ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT OF INTEGRATED WATER SERVICE IN SOUTH OF ITALY BY LCA APPROACH

It is common knowledge that the present state of water resources is very concerning, not only in developing countries but also in industrialized countries. Climate change, depletion of natural resources and demographic explosion are alarm bells for the future which must encourage us to turn to more sustainable use of natural resources, especially water. Thus, the themes of water saving, reduction of energy consumption, and environmental impact footprint related to the use of water resources are strongly current. The energy required for the proper functioning of a water system depends on the infrastructure properties, the availability and quality of resources and the type of applied treatments. In Italy, this energy required is, on average, about 35% of the operating costs for water service utilities and corresponds to 2.5% of the national electricity consumption, planning to be increased during the following years. Reducing energy consumption in the water cycle is a mandatory aspect to be achieved through a more rational use of the available resources based on reducing both consumption and water losses. In this context, water utilities need to develop modern approaches for managing the infrastructures, to deal the Integrated Water Cycle with innovative processes and technologies that enable sustainable use of resources, energy efficiency and control of water quality. This study presents one of the pilot actions to assess the sustainability of the interventions and innovation that will be considered in the Integrated Water Service of the Basilicata Region, South Italy, within the wider Italian project “Watergy - Energy Efficiency of Integrated Water Service”. It aims to analyse the environmental burdens of a wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) located in the municipality of Potenza, Italy, through the application of a life cycle-based approach. Currently, the WWTP treats the collected wastewater of 95.000 population equivalent and the quantity of sludge generated is 3,05E-5 tones/m3 influent wastewater.