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.

Solid waste management provides expertise in the operation, management, and maintenance of solid waste facilities. Since the effective treatment and disposal of waste without harming our communities is essential to their sustainability, solid waste management overlaps with sustainability and resiliency in key areas.

To achieve sustainability, the volume, harmfulness and concentration of waste products must be minimized. This can be accomplished by:

• Reducing the total volume of waste that is generated by private entities and the public, and arriving at waste management facilities. These waste-generation activities are generally addressed by public works agencies in an advocacy role, i.e., stating a strong agency preference for less waste volume arriving at waste management facilities;
• Processing and disposing of that reduced amount of waste effectively and cost efficiently, so that no harm is done to our community citizens or the environment.

As for all public works operations, solid waste management infrastructure and facilities should also strive to minimize energy and water use in all aspects of their operations.

If the above tasks are done well, we will have done more with less and our communities’ infrastructure may be considered economically and environmentally sustainable, from a solid waste management standpoint. Good, thoughtful infrastructure design, completed with foresight, will then make that infrastructure and its operations resilient to extreme weather events and other potential challenges.

Identified areas of overlap covered in the Online Learning Library are waste reduction and the circular economy:

Waste Reduction

By minimizing waste generation and maximizing the lifespan of materials and resources in the economy, an agency can significantly lower waste processing, disposal, and energy costs, saving taxpayer dollars. The well-known “3 Rs” (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle) strategy and the more detailed “9Rs” strategy (Refuse, Rethink, Reduce, Reuse, Repair, Refurbish, Remanufacture, Repurpose, Recycle and Recover) are of particular importance. Please note that R0 is refuse so there are technically 10 R’s.

Circular Economy (CE)

The circular economy concept is one of the most useful and comprehensive solid waste management strategies, with many effective tools and best practices developed and successfully implemented in recent years.

Circular economy initiatives such as material reuse and water recycling reduce operational costs for public works. By extending the life cycle of products, reducing waste to a minimum, and minimizing energy use in operations and transportation, we significantly reduce our environmental footprint. By creating markets for recycled materials, promoting repair and refurbishment services, and encouraging sustainable procurement, we can also attract and grow businesses in the green economy sector.

Tools and Best Practices

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

Waste Reduction

Solid Waste Management New Directors Guide Collections and Solid Waste Management New Directors Guide Post Collections
The Solid Waste Management New Director’s Guide, Collections and Post Collections, were created by the APWA Solid Waste Management Committee to provide a foundation for new directors who may not have a firm knowledge base for solid waste collections and post collections.

“Circular design in practice: Towards a co-created circular economy through design”
Provides an excellent overview of the circular design concept, including a good introduction to the “9Rs” strategy.

“An Insight into the Application of Gradations of Circularity in the Food Packaging Industry: A Systematic Literature Review and a Multiple Case Study”
A more specialized case study for the food packing industry, also including a good graphical depiction of the “9Rs” strategy.

“Recycled Materials in Construction”
This video shows how local agencies can increase the use of recycled materials for locally funded projects where state requirements do not apply. Learn the accepted uses for recycled materials that, while potentially in conflict with outdated state standards, are something that can be employed at your community's discretion for locally funded projects.

“Where are they now? Recycling Markets”
Program covers market updates and new trends in the recycling industry. The program lists and describes current recycling market, identifies partnerships to strengthen recycling programs, and describes how to move recycling programs forward to higher recovery rates.

Circularity Centers–The Future of Waste Management for Zero Waste Cities
Circularity centers take a whole systems approach to direct discarded materials to their highest and best use, moving away from a “take-make-waste” linear path toward a zero-waste closed loop. They aim to conserve resources and divert materials from incineration or landfills by means of responsible production, consumption, reuse, and recovery of all byproducts and packaging. This video presents a case study of the Los Reales circularity center in Arizona.

Circular Economy (CE)

“What Can We Learn from Denmark? Hear from the 2021 APWA Jennings Randolph International Fellow about her Study Tour on Waste to Resource Technology & Circular Economy in Denmark”
Denmark is one of the greenest countries in the world and a front runner in the Organization on Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) in reducing the amount of land-filled waste and viewing waste as an important resource. At the same time, Denmark is also one of the most wasteful societies in the world.

Recycling of Electronic Equipment and Recovery of Precious Metals from E-Waste
This presentation examines the process, critical issues, methods, and innovative practices for recovering and recycling precious metals from electronic waste in computers, cell phones, monitors and screens. It compares effective methods used in both North America and Europe.

20 North American Climate Action Plans Reveal Hundreds of Waste Opportunities
Summary article on embedding waste management strategies into regional decarbonization plans.

Public Assistance Funding: Low-Carbon Materials
Example of funding available when low-carbon materials are used in disaster relief efforts.

Monitoring Progress towards a Resource-Efficient and Circular Economy
This report presents global projections of materials use and their environmental consequences, providing a quantitative outlook to 2060 at the global, sectoral, and regional levels for 61 different materials (biomass resources, fossil fuels, metals, and non-metallic minerals).

London’s circular economy route map
This is a good, complete, state of the art document from a large city.

How Asset Management Can Enable the Circular Economy
This document offers good information on how CE plays heavily into our asset management. It’s relevant to both asset management and circular economy.

Ellen MacArthur on the basics of the circular economy
This video offers a good introduction on the circular economy.

Circular economy and bioeconomy
This is a good, complete, state of the art document from Aotearoa/New Zealand.

A circular economy for Auckland - scoping the potential economic benefits
This is a good private business report from Aotearoa/New Zealand that describes types of private business practices that public works agencies might support and advocate for to reduce their incoming waste loads.

Kalundborg symbiosis
This example offers the most advanced and complete industrial circular economy concept to date. It is an excellent example to aim for.

The Circular Built Environment in Canada: A Review of the Current State, Gaps and Opportunities
This document provides a good summary of state of CE and suggestions for moving forward from an advanced municipal practitioner of CE.

The City of Toronto’s Circular Procurement Framework
This is a good graphic of a well-organized circular procurement strategy for a large city.

Baselining for a Circular Toronto
This is an excellent introductory document that includes good waste stream management graphics.

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).