Sustainability and Resiliency Online Learning Library

Water resources management provides expertise in the inter-related areas of drinking water, wastewater, wastewater-reuse, and stormwater. Since water is essential to our life and sustainability, there are many areas where water resources management overlaps with sustainability and resiliency. Identified areas of overlap are covered in the Online Learning Library.

Drinking Water
To achieve long-term sustainability, public water supply systems need to ensure that everyone in the community has plentiful access to clean water. To do so efficiently, public works agencies need to do all they can to maximize retention and storage of the annual rainfall volume falling on our watersheds, to provide for our own sustenance, as well as to meet all the watershed’s environmental needs.

This can be achieved by maximizing groundwater storage volume, i.e. by maximizing groundwater elevations throughout our watersheds. This also acts to maximize surface water elevations in lakes and wetlands. In turn, stream and river base flows, the useful, non-damaging component of annual streamflow in our streams and rivers, will also be maximized.

Stormwater
Maximizing groundwater elevations requires maximizing the infiltration and retention of rainfall/runoff wherever practical, which also provides excellent stormwater runoff treatment, peak flow reduction, less stream erosion as well as effective drainage and flood control.

Once adequate water supplies have been established, further assistance is needed to ensure that those water supplies can be used as frugally and effectively as possible, and that groundwater storage volumes are not inadvertently depleted (e.g. by drainage ditches, French drains, porous pipe trench backfills). The objective is to store as much of the annual rainfall as possible within the watershed. This objective is achieved by maximizing groundwater surface elevations throughout the watershed, which in turn is achieved by infiltrating as much rainfall and stormwater runoff as possible, while also minimizing drainage of groundwater.

This key sustainability strategy also provides effective flood protection by minimizing stormwater runoff volumes, and protects water supplies against drought, meeting two important resiliency needs.

Wastewater
Public works agencies must also develop effective systems for the collection, conveyance, treatment, and disposal of all wastewater resulting from our water usage. To safeguard our water supplies and provide resilience against potential drought, those systems should maximize the re-use of treated water and groundwater recharge wherever practical.

Water resources infrastructure should also minimize energy use in pumping and transmission of water supplies and wastewater.

Tools and Best Practices

Examples of some of the more prominent water resource management tools and best practices as well as useful case studies are provided below.

Green Infrastructure

Green infrastructure (GI) is one of the most useful water resource management strategies, with many effective tools and best practices that have been developed and successfully implemented in recent years. To take full advantage of this body of work, the APWA Water Resources Management Committee collaborated with the APWA Sustainability and Resiliency Committee and the APWA Asset Management Committee to develop a Green Infrastructure Toolbox to assist APWA members. This toolbox is intended for individuals new to this area of public works. It can also be used as education for residents and the governing body of your agency.

Other useful GI tools, practices, and case studies are provided below.

Low Impact Development Stormwater Management Planning and Design Guide
LID Planning and Design guide from the City of Toronto.

Low Impact Development in Coastal South Carolina: A Planning and Design Guide
Example of the LID design process. State of South Carolina.

Climate Resilience Resources Guide
Green Infrastructure and urban impacts from climate change. Developed by the Green Infrastructure Leadership Exchange.

Green Infrastructure Operation and Maintenance wiki
From the state of Minnesota Stormwater Manual.

A decision support tool for transitioning to vegetation-based stormwater management
From Gray 2 Green (G2G).

Integrated Asset Management Framework: Combining Green and Gray Assets
Asset management-based guidance for green and gray assets. Southwest Environmental Finance Center.

Green Infrastructure Case Studies: Municipal Policies for Managing Stormwater with Green Infrastructure
US EPA.

Green Infrastructure Program Map
Interactive tool that allows users to find green infrastructure practices in NYC neighborhoods.

A Guide to Assessing Green Infrastructure Costs and Benefits for Flood Reduction
Climate Resilience Toolkit website. Resilient Virginia.

Green Infrastructure (GI)
Green Infrastructure Map. San Antonio River Authority.

Green Stormwater Infrastructure Asset Management Resources Toolkit
Green Infrastructure Ontario Coalition.

Flood Loss Avoidance Benefits of Green Infrastructure for Stormwater Management
US EPA Office of Wetlands, Oceans and Watersheds.

Nature-Based Solutions

Nature-based solutions (NBS) attempt to harness and replicate the holistic and highly efficient characteristics of natural systems for the benefit of the built environment. Though fully holistic, the primary objective of many NBS strategies and projects is to manage our water resources effectively. Doing this triggers a cascade of environmental benefits, which ultimately improve the cost-effectiveness of individual projects and the larger infrastructure system. Some useful NBS tools, practices, and case studies are provided below.

Natural Infrastructure Resiliency Plan
City of Hampton, Virginia.

Circular Water Economy

According to the Water Environment Federation, circular water economy involves reducing waste, recovering nutrients and energy, and regenerating nature to enhance resource efficiency and resilience.

Closing the Loop with the Circular Water Economy
PowerPoint by Water Environment Federation.

15-Minute City
“A 15-minute city enables residents to access most daily amenities within a 15 to 20-minute walk, bike or other mode of transportation from any point in a city, town or village regardless of size. The concept integrates transportation planning, urban design, mixed-used development, safety on streets and sidewalks, with policy making and the real-life experiences of residents to allow for more freedom of mobility and increased opportunity” (National League of Cities).

2000-Watt Society
The 2000-watt society concept, introduced in 1998 by the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich (ETH Zurich), aims to reduce the average primary energy use of first-world citizens to no more than 2,000 watts (equivalent to 2 kilowatt-hours per hour or 48 kilowatt-hours per day) by 2050, without compromising their standard of living (Swiss Federal Institute of Technology).

In 2009, energy consumption averaged 6,000 watts in Western Europe, 12,000 watts in the United States, 1,500 watts in China, and 300 watts in Bangladesh (Swiss Federal Institute of Technology).

Circular Economy
“The Circular Economy is a model of production and consumption which involves sharing, leasing, reusing, repairing, refurbishing and recycling existing materials as long as possible. In this way, the life cycle of products is extended. In practice, it implies reducing waste to a minimum. When a product reaches the end of its life, its materials are kept within the economy wherever possible thanks to recycling. These can be productively used again and again, thereby creating further value” (European Parliament).

Climate: Mitigation and Adaptation
Mitigation: “Avoiding and reducing emissions of heat-trapping greenhouse gases into the atmosphere to prevent the planet from warming to more extreme temperatures” (World Wildlife Fund).

Adaptation: Altering our behavior and systems to reduce vulnerability to extreme weather events, sea level rise, droughts, wildfires, and other climate-related impacts.

Green Infrastructure
"The range of measures that use plant or soil systems, permeable pavement or other permeable surfaces or substrates, stormwater harvest and reuse, or landscaping to store, infiltrate, or evapotranspirate stormwater and reduce flows to sewer systems or to surface waters” (US Congress, Water Infrastructure Improvement Act, 2019).

Hydrogen Energy
“Hydrogen is a versatile energy carrier that can be used to power a range of applications, from transportation to industry. It produces zero emissions when burned, making it an attractive option for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. However, not all hydrogen is created equal, and there are different types of hydrogen available, each with its own advantages and challenges.

• Grey hydrogen is the most commonly used type of hydrogen, accounting for around 95 percent of global hydrogen production. It is produced from natural gas using a process called steam methane reforming (SMR), which involves reacting methane with high-temperature steam to produce hydrogen and carbon monoxide. The carbon monoxide is then reacted with more steam to produce additional hydrogen and carbon dioxide. The resulting hydrogen gas is then purified for use. While grey hydrogen is readily available and relatively inexpensive, it is not a clean source of energy. The production process generates significant carbon emissions. It is estimated that for every kilogram of hydrogen produced using SMR, around 9-12 kilograms of CO2 are emitted into the atmosphere. As such, it is not considered a sustainable source of energy.
• Blue hydrogen is similar to grey hydrogen in terms of the production process, but it includes an additional step known as carbon capture and storage (CCS). This involves capturing the carbon emissions generated during hydrogen production and storing them in geological formations deep underground, preventing them from entering the atmosphere. The addition of CCS makes blue hydrogen a cleaner option than grey hydrogen, reducing the emissions associated with hydrogen production by up to 90 percent. However, blue hydrogen still relies on fossil fuels as a feedstock, and the carbon capture and storage process can be complex and costly.
• Green hydrogen is produced using renewable energy sources, such as solar or wind power, to power the process of splitting water into hydrogen and oxygen through an electrolysis process. This results in a zero-emissions hydrogen source, making it the cleanest option. The hydrogen produced can then be used to power a range of applications, from transportation to industry. While green hydrogen is the most sustainable source of hydrogen, the production process is currently more expensive than grey or blue hydrogen. It also requires significant investment in renewable energy infrastructure, such as solar or wind farms, to produce the necessary electricity.
• Other types of hydrogen. In addition to grey, blue, and green hydrogen, there are other types of hydrogen in development, including turquoise and yellow hydrogen. Turquoise hydrogen is produced using natural gas, but the carbon emissions are captured and used for other purposes, such as enhanced oil recovery. Yellow hydrogen is produced using biomass, such as agricultural waste or forestry residue, and can be a low-carbon option.

Industrial Symbiosis
“The association between industrial facilities or companies in which the waste or by-products of one become raw materials for another.

Industrial symbiosis can be described as a collaboration between several different, often geographically proximate entities, i.e. companies and factories closely co-located in clusters or industrial parks exchanging resources (e.g. materials, energy, water and by-products) that can be used as substitutes for products or raw materials that would otherwise be imported from elsewhere or treated as waste.

Industrial symbiosis can also involve the joint provision of utilities and services between the actors in the network” (Nordregio).

Nature-Based Solutions
“Nature-based solutions (NBS) align natural and engineering processes to deliver infrastructure that provides economic, environmental, and social benefits” (American Society of Civil Engineers).

Resiliency
Resilience: The ability to prepare for and adapt to changing conditions and withstand and recover rapidly from disruptions. (FEMA.gov)

“Similar to resilience, robustness highlights the ability of systems to withstand change through both flexibility and resistance” (Nelson et al, 2012).

Sponge City
“A sponge city essentially soaks in rainwater and retains excess stormwater, then filters and releases the water slowly, much like a sponge. Sponge cities primarily utilize BMPs like wetlands, greenways, parks, rain gardens, green roofs, and bioswales” (People’s Republic of China, 2022).

Sustainability
Sustainable: The ability to meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs. (https://www.un.org/en/academic-impact/sustainability)

Symbiotic City
“A future landscape that creates beneficial relationships between humans and nature” (The symbiotic city; Voices of nature in urban transformations,” Wageningen Academic Publishers, 2022).