and land use therein, existence of potential contaminant sources within 200-feet of the well, and variability in the chemical and isotopic parameters measured during the study. These risk categories, and the specific variables and threshold values we have identified, can help guide future research on factors influencing Cryptosporidium contamination of wells and can be used by environmental health programs to develop risk-based sampling plans and design interventions that reduce associated health risks.