billing records, a water system may identify sudden changes in water usage at
particular locations in the water system, which could indicate the need to
investigate further for possible leaks or theft. Flow monitoring can be conducted
by examining individual customer meter records, metered districts or through
placement of temporary meters in suspect locations. These temporary meters
clamp onto pipes and do not sacrifice the integrity of the pipelines.
• Condition assessment tools include traditional external visual inspections (e.g.,
periodic walk over and opportunistic inspections of exposed mains), internal
visual inspection technologies (e.g., closed circuit television (CCTV) camera
inspections), pit depth measurements, destructive testing (e.g., test coupons) and
non‐destructive testing (e.g., ultrasonic testing).
• Hydraulic modeling can be used to predict locations of leaks in a water system
based on physical and operating data of the water system. Calibration of these
models to actual field data is essential to obtain realistic and usable results.
8 Conclusion: Transitioning Toward a Circular Economy
Approach
The middle-class population is expected to grow from 1.8 billion to 3.2 billion
people in the world by 2020 and then to 4.9 billion people by 2030 (Veolia). This
growth is aggravated by the impacts of climate change and leading to unsustainable
pressures on existing resources. Our current linear “take make-dispose” economic
model needs to change for a more circular one and relieve the escalating pressures
on our resources—energy, materials, food and water. A circular economy creates
value for local communities and municipalities, which must seize their opportunity
to organize local closed loops for water, material and energy recovery. As hosts of
industries, households and public infrastructure, cities have the unique opportunity
to lead the effort of integrating and linking these desired closed loops. Beyond its
necessary preservation, water, as a carrier of materials and energy, is critical to the
circular economy actually taking shape. Knowing this, the water community has a
central role to play in transitioning the world out of the linear consumption of
resources toward their circular use. Success in the development of a circular
economy dynamic will require individuals, organizations and companies to go
beyond their traditional silo mentality and develop more partnerships and interactions. For a smooth transition from a liner to a circular economy, the focus should
be on holistic ideas and approaches. Narrow sectorial approaches isn’t going to give
us the intended results.
Many experts have claimed that wasteful treatment of water results from
dysfunctional political or economic systems and ill-defined markets. But the real
issue is that water has been pushed into a linear model in which it becomes successively more polluted as it travels through the system, rendering its use in future
as nearly impossible. This practice transforms our most valuable and universal
Sustainable Urban Water Management Strategies
41
particular locations in the water system, which could indicate the need to
investigate further for possible leaks or theft. Flow monitoring can be conducted
by examining individual customer meter records, metered districts or through
placement of temporary meters in suspect locations. These temporary meters
clamp onto pipes and do not sacrifice the integrity of the pipelines.
• Condition assessment tools include traditional external visual inspections (e.g.,
periodic walk over and opportunistic inspections of exposed mains), internal
visual inspection technologies (e.g., closed circuit television (CCTV) camera
inspections), pit depth measurements, destructive testing (e.g., test coupons) and
non‐destructive testing (e.g., ultrasonic testing).
• Hydraulic modeling can be used to predict locations of leaks in a water system
based on physical and operating data of the water system. Calibration of these
models to actual field data is essential to obtain realistic and usable results.
8 Conclusion: Transitioning Toward a Circular Economy
Approach
The middle-class population is expected to grow from 1.8 billion to 3.2 billion
people in the world by 2020 and then to 4.9 billion people by 2030 (Veolia). This
growth is aggravated by the impacts of climate change and leading to unsustainable
pressures on existing resources. Our current linear “take make-dispose” economic
model needs to change for a more circular one and relieve the escalating pressures
on our resources—energy, materials, food and water. A circular economy creates
value for local communities and municipalities, which must seize their opportunity
to organize local closed loops for water, material and energy recovery. As hosts of
industries, households and public infrastructure, cities have the unique opportunity
to lead the effort of integrating and linking these desired closed loops. Beyond its
necessary preservation, water, as a carrier of materials and energy, is critical to the
circular economy actually taking shape. Knowing this, the water community has a
central role to play in transitioning the world out of the linear consumption of
resources toward their circular use. Success in the development of a circular
economy dynamic will require individuals, organizations and companies to go
beyond their traditional silo mentality and develop more partnerships and interactions. For a smooth transition from a liner to a circular economy, the focus should
be on holistic ideas and approaches. Narrow sectorial approaches isn’t going to give
us the intended results.
Many experts have claimed that wasteful treatment of water results from
dysfunctional political or economic systems and ill-defined markets. But the real
issue is that water has been pushed into a linear model in which it becomes successively more polluted as it travels through the system, rendering its use in future
as nearly impossible. This practice transforms our most valuable and universal
Sustainable Urban Water Management Strategies
41