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A protocol for responding to Legionella pneumophila detections in distribution system samples is presented and justified. The protocol was developed using existing protocols for building water systems, vetted in workshops, and provided to utilities participating in a research project. The protocol provides action levels and actions that utilities can take when L. pneumophila is detected in distribution system samples. Action levels are based on the best available science and expert judgment and are similar to those in protocols for assessing building water system monitoring results. Action levels should be reassessed as additional data and knowledge on the occurrence and growth potential of L. pneumophila in distribution systems become available. All positive detections trigger assessments that focus first on conditions local to the sample location and then extend further into the distribution system. Higher concentration or more frequent detections initiate more assertive responses and communication than lower concentration and frequency detections. The protocol provides a starting point for the development of protocols for purposes such as L. pneumophila operational surveillance or within an outbreak investigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Safety and purity of drinking and cooking water sources in rural and riverine communities like Okerenkoko have posed a challenge for scientific discuss in recent times. Water devoid of both chemical and microbiological contaminants have been identified as a major key to wellness of any populace. In this study, eight potable water sources were obtained and evaluated for the study; the potable water sources obtained were treated to a 10-fold serial dilution and plated for aerobic bacterial, fungal, Salmonella-Shigella and Escherichia coli count. The antibiotics sensitivity testing employed the modified Kirby- Bauer method using the Abtek biological multiple disc. The multiple drug resistance was mathematically deduced using the standards and breakpoints. The NMU and George borehole had 5.8 Log10CFU/ml and 5.4 Log10CFU/ml for the total aerobic bacterial count while the total fungal count were 3.1 Log10CFU/ml and 3.6 Log10CFU/ml respectively. The culturable flora observed during the study were Bacillus sp, Escherichia sp., Staphylococcus sp., Streptococcus sp., Shigella sp., Proteus sp., Pseudomonas sp., Klebsiella sp., Vibrio sp. Micrococcus sp. and Escherichia coli. The percentage resistance for the antibiotics revealed cefuroxime and ceftazidime had 64%, while nitrofurantoin had 71% and ofloxacin had 36%. Proteus sp. (1) had an MDR of 1.0, Klebsiella sp. (3) had 0.67 while Salmonella sp. and Escherichia coli had a MDR of 0.22 and 0.11. The findings of the study underscores the health challenges associated with the usage of the available potable water sources in Okerenkoko community. There is need for a community-wide campaign and sensitization on some basic water purification approaches as possible corrective actions to improve the quality of water; government must intervene and provide a routine and robust evaluation for both water safety and sanitary quality in rural communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The world water crisis is manifest through 'Too Much, Too Little and Too Dirty' water at multiple scales from the local to the global. Understanding the key drivers and consequences of this water crisis, and who bears the biggest costs, is necessary to develop appropriate responses, at scale and over time. Using four framings: one, water stocks and limits; two, water rights and responsibilities; three, water values and prices; and four, green and grey water infrastructure, we review the challenges and possible responses. Using a water justice lens, we highlight the transitional and transformational pathways towards a safer and more just water future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Learning to swim in a swimming pool might not prepare water competence sufficiently for different aquatic environments. The aim of this study was to assess the effectiveness of teaching children water safety knowledge and skills in open water environments (i.e., harbor, river, and surf). The aquatic knowledge and skills of 98 children (7-11 years old) were tested in a swimming pool before, immediately after, and three months after receiving a three-day intensive education program. At pre-test, typically fewer than 50% of children achieved a high level of water safety competence. After the program, competency in each of the six tasks assessed had increased with up to 80% of participants completing the tasks unassisted. Three-month retention of these skills was generally high (i.e., competency levels were either maintained or improved). A key challenge for future research will be to untangle the influences of maturation, order effects, and the open water education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tap water's availability, accessibility, and biological safety do not automatically translate into social acceptance. Most Americans no longer drink water directly from the tap but rely on either filters or bottled water. As demonstrated by fieldwork among New York City water‐filter users, filters have the power to restore tap water's acceptability, making this an interesting site to examine the imagined qualities of water and the technopolitics of filtration. Such an examination allows the ethnographic gaze to attend to both the monumental and mundane operations of infrastructures. Unlike other mediating technologies, water filters have a salient catch‐all quality, one that allows filters in the US to participate in a plurality of hydrosocial situations. They furthermore mediate multiple worries and projects around tap water, and they give a semblance of control to users equipped with diverse understandings of how filters function. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents guiding principles on the application of water competence tasks to prevent drowning. Topics discussed include the concept of water competence and representation in water safety education, the use of the principles to help participants interpret, improve and implement practical ways for aquatic practitioners' drowning prevention strategies, and the dynamic constraints model on water competence.

Successfully implementing water safety plans (WSPs) in small, municipal drinking water systems is understudied in affluent jurisdictions where WSPs are not required by regulations. We piloted a computer‐based risk assessment survey in eight municipal water systems in Nova Scotia, Canada to evaluate the benefits and challenges of implementing risk assessment strategies in non‐WSP jurisdictions. Semi‐structured interviews were conducted with water operators and managers to gather feedback on the risk assessment survey and process. Results indicated difficulties quantifying risk despite streamlining the risk identification process, resulting in key informants viewing the risk assessment as strictly diagnostic and unlikely to be integrated into operational practice if not required. We identified a need to shift water system culture from a regulatory‐based to a knowledge‐based mindset for successful risk assessment implementation. Clear lines of communication, increased understanding of risk, and commitment to improvement are critical to shifting water system culture toward a risk‐based water quality management approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: According to the World Health Organization, the objectives of a water safety plan are to ensure safe drinking water through good water supply practices. Objective: The objective of the study was to assess physical, chemical, and bacteriological water quality parameters among water samples from urban Vadodara. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out at urban Vadodara city. Average three water tanks were selected from north, south, east, and west zone randomly; hence, water sample from 12 water tanks was tested. From the areas supplied by these 12 selected water tanks, two water samples each, one from near tank area, and another from outer limit of water supply were collected from household level for water quality analysis to confirm variation in quality if any. Thus, total 38 samples (12 water tank samples, 24 household water, and 2 from main water supply reservoir) samples were tested for color, odor, total dissolved solids (TDS), total suspended solids (TSS), calcium and total hardness, fluoride, hydrogen sulphide (H2S) strip test, and multiple tube method (maximum coliform and maximum fecal coliform). Analysis was done using MedCalc software. Results: H2S Strip test was negative in all the water tanks. There was no single coliform in any water tanks. There was no Fecal Coliform in any water tanks. No objectionable color or odor was found in any sample. TDS of water was found to be normal except for one area. The fluoride levels were normal in 3 areas, while it was marginally higher in the rest of areas. Conclusions: Drinking water available to the people of Vadodara supplied by the Vadodara municipal corporation was bacteriologically safe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An editorial is presented on the innovative policy measures in order to make progress towards a more sustainable water management in the Global South. Topics discussed include how far individual access to safe water could be achieved in rural Tunisia purely based on the contributions of water consumers; the role of the off-grid water vendors in efficiently supplying water to poor households in more remote areas; and the factors affecting farmers' decision to sell water in Assam, India.

In sub-Saharan Africa, over half of the population is exposed to contaminated drinking water. The WHO recommends both sanitary inspection and water quality analysis to assess the risk of water source contamination, but the relationship between these tools is poorly understood. We explore the relationship between sanitary inspection and water quality analysis using data from 1028 boreholes with handpumps in 12 countries in sub-Saharan Africa. Sanitary inspection scores and E. coli occurrence were compared using the models described in published literature, and an alternative model that better reflects causal pathways of contamination. In the alternative model, sanitary risk factors were categorized as contamination sources, carriers, or barrier breakdowns, and the relationships between risk factor combinations and E. coli occurrence were assessed. We found no associations between sanitary risk score and E. coli occurrence using either the established or alternative model. These results confirm that sanitary inspections and microbial analyses convey distinct information, and perfect correlation is neither expected nor desired. The alternative model demonstrated a slightly better model fit than most established models, and the model fit further improved when the occurrence of rainfall in the past two days was added as a carrier. We recommend that: implementers train water system operators to conduct sanitary inspection; and researchers work to improve our understanding of the effect of individual sanitary risk factors, as well as incorporate contextual data into their assessments of sanitary inspection and water quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Drowning remains the third leading cause of unintentional injury death for adolescents in the United States. Aims: This study described adolescent swimming lessons, behaviors (life jacket wear while boating) and comfort (swimming in deep water) and their association with protective and risk factors and risk-taking behaviors reported by Washington State students in Grades 8, 10, 12, primarily comprised of youth ages 13 to 18 years. Methods: This study used the 2014 Washington State Healthy Youth Survey (HYS), a publicly available dataset. Results: Most students reported having had swimming lessons, using life jackets, and comfort in deep water. Differences reflected racial, ethnic and socioeconomic disparities: being White or Caucasian, speaking English at home and higher maternal education. Lowest rates of comfort in deep water were among Hispanics or Latino/Latinas followed by Blacks or African Americans. Greater life jacket wear while boating was reported by females, those in lower grades and negatively associated with alcohol consumption, sexual activity and texting while driving. Having had swimming lessons was associated with fewer risk-taking behaviors. Conclusions: The HYS was useful to benchmark and identify factors associated with drowning risk among adolescents. It suggests a need to reframe approaches to promote water safety to adolescents and their families. Multivariate analysis of this data could identify the key determinants amongst the racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic disparities noted and provide stronger estimation of risk-taking and protective behaviors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Indigenous women in North America have traditionally had reciprocal relationships with and responsibilities to the Earth. The process of colonization violently transformed both the treatment of the Earth and of Indigenous women. Current environmental crises highlight not only the vulnerability of Indigenous women, but also their long-standing leadership in resisting environmental injustices affecting their families, relationships, and nations. In this article, authors focus on the resistance of Dakota water protectors with the #NoDAPL movement in the United States and Anishinaabe water protectors in Mother Earth Water Walks in Canada. Recommendations for social workers in supporting Indigenous women in a thoughtful and effective way include incorporating a definition of a "social" response to more-than-human world relationships and responsibilities, supporting direct action as a necessary social response to environmental issues, and acting in solidarity with Indigenous women in these movements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The potential for injury exists during the execution of a competitive swim start if an athlete contacts the pool bottom. The aim of the study was to provide vertical head velocities (VHV) at predetermined water depths when competitive swim-mers perform worst-case scenario swim starts. A total of 22 swimmers performed starts from a standard starting block into a diving well with a water depth of 3.66 m. The starts were considered worst-case scenarios because the swimmers were asked to modify their typical start trajectory by traveling directly toward the pooi bottom. VHV was 3.67 ± 0.66 ms-1 at a water depth of 1.0 m and decreased to 1.67 ± 0.62 ms' at a depth of 2.50 m. VHV was correlated (p < .05) with height and mass at the seven different depths evaluated. The potential for injury during worst-case starts existed at all depths measured. In terms of risk management for injury potential, there seems to be modest additional benefit to increasing entry water depth from 1.75 m to 2.50 m as more than one third of swimmers would still have a 15% risk of catastrophic neck injury should an impact occur at 1.75 m water depth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Legislation dealing with lifeguards can have a major impact on all aspects of aquatic safety, including employers and employees, certifying organizations, local authorities, and swimmers. The purpose of the present paper was to critically evaluate legislation in Greece related to lifeguarding. Results show that although lifeguarding is mandatory by law, changes need to be made to focus on training and examination standards, the name and meaning of the lifeguard qualification, and the establishment and operation of lifeguard agencies and aquatic facilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Brackish water (BW) desalination represents an untapped potential for augmenting water resources by the reliable technology of reverse osmosis (RO). There is a significant economic incentive to operate the process at the highest possible water recovery. A high recovery has the important advantage of reducing the amount of concentrate waste stream whose safe disposal is of significant environmental concerns. The degree of RO water recovery possible with a given raw water is dictated by the scaling problem. To overcome this hindrance, a variety of processes have been developed for conditioning the concentrate emanating from the primary RO unit for additional permeate production by a secondary RO unit. This paper provides a critical review of the treatment technologies that enable intensification of the water recovery in BWRO desalination by the intermediate concentrate demineralization techniques. The principles of each technique as well as its strength, weaknesses, technology readiness level, and economics are discussed. Extensive application of ICD technologies requires overcoming challenges such as lowering energy demand and total cost and reducing membrane scaling and use of chemicals. • Current and emerging intermediate concentrate demineralization (ICD) technologies are reviewed. • High recovery BW desalination is achieved by applying ICD technologies between consecutive RO stages. • Selection of ICD technology depends on water quality, treatment capacity and costs. • Challenges and future perspectives of these ICD technologies are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

What might it take for politically marginalized residents to challenge cuts in public spending that threaten to harm their health and wellbeing? Specifically, how did residents of Flint, Michigan contribute to the decision of an austerity regime, which was not accountable to them, to spend millions to switch to a safe water source? Relying on evidence from key interviews and newspaper accounts, we examine the influence and limitations of residents and grassroots groups during the 18-month period between April 2014 and October 2015 when the city drew its water from the Flint River. We find that citizen complaints alone were not sufficiently able to convince city officials or national media of widespread illness caused by the water. However, their efforts resulted in partnerships with researchers whose evidence bolstered their claims, thus inspiring a large contribution from a local foundation to support the switch to a clean water source. Thus, before the crisis gained national media attention, and despite significant constraints, residents' sustained organization—coupled with scientific evidence that credentialed local claims—motivated the return to the Detroit water system. The Flint case suggests that residents seeking redress under severe austerity conditions may require partnerships with external scientific elites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • Landscape architects are boundary spanners in integrated flood risk management. • To cross boundaries, both cognitive and social capacities are required. • Successful role types are organisational expert/task coordinator. • To shape their role, landscape architects need socio-political sensitivity. • Organisational support and a dynamic project environment are crucial conditions. Abstract In many Western countries, flood policy is transitioning from a focus on technical flood defence measures towards more holistic and integrated flood risk management approaches. In this article, we explore the boundary spanning role of landscape architects in integrated flood risk management projects. The central research question is: what are the boundary spanning activities and roles that landscape architects perform and which factors are conditional to these activities? We have studied the boundary spanning behaviour of landscape architects in the Dutch 'Room for the River' programme. This programme had a dual objective of improving simultaneously the water safety and the spatial quality of the Dutch riverine areas. We conducted a comparative, in-depth case study of three 'Room for the River' projects, and investigated conditions that stimulated or frustrated the work of landscape architects in establishing safe solutions with spatial quality. We found that the landscape architects involved in these projects played various boundary spanning roles. We conclude that, depending on the conditional factors, their roles ranged from more traditional content-oriented domain expert/scout to the more innovative organisational expert/task coordinator. For successful boundary spanning, although cognitive capacities (e.g., knowledge about landscape) are important, landscape architects also need to have the appropriate social capacities (e.g., social-emotional competences, networking skills). That is, the work of the landscape architects essentially includes drawing lines that sketch the contours of future landscapes; but to do so, they must also cross the lines between the various actors, organizations, and disciplines involved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graphical abstract Abstract Waterborne health issues continue to grow despite the large number of available solutions. Current sterilization techniques to fight with waterborne diseases struggle to meet the demands on cost, efficiency and reach. Effective alternatives are pressingly required. Here we introduce Prussian blue coated ferroferric oxide (Fe 3 O 4 @PB) composites for water sterilization. The composites exhibit superior photothermal inactivation of bacteria under solar-light irradiation, with nearly complete inactivation of bacterial cells in only 15 min. Even for the mixed bacteria in authentic water matrices, the composites show excellent bacterial inactivation performance. Moreover, the highly magnetized iron core of the Fe 3 O 4 @PB enables magnetic separation and recycling. Multiple cycle runs reveal that Fe 3 O 4 @PB composites have exceptional stability and reusability. This work demonstrates a scalable, low-cost, high-efficiency and reusable sterilization method to improve water quality and safety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Arsenic contamination has threatened water safety due to its high toxicity and carcinogenicity. Therefore, it is urgent and significant to develop simple and effective approach for dearsenification of drinking water. In present study, Zn/Ce bimetallic oxide particles of various atomic ratios were synthesized by sol-gel process and were applied for adsorption of arsenite from aqueous solutions. The Zn/Ce bimetallic oxide of atomic ratio Zn 0.2 :Ce 0.05 shows better adsorption proficiency in comparison to their monometallic counterparts as well as synthesized bimetal oxides of other atomic ratios. Sorption behavior of arsenite on Zn/Ce bimetal oxide was investigated through batch experiments and optimum conditions were found to be pH = 7.5, adsorbent dose = 0.36 g/L, and contact time = 30 min. The arsenite adsorption data was explained by Langmuir isotherm model and maximum adsorption capacity found to reaching 88.49 mg/g at 318 K. Adsorption mechanism was interpreted using FTIR and XPS data, the former suggesting formation of bond between As(III) Zn/Ce oxide nanoparticles while, latter reveals presence of both As(III) and As(V) peak which further infer that some fraction of As(III) may be get oxidized to As(V) by O 2 based on Ce3+ as electron mediation agent between As(III) and O 2. Graphical abstract Image Highlights • Feasibility of Zn/Ce bimetal oxides for adsorption of arsenite ions was investigated for the first time. • Sorption process governed by film diffusion mechanism. • Physisorption plays key role in sorption of arsenite species. • Maximum adsorption capacity was found to be 88.49 mg/g at 318 K. • Adsorbent shows high dearsenification potential for groundwater. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Non-indigenous zooplankton species pose a biosecurity threat to New Zealand's freshwater native taxa. Nine species are known to have established in New Zealand lakes to date. The spread of some zooplankton taxa is linked to the translocation of farmed fish, principally grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella), and recreational vessel movements. The aims of this study were to assess the effectiveness of a range of chemical and physical treatments for transport water and associated equipment to kill freshwater cladoceran, copepod, and rotifer zooplankton species, and their risk to non-target fish. Sodium chloride was the most effective and applicable chemical treatment tested at length in the cladoceran and, combined with physical treatment via mechanical filtration of water or hot water immersion of equipment (to also manage the risk of diapausing eggs), represents an effective option for the control of non-indigenous zooplankton, with limited impact on stenohaline fish. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In emergency, to produce safe water, that is "potable water free from harmful microorganisms and substances even if it may have colour, odour or taste problem due to dissolved minerals", applied methods should be immediately available to treat contaminated water, to reach at least a microbiological pollution in terms of bacteria concentration is maximum 108 UFC/mL and a maximum concentration of As and COD are 0.1 mg/L and 20 mg/L, respectively. In this work, the treatment of contaminated water to use in environmental and sanitary emergency is performed by the production and employment of proper nanomaterials produced locally. The development of a novel equipment capable to produce quickly and continuously these specific nanomaterials is necessary. Therefore, it was suggested to perform continuous production of the materials by means of process intensification techniques such as the spinning disk reactor (SDR) or the T-mixer reactor (TMR), respectively. Both equipment performed well in producing the required nanomaterials. Concerning the efficiency of the produced materials to lead to safe water in case of emergency, three main parameters were considered: organic matter degradation, heavy metal elimination and anti-bacterial properties. The final results showed that the produced materials are capable to guarantee the required treatment, and it is suggested to use an SDR to produce ferromagnetic core silica shell Al2O3 and Zr/TiO2 coated nanoparticles; the first capable to remove 59.6% of the organic matter, 59.5% of heavy metals and more than 99% of bacteria after 24h. Finally, the nanomaterial can be removed with ease from the water by magnets at 99.1%. This appears to be very good in terms of ease of the emergency handling. Nowadays, the adopted procedure concerns only bacteria and coarse material removal, performed by addition of toxic chlorine. Since the bacteria content is not known, this requires time lasting "trial & error" procedures to adjust the right amount of added chlorine, since it should be sufficient to deactivate 99% of the bacteria but should not exceed specific residual concentration values due to high toxicity. The new approach suggested in this work permits the immediate use of nanomaterials for contaminated water treatment in emergency to a safe one. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Actual evapotranspiration (ETa) is an essential component of Earth's global energy balance and water cycle. The Paris Agreement aspires to limit global mean surface warming to <2 °C and no >1.5 °C relative to preindustrial levels. However, it is uncertain how this global level will impact the shifts in the extents of sandy areas caused by global desertification. Using Inter-Sectoral Impact Model Intercomparison Project (ISIMIP) datasets and advection-aridity models, we investigated the spatiotemporal features of ETa in sandy areas in northern China under global warming scenarios of 1.5 °C and 2.0 °C. The four climate models indicated significant increases in ETa in arid areas across northwestern China. Over time, the ETa value under only the representative concentration pathway 2.6 (RCP2.6) emission scenario increased towards a plateau and significantly increased in the other three emission scenarios (P < 0.01) under global warming of 1.5 °C and 2.0 °C. In terms of the spatial variations, ETa showed an increasing trend in all seasons except winter. The maximum ETa was 84.61 mm, and high values were mainly located in the southeast of the study area. Precipitation and the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) showed good correlations with ETa in the sandy areas in northern China. The sandy areas in northern China showed decreasing trends (0.45 km2/a) from 1980 to 2015. Under global warming of 2.0 °C (2040–2059) relative to that of 1.5 °C (2020–2039), the area of sandy land will increase at a rate of 27.04 km2 per decade (P < 0.01); after this period, the sandy land area in northern China may gradually stabilize, with a trend of 0.02 km2/a (2047–2100). Early efforts to achieve the 1.5 °C temperature goal could therefore markedly reduce the likelihood that large regions will face substantial global desertification and the related impacts. Graphical abstract Unlabelled Image Highlights • The degree of ETa and desertification in northern China in the future was quantified. • Regional temperature rise is typically much higher than the global warming scenarios of 1.5 °C and 2.0 °C • The increase in the ETa under global warming of 1.5 °C is smaller than 2.0 °C • Desertification degree comprehensively reflects the linkage between the ETa , precipitation and NDVI • The sandy areas of northern China may gradually become stable from 2047 to 2100 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Quantitative microbial risk assessment (QMRA) has been mainstreamed in many large municipal water systems as part of a paradigm shift in the drinking water industry towards water safety planning and risk-based system assessment. Small water systems (SWSs) are generally more vulnerable to typical water system hazards, and consequently have a higher risk of waterborne disease outbreak. In this paper, a review of experiences in implementing QMRA in SWSs helps elaborate the sources of risks and highlights some of the challenges facing SWSs in developed countries. A critical review of the important elements for practical implementation of QMRA was conducted. The investigation focuses on aspects related to challenges in identifying relevant hazards to SWSs to create failure scenarios, acquiring monitoring data for pathogens' concentrations in source water, estimating treatment efficiencies of typical small system technologies, and access to software tools to support successful implementation. The review helped outline ways through which SWSs can overcome the identified challenges in implementing QMRA. An adjusted framework for implementing QMRA for small water systems was formulated and discussed. Graphical abstract Unlabelled Image Highlights • QMRA is valuable for SWSs to enhance water safety and identify sources of risk. • Pathogen removal by typical small water system technologies is reviewed. • Knowledge gap for successful implementation of QMRA in SWSs is discussed. • Framework of QMRA application in SWSs is proposed to deal with limited data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Growth of urban population around the world and, particularly, within urban areas, has placed various pressing challenges on Food, Energy, and Water (FEW) such as food security, water safety as well as energy scarcity and so on. Current studies on urban FEW nexus are mainly focused on the correlation analysis of elements by pairs, while these works are developed separately. With respect to the methods, the existing researches mostly adopt the bottom-up approach, accounting for the direct relationship between the individual production sectors. While the associations between the internal elements of the system still lack of simulation. In this study, we aim at developing an online open access tool for cities, the Urban Circular Economy Calculator (UCEC), which enables to develop different circular economy scenarios associated to FEW management. UCEC v1.0 uses Beijing data as test case. In particular, more than 20 circular economy policies related on food, energy and water are selected and divided into 6 categories. Long-term simulations on the social, economic and environmental impacts are provided to test the trajectories of policy effects. Being an open access tool, UCEC can be used also for supporting participatory processes as an urban management instrument. The solution is economically and financially feasible, due to the low level of technical requirements. The necessity of such a tool is proved by the societal need of transition toward a low-carbon and sustainable framework, which can be effectively supported by the introduction of circular economy. This transition, such as the idea behind UCEC, should preserve (or even improve) the societal wellbeing, while increasing basic resources (i.e.: FEW) accessibility, security and preservation. Highlights • UCEC is a low-cost, technologically feasible, online circular economy solutions platform. • UCEC provides qualitative and quantitative analysis of impacts caused by targeted FEW policies. • A policy or strategy being published because of the nexus existed between FEW systems. • Water resource management in Beijing can be achieved by adjustment of energy system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Arctic communities often face drinking water supply challenges that are unique to their location. Consequently, conventional drinking water regulatory strategies often do not meet the needs of these communities. A literature review of Arctic jurisdictions was conducted to evaluate the current water management approaches and how these techniques could be applied to the territory of Nunavut in Canada. The countries included are all members of the Arctic Council and other Canadian jurisdictions considered important to the understanding of water management for Northern Canadian communities. The communities in Nunavut face many challenges in delivering safe water to customers due to remoteness, small community size and therefore staffing constraints, lack of guidelines and monitoring procedures specific to Nunavut, and water treatment and distribution systems that are vastly different than those used in southern communities. Water safety plans were explored as an alternative to water quality regulations as recent case studies have demonstrated the utility of this risk management tool, especially in the context of small communities. Iceland and Alberta both currently have regulated water safety plans (WSPs) and were examined to understand shortcomings and benefits if WSPs were to be applied as a possible strategy in Nunavut. Finally, this study discusses specific considerations that are necessary should a WSP approach be applied in Nunavut. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Supplying safe water to consumers is vital for protection of public health. With population of > 15 million, Karachi is the main economical hub of Pakistan. Lake Keenjhar serves as the main source of fresh water while Hub dam is the secondary water reservoir for Karachi. In this study, bacterial community of the drinking water supply system (DWSS) of Karachi was studied from source to tap using metagenomics approach. For this purpose, we collected 41 water samples from different areas of the city (n = 38) and water reservoirs (n = 3). 16S rDNA metagenomic sequencing of water samples revealed that 88% sequences were associated with Proteobacteria (52%), Planctomycetes (15%), Becteroidetes (12%), and Verrucomicrobia (6%). On the class level, α-proteobacteria (6-56%) were found to be the most abundant followed by β- (8-41%) and γ-proteobacteria (6-52%). On the genus level, substantial diversity was observed among the samples. Bacterial communities in water from Hub dam was found to be distantly related while among the residential towns, Lyari was highly distant from the others. Twenty-four bacterial genera were found to be exclusively present in residential area samples in comparison to the source waters which is suggestive of their resistance against treatment procedures and/or contamination. Metagenomic analysis revealed abundance of Pseudomonas, Legionella, Neisseria, Acinetobacter, Bosea, and Microcystis genera in residential areas water samples. The present metagenomic analysis of DWSS of Karachi has allowed the evaluation of bacterial communities in source water and the water being supplied to the city. Moreover, measurement of heavy metals in water samples from Karachi revealed arsenic concentration according to WHO standards which is in contrast of recent study which reported extensive arsenic contamination in aquifers in the Indus valley plain. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first metagenomic study of DWSS of Karachi. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract During 2015, New South Wales (N.S.W), Australia experienced an unprecedented spike in human-shark interactions. These interactions saw the escalation of public anxieties surrounding water safety and the implementation of the state's $16 m Shark Management Strategy. Of the 14 human-shark interactions that occurred in N.S.W, eight were recorded on the state's North Coast. The interactions ignited considerable public debate, which sought to explain the spike in interactions and how to best manage the risk of human-shark interaction. This controversy was documented by the media. This study takes its lead from McCagh et. al (2015) to examine the media's reporting of public and political response to human-shark interactions in N.S.W. Discourse analysis was used to investigate two newspaper's reportage of human-shark interactions on the North Coast. This paper outlines that the discourse used by the media examined was not fear-laden, sensationalized or emotive, which previous studies have emphasized. It highlights the importance of investigating local media as means of investigating public and political response to environmental issues. The W.A shark cull seems to be a turning point in public and political attitudes towards shark management. The N.S.W government did not offer lethal or seemingly knee-jerk policy, but insisted on the investigation of non-lethal, scientifically and conservationally focused management. The N.S.W government appeared to be successful in consulting the local community and delivering policy that reflects the values and interests of the North Coast public. Our research reflects Neff & Wynter's (2018a) suggestion that the 'save the sharks' movement has indeed arrived. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A research was undertaken to assess the key parameters which impact the drinking water quality at household and community level in Nirmal Gram Panchayats (fully sanitized and open defecation free village councils) in ten districts of Rajasthan, the largest State by area in India. Five key parameters of water safety were rapidly assessed utilizing household survey questionnaire, structured-observations, visual inspections and testing bacteriological quality of water. The results of the research reveal that three out of five key parameters scored between 50 and 60 percent and two parameters scored between 60 and 70 percent. The State water safety index is 60.26 percent. All the Nirmal Gram Panchayats in Rajasthan needs to develop and implement the water quality surveillance and monitoring plan of actions with the technical and financial support from the state water and sanitation mission and respective district water and sanitation missions to ensure hundred percent water safety in all the Nirmal Gram Panchayats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the relationships between Community-Based Water Monitoring (CBM) and government-led water initiatives. Drawing on a cross-Canada survey of over one hundred organizations, we explore the reasons why communities undertake CBM, the monitoring protocols they follow, and the extent to which CBM program members feel their findings are incorporated into formal (i.e., government-led) decision-making processes. Our results indicate that despite following standardized and credible monitoring protocols, fewer than half of CBM organizations report that their data is being used to inform water policy at any level of government. Moreover, respondents report higher rates of cooperation and data-sharing between CBM organizations themselves than between CBM organizations and their respective governments. These findings are significant, because many governments continue to express support for CBM. We explore the barriers between CBM data collection and government policy, and suggest that structural barriers include lack of multi-year funding, inconsistent protocols, and poor communication. More broadly, we argue that the distinction between formal and informal programming is unclear, and that addressing known CBM challenges will rely on a change in perception: CBM cannot simply be a less expensive alternative to government-driven data collection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Assessing water environmental safety is important to safeguard sustainable development of social economic and ecological environment in Raohe river basin. In this study, based on the theory of assessing water safety, considering social indicators, economic indicators, resource indicators, environmental pressure indicators, environmental protection indicators and environmental status indicators, we select 20 indicators to establish reasonable indicator system and use fuzzy comprehensive evaluation method to assess water safety situation of Raohe river basin in a long time sequence from the year 2005 to 2016. We divide the security level into five degrees: very safe, safe, basically safe, unsafe and dangerous; get the evaluation results from degree of membership of these five security levels; and then analyze the trends of water environmental safety. The evaluation results show that water environment of Raohe river basin is in basically safe degree. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Water security and safety is of vital concern in arid and semiarid regions of Kenya. Potable water accessibility and supply is limited due to fluctuating climatic conditions and environmental pollution that lower the wholesomeness of most water sources. The aim of this study was to establish the suitability of these water sources for drinking and use in industrial food processing by the small and medium enterprises (SME's). The aim of this study was to establish suitability of these water sources for drinking and use in industrial food processing by the small and medium enterprises (SME's). A total of 60 surface and ground water sources samples were purposively collected aseptically from the four administrative units (Ngare Mara, LMD, Leparua, and Wabera) of Isiolo County. ISO 16649-3, 688-2, 7937, 9308-1, and 18744 were used for enumeration of E.coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Clostridium pafringens, Coliforms, and cysts. Highest mean Clostridium pafringens counts in ground and surface water were 1452 Cfu/ml and 3421 Cfu/ml, respectively. Mean Staphylococcus aureus counts were 740 Cfu/ml and 1333 Cfu/ml in surface water and ground water, respectively. Escherichia coli and Coliforms contamination accounted for 29.88 % and 88.2 %, respectively. Microbial counts in the water sources differed significantly (p≤0.05). Total coliforms had a significant negative relationship (r = -0.76) with residual chlorine. Ground and surface water sources were highly contaminated with microorganism to levels regarded as unsafe by the Kenyan and WHO standards for potable water. Point-of-use water disinfection is thus necessary. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sensitive detection and determination of hardness and fluoride in the ground water is an important issue for the water safety. The present work reports a sensitive, selective, rapid and visual hybrid fluorescent nanosensor by hybridizing carbon dots and hexametaphosphate capped gold nanoparticles through intrinsic interactions of the two components. The hybrid nanosensor can be used for hardness (Ca 2+ , Mg 2+ ) detection with the fluorescence intensity decreasing at 439 nm and increasing at 608 nm via the aggregation induced fluorescence resonance energy transfer on mechanism. In addition, the hybrid nanosensor mixed with calcium ions can detect fluoride in water with a lower detection limit of 0.339 ppm with the fluorescence color recovery based on the precipitation induced fluorescence resonance energy transfer off process. Experimental results indicate that the as-synthesized hybrid nanosensor has shown efficient feasibility and practicality for hardness and fluoride detection in actual groundwater samples. Furthermore, a paper-based analytical device has been fabricated by immobilizing the hybrid nanosensor on the cellulose filter paper for the visual and on-site detection of fluoride in water. The hybrid nanosensor would provide new sensing materials and mechanisms for the determination and detection of hardness and fluoride in the groundwater. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sensory information signaled the acceptability of water for consumption for lay and professional people into the early twentieth century. Yet as the twentieth century progressed, professional efforts to standardize water-testing methods have increasingly excluded aesthetic information, preferring to rely on the objectivity of analytic information. Despite some highly publicized exceptions, consumer complaints remain peripheral to the making and regulating of drinking water. This exclusion is often attributed to the unreliability of the human senses in detecting danger. However, technical discussions among water professionals during the twentieth century suggest that this exclusion is actually due to sensory politics, the institutional and regulatory practices of inclusion or exclusion of sensory knowledge from systems of action. Water workers developed and turned to standardized analytical methods for detecting chemical and microbiological contaminants, and more recently sensory contaminants, a process that attempted to mitigate the unevenness of human sensing. In so doing, they created regimes of perception that categorized consumer sensory knowledge as aesthetic. By siloing consumers' sensory knowledge about water quality into the realm of the aesthetic instead of accommodating it in the analytic, the regimes of perception implemented during the twentieth century to preserve health have marginalized subjective experiences. Discounting the human experience with municipal water as irrelevant to its quality, control and regulation is out of touch with its intended use as an ingestible, and calls for new practices that engage consumers as valuable participants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Water Safety Plans (WSPs), recommended by the World Health Organization since 2004, can help drinking water suppliers to proactively identify potential risks and implement preventive barriers that improve safety. Few studies have investigated long-term impacts of WSPs, such as changes in drinking water quality or public health; however, some evidence from high-income countries associates WSP implementation with a reduction in diarrheal disease. To validate the previously observed linkages between WSPs and health outcomes, this time series study examined site-specific relationships between water-related exposures and acute gastroenteritis rates at three locations in France and Spain, including the role of WSP status. Relationships between control or exposure variables and health outcomes were tested using Poisson regression within generalized additive models. Controls included suspected temporal trends in disease reporting. Exposures included temperature, precipitation, raw water quality, and finished water quality (e.g., turbidity, free chlorine). In France, daily acute gastroenteritis cases were tracked using prescription reimbursements; Spanish data aggregated monthly acute gastroenteritis hospital visits. The models identified several significant relationships between indicators of exposure and acute gastroenteritis. Lag times of 6-9 days (including transit time) were most relevant for hydrological indicators (related to precipitation, runoff, and flow) at the two French sites, indicative of viral pathogens. Flush events (defined as surface runoff after a two-week antecedent dry period) linked to nonpoint source pollution were associated with a 10% increase in acute gastroenteritis rates at one location supplied by surface water. Acute gastroenteritis rates were positively associated with elevated turbidity average or maximum values in finished water at locations supplied by both surface and groundwater, by about 4% per 1-NTU increase in the two-week moving average of daily maxima or about 10% per 0.1 NTU increase in the prior month's average value. In some cases, risk appeared to be mitigated by WSP-related treatment interventions. Our results suggest drinking water exposure is associated with some potentially preventable gastrointestinal illness risk in high-income regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Providing access to safe water in developing countries has stirred global attention for decades. This focus has not been paralleled in the energy sector, with access only recently receiving explicit mention in the Sustainable Development Goals. A framework applied to identify and compare trends occurring within these sectors suggests that there are areas for cross-sectoral learning, specifically around the emergence of market-based approaches to access and community engagement practices. Leveraging the lessons learned from years of development practice in the water sector could help avoid mistakes and improve energy poverty alleviation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oily wastewater and oil spills not only cause large amounts of resource wastefulness, but threaten water safety and human health. Besides, for some oily emulsions, the oil droplets are usually valuable, such as the soybean oil droplets formed during oil manufacture, and the oil droplets carrying high valued product from the extraction process or micro-emulsion reactor. Therefore, the collection and recovery of oil from water are particularly important. However, the recovery of oil droplets from emulsions and collection-lossless transportation of oil spills are still a big challenge, which cannot be solved by current oil/water separation methods, including the super-wetting strategy. Herein, we designed and prepared oil-unidirectional Janus membrane via unilateral decoration of commercial hydrophobic composite microfiltration membranes. The obtained Janus membrane is composed of a thin hydrophilic layer and thick hydrophobic supporting layer, and the asymmetric surface wettability can realize the unidirectional oil-transport property, viz. oil “diode”. Therefore, the obtained JMs with oil unidirectional transport property can realize the efficient collection and recovery of various oils. For example, the JM can effectively draw the micrometer-sized oil droplets from various oil-in-water emulsions, and realize the collection-lossless transportation of the oil spills. Our strategy can firmly stimulate and accelerate the advances of functional membranes toward the broad intelligent and sustainable usages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accurate, efficient, inexpensive, and multi-parameter monitoring of water quality parameters is critical for continued water safety from developed urban regions to resource-limited or sparsely populated areas. This study describes an integrated sensing system with solution-processed pH, free chlorine, and temperature sensors on a common glass substrate. The pH and temperature sensors are fabricated by low-cost inkjet printing of palladium/palladium oxide and silver. The potentiometric pH sensor has a high sensitivity of 60.6 mV/pH and a fast response of 15 s. The Wheatstone-bridge-based temperature sensor shows an immediate response of 3.35 mV/°C towards temperature change. The free chlorine sensor is based on an electrochemically modified pencil lead, which exhibits a stable and reproducible sensitivity of 342 nA/ppm for hypochlorous acid. Such a free chlorine sensor is potentiostat-free and calibration-free, so it is easy-to-use. The three sensors are connected to a field-programmable gate array board for data collection, analysis and display, with real-time pH and temperature compensation for free chlorine sensing. The developed sensing system is user-friendly, cost-effective, and can monitor water samples in real-time with an accuracy of >82%. This platform enables water quality monitoring by nonprofessionals in a simple manner. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A SURVEY OF US WATER UTILITIES INDICATES A NEED TO DEVELOP AND IMPROVE CROSS-CONNECTION CONTROL PROGRAMS TO HELP ENSURE PUBLIC HEALTH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Improved water safety management, as addressed by the Sustainable Development Goals, can be aided by Water Safety Planning, a risk-assessment and risk-management approach introduced by theWorld Health Organization and implemented to date in 93 countries around the globe. Yet, this approach still encounters some challenges in practice, including that of securing collaboration among the broad range of stakeholders involved. This paper presents a role-playing game designed to foster stakeholder collaboration in Water Safety Plans (WSP). In this role-play, participants take on different stakeholders' roles during a collective (team-based) decision-making process to improve water supply safety in a fictive town. The game is the result of a transdisciplinary initiative aimed at integrating knowledge across technical and governance aspects of WSPs into an active learning experience for water sector actors from diverse backgrounds. It exposes participants to the four phases of Kolb's experiential learning cycle: concrete experience, reflective observation, conceptualization and active experimentation. This paper discusses potential impacts of the WSP role-play, including skills and knowledge development among participants, which can support cross-sectoral integration and dealing with complexity in decision-making. These are capacity assets strongly needed to address water safety management challenges in a sustainable way. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]