Contribution of Water and Wastewater Infrastructures to Urban Energy Metabolism and Greenhouse Gas Emissions in Cities in India

Abstract

This is a first analysis of end-use energy intensity (EUEI) and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in water and wastewater (W/WW) sectors in India, and it examines their contribution to community-wide energy use and GHG emissions in cities in India. EUEI and related GHG emissions for W/WW infrastructures in Indian cities were analyzed and compared with data for cities in the United States. Data gathered by ICLEI-South Asia, Government of India, and the University of Colorado Denver were used to conduct this analysis. W/WW infrastructures were found to contribute 3-16% of community-wide electricity use and GHG emissions for 16 cities in India; for another 23 cities, the proportion was less than 3%. EUEI for drinking water supply and wastewater treatment averaged 0.3 � 0.2 W· h=Lðn ¼ 7Þ and 0.1 � 0.05 W·h =Lðn ¼ 5Þ, respectively. EUEI for drinking water provision was more than double that for wastewater treatment, the reverse of typical cities in Colorado, likely a result of poorer source water quality in India. In general, although the sample size of Indian W/WW plants is small, EUEI in India appears to be much smaller than in the United States for both water and wastewater sectors based on this first review of quantitative data. DOI: 10.1061/(ASCE)EE.1943-7870.0000661. © 2013 American Society of Civil Engineers. CE Database subject headings: Wastewater management; Urban areas; Emissions; India; Water management. Author keywords: Urban metabolism; End-use energy intensity; Greenhouse gas; Water infrastructure; Wastewater; Developing cities.