Lifecycle Assessment of a Water Distribution System Pump
Publication: Journal of Water Resources Planning and Management
Volume 141, Issue 12
Abstract
This article presents a methodology that combines a process-based lifecycle assessment (LCA) with an economic input-output LCA (EIO-LCA) model to quantify the net present value (NPV) lifecycle costs (LCC), energy consumption, and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions associated with a water distribution system (WDS) pump. The methodology considers the manufacturing, use, and end-of-life (EOL) disposal lifecycle stages, as well as processes that are not typically considered, including discharge valve throttling, pump testing, deterioration, refurbishment, and variable-speed pumping. A case study is used to demonstrate the methodology, assess the implications of different operating scenarios, and determine the relative importance of different processes. Results show that a combination of refurbishment and variable-speed pumping is the most effective means of improving sustainability for the case. Analysis of the results shows similar composition profiles for energy consumption and GHG emissions with pump operation representing over 80% of each, whereas manufacturing and pump operation together represent the majority of the NPV LCC. Sensitivity analyses indicate that the planning period, reference target volume, electricity cost, and discount rate are the most influential parameters.
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Acknowledgments
The authors would like to thank the three anonymous reviewers whose comments helped elevate the quality and content of this article, as well as the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council and HydraTek & Associates for their financial support. The authors would also like to thank HydraTek & Associates for providing field data for the example WDS pump.
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Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Water Resources Planning and Management
Volume 141 • Issue 12 • December 2015
Copyright
© 2015 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Aug 1, 2014
Accepted: Mar 19, 2015
Published online: May 5, 2015
Discussion open until: Oct 5, 2015
Published in print: Dec 1, 2015
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