LCA-based tool on potable water supply and further inputs for the LCA of water use

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1 35 th Discussion Forum «Assessment of Water Use within LCA» ETH Zürich, 05/06/08 LCA-based tool on potable water supply and further inputs for the LCA of water use François Vince Veolia Environnement R&D

2 LCA purposes for Veolia Environnement Veolia Environnement providing environmental services for: Potable water supply and wastewater management Waste management Energy management and efficiency Public transportation Environmental Department within Veolia R&D Evaluate the impacts of our activities Compare feasible process options Propose measures for impact mitigation Build an expertise on LCA, biomonitoring, ERE

3 Potable water supply system Water treatment Electricity Electricity, chemicals Electricity, chemicals Electricity, heat chemicals, spare parts Electricity, chemicals Electricity Raw water in water resource Intake pumping Clarification Filtration Advanced treatment processes Disinfection Distribution Potable water delivered to users Liquid effluents Electricity Liquid effluents Sludge treatment Liquid effluents

4 LCA-based tool for potable water supply Functional unit: 1 m 3 of potable water supplied to consumers Parameterized LCI approach Decomposition of the supply system into process units Modeling of process units LCI as a function of water quality parameters Clarification Coagulation Flocculation Settling/ Decantation Flotation Chemical treatment steps PAC injection Remineralization Neutralization Filtration Membrane treatment steps Sand filter Prefiltration GAC filter Microfiltration Dual filter Ultrafiltration Nanofiltration Reverse Osmosis Thermal distillation Other treatment steps Multi-stage Flash Electrodialysis Water Multi-effects treatment steps Biological treatment MVC Ion exchange Disinfection / Oxidation Ozonation UV radiation Chlorination Water transfer Intake pumping Potable water distribution

5 Potable water supply from groundwater GHG emissions in kg CO2-eq/m3 0,4 Plant construction Electricity supply UCTE grid mix 0,3 Liquid discharge Disinfectant production LCIA method IMPACT ,2 Activated carbone production Ozone production Coagulant production 0,1 Electricity production for w ater treatment 0 Global w arming Electricity production for intake pumping and distribution

6 Potable water supply from groundwater Damage on human ecosystem health in in PDF.m2.yr DALY 5,0E-07 0,07 0,06 4,0E-07 0,05 3,0E-07 0,04 2,0E-07 0,03 0,02 1,0E-07 0,01 0,0E+00 0 Ionizing radiations Aquatic ecotoxicity Ozone layer depletion Aquatic acidification Photochemical oxidation Aquatic eutrophication Respiratory effects Terrestrial nutrification Human toxicity Terrestrial ecotoxicity Plant construction Plant construction Liquid discharge Liquid discharge Disinfectant Disinfectant production production Activated carbone production Activated carbone production Ozone production Ozone production Coagulant production Coagulant production Electricity production for w ater Electricity production for treatment w ater treatment Electricity production for intake pumping Electricity and distribution production for intake pumping and distribution

7 Potable water supply from seawater Desalination process Reverse Osmosis membranes Electricity supply UCTE grid mix GHG emissions in kg CO2-eq/m3 2,5 2 1,5 Plant construction and RO membrane renew al Liquid discharge Sodium hydroxide and calcium chloride production Sulfuric acid production LCIA method IMPACT ,5 Coagulant production Electricity production for w ater treatment 0 Global w arming Electricity production for intake pumping and distribution

8 Life-cycle water withdrawals Water treatment conversion rate Direct water withdrawal Indirect water withdrawal Potable water supply using in % in m 3 of raw water / m 3 of potable water in m 3 of raw water / m 3 of potable water Groundwater treatment using conventional treatment 90% 1,1 0,01 Surface water using UF treatment 85% 1,2 0,01 LQ surface water / WWTP effluent using NF treatment 76% 1,3 0,02 Brackish water using BWRO desalination 70% 1,5 0,03 Seawater using SWRO desalination 38% 2,6 0,11 Seawater using Multi-effect evaporation (MEE) 35% 2,8 0,25 Seawater using Multi-stage flash distillation (MSF) 35% 2,8 0, km water transfer by gravity from groundwater resources 300 km water transfer by gravity from groundwater resources - - 0, ,08

9 Supply scenarios comparison 100% Damages represented as a fraction of the highest damage (in %) 80% 60% 40% 20% 0% Climate change Damage to human health Damage to ecosystems Distant groundwater treatment and 50 km import Local WWTP effluent reclamation Local BWRO desalination Local SWRO desalination Resource depletion

10 Sensitivity analysis on import distance 150% Damages represented as a fraction of the reference SWRO damage (in %) 100% 50% 0% Climate change Damage to human health Damage to ecosystem Resource depletion Local SWRO desalination Treatment and 80 km transfer Treatment and 300 km transfer Local groundwater treatment Treatment and 200 km transfer Treatment and 400 km transfer

11 Break-even distance Break even transfer distance Break-even pumping height Alternative supply from Import solution Trucks Freight trains Boats Pumping by gravity Pumping WWTP effluent using NF treatment 3 km 15 km 60 km 60 km 180 m Brackish water using BWRO desalination 5 km 25 km 80 km 80 km 240 m Seawater using SWRO desalination 14 km 60 km 400 km 400 km 1200 m Seawater using MEE desalination 30 km 130 km 900 km 900 km 2500 m Seawater using MSF desalination 60 km 260 km 1800 km 1800 km 5000 m

12 Impact mitigation for seawater desalination GHG emissions of the potable water supply system in kg CO 2 -eq/m 3 of potable water 2,5 2, ,5 1, ,5 0,5 0 Electricity supply from wind turbine 0 UCTE electricity production mix Electricity production for intake and distribution Coagulant production Calcium chloride, sodium hydroxide production Liquid dicharge Membrane renewal Electricity production for water treatment Ozone production Antiscalant and sodium hypochlorite production Plant and piping network construction

13 Accounting for water use within LCA Critical need for the activities of Veolia Environnement: Water services Potable water supply Wastewater treatment Water cycle management Energy services Biofuels production Biomass cogeneration

14 Contributions to the LCA of water use Typology of LCI flows characterizing human water use Key water quality parameters Treatment differential between two water quality levels (e.g. energy surplus) Detailed LCI for backup scenarios on water related activities Potable/industrial water supply systems Wastewater treatment Water transfer schemes Support for LCIA method development Co-financing of CIRAIG UNEP/SETAC LCI Initiative Application on a industrial case study

15 Conclusions LCA practitioners need a standardized metric accounting for water use To be compared with economic costs To be compared with other environmental impacts (e.g. climate change) To communicate with public stakeholders Veolia Environnement is willing to contribute by sharing its knowledge on: Water cycle management Potable water and waste water treatment processes François Vince Veolia Environnement Recherche et Innovation Direction de l Environnement Centre de recherche sur l Eau francois.vince@veolia.com +33 (0)

Life Cycle Assessment of Three Water Scenarios: Importation, Reclamation, and Desalination

Life Cycle Assessment of Three Water Scenarios: Importation, Reclamation, and Desalination Erin Lyons, Peng Zhang, Troy Benn, Miles Costanza, Ke Li, John Crittenden Department of Civil and Environmental