MODELADO DEL COMPORTAMIENTO AMBIENTAL DEL CICLO DE VIDA DEL AGUA URBANA: INFLUENCIA DE LOS DATOS DE INVENTARIO SELECCIONADOS

Abstract

This research explores the environmental performance of the life cycle of urban water systems by applying the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) methodology. The need for accurate and representative life cycle inventory (LCI) data is the first step to fulfil this goal. To assure the appropriateness of these data, a critical assessment of available inventories in literature and commercial databases was carried out taking into account the following stages: 1)abstraction, 2)potabilization, 3)supply, 4)collection and 5)wastewater treatment. Selected LCI data were used to obtain environmental indicators for each stage of the urban water cycle. These indicators were combined in order to model the environmental behaviour of the whole cycle considering the different influences from the data sources. The measurements obtained may be used in future studies for calculating percentiles or other measures when assessing water cycle LCIs. This novel approach will be of interest to both LCA methodology researchers those researching the water industry, but also to those who will use data for water in the future.