Objectives, Keys and Results in the Water Networks to Reach the Sustainable Development Goals

• Main Authors: Angel Valentin Mercedes Garcia, Petra Amparo López-Jiménez, Francisco-Javier Sánchez-Romero, Modesto Pérez-Sánchez
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2021-04-01
• Series: Water
• Subjects: water networks; sustainability; sustainable indicators; energy recovery; GHG emission
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4441/13/9/1268

The world is continuously searching for ways to improve how water is used for energy. As the population increases, so do the needs for natural resources and, in turn, the needs for energy. This research sought to show how the world has tried to achieve more sustainable forms of pressurized water distribution and to show the results that have been obtained. In this sense, technologies have been used for the production of clean energy, energy recovery instead of dissipation, reprogramming of pumping stations and hybrid systems. In many cases, much lower water and energy requirements are achieved and, in turn, greenhouse gas emissions related to water use are reduced. Sixty-one different water systems were analyzed considering different energy, economic and environmental indicators. The different operation range of these indicators were defined according to sustainable indicators.