IWRA Executive Office

OS3d Climate change: Planning, adaptation and mitigation

abstract 415

New solutions for water supply management in a climate change context

Author(s): Guillaume Arama, Magali Dechesne, Christelle Pagotto
Guillaume ARAMA Veolia Water, 36-38 Avenue Kléber, 75799 Paris CEDEX 16, Tel: + 33 (0)1 71 75 14 39, Fax: + 33 (0)1 71 75 05 08, Email: guillaume.arama@veolia.com Guillaume Arama holds a M.A. from the Paris Political Sciences Institute (IEP Paris, Scien

Keyword(s): water management, climate change, integrated water cycle management, water portfolio management

Article:

Poster:

Session: OS3d Climate change: Planning, adaptation and mitigation

AbstractIn the near future, drinking water services may undergo many changes

(water scarcity, contamination peaks, growing water demand) and it is the role of water utilities to anticipate new

water schemes and develop tools to secure drinking water production. The paper will discuss water portfolio

management, the concept of managing multiple water resources from storm water to seawater and present the

different modelling approaches developed by Veolia R&D as climate change adaptation solutions.

One of the

most significant developments in water management in recent years has been the increasing focus on integrated water

supply planning, including water recycling and demand management. This allows different sources of water to be

compared side-by-side with traditional infrastructure solutions. Recognition of the full water cycle means that often-

overlooked options, such as wastewater reuse, are given equal opportunity to be assessed on their merits. This

advance blurs the traditional boundaries between the supply of water, wastewater and stormwater services to

provide what is termed ‘integrated water cycle management’ or water portfolio management as a climate change

adaptation solution.

In this context, water utilities need management tools to anticipate new situations in water

resources availability and to secure drinking water production. Veolia has engaged different research programs on

the following tools:

- Decision support
A first set of tools consists of identifying the best solutions in water

resource supply at the local scale by putting into balance traditional resources (surface water, groundwater) and

alternative resources (treated waste water reuse, storm water reuse, aquifer recharge, desalination). Firstly, the

methodological tool Appr’eau guides the user in characterizing the local context (water policy, resource availability,

demand) and the possibility to implement alternative solutions. The second tool is the scenario simulator that models

water transfers between water supply systems to re-allocate volumes. A GIS interface helps the user in visualising

transfers.

- Resource management
Multiple and interconnected water resources are complex systems that

are very effective for dealing with drinking water production, especially when water quantity and/or quality limitations

occur. However, ensuring water supply and water production balance may sometimes be difficult. A quantitative

management tool was developed to manage year round production based on "what if" scenarios.

- Prediction

Global models are largely investigated but there is a lack of local scale modelling of water resources quantitative

evolution. Such models are being looked into to predict where and when water scarcity may become a real problem

for drinking water production.

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New solutions for water supply management in a climate change context