Wastewater Reclamation Holds a Key for Water Sustainability in Future Urban Development of Phoenix Metropolitan Area

Zhi-Hua Wang, Rachel von Gnechten, David A. Sampson and Dave D. White
Additional contact information
Zhi-Hua Wang: School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA
Rachel von Gnechten: School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA
David A. Sampson: Decision Center for a Desert City, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA
Dave D. White: Decision Center for a Desert City, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA

Sustainability, 2019, vol. 11, issue 13, 1-13

Abstract: Global water scarcity has been a growing concern among policy makers, researchers, and the general public. Rapid urbanization with more concentrated populations and emergent patterns of climate change (e.g., soaring temperatures and 19 years of drought) added uncertainty and complexity to the risk of water shortage for the Phoenix Metropolitan Area (PMA). In this study, we used a numerical simulation tool, termed WaterSim 5.0, to assess water sustainability indicators in PMA. Four hypothetical scenarios were evaluated, viz. desert, and green landscaping, as well as urban expansion into desert or agricultural lands, bracketing plausible paths of future development in the study area. Model outputs were evaluated using four sustainability indicators and policy controls: (1) groundwater use, (2) agricultural production, (3) personal water use, and (4) the 100-year adequate water supply metric for new population growth. All four scenarios were examined using both current (19%) and complete (100%) wastewater reclamation. We found that the rate of wastewater reuse drives a reduction in groundwater dependency in urban growth; urban-agriculture conversion provides a convenient means to enhance water sustainability. In the broader context, sustainable water planning strategies need to take into account other crucial environmental and socio-economic measures such as changes in thermal stress, agricultural production, and outdoor and rural lifestyles.

Keywords: arid environment; urban development; WaterSim simulations; water sustainability (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/11/13/3537/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/11/13/3537/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:11:y:2019:i:13:p:3537-:d:243427

Access Statistics for this article

Sustainability is currently edited by Ms. Alexandra Wu

More articles in Sustainability from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().