Water Management Support and Monitoring Platform

 

Water Management

Water management is defined as the process of planning, improving, and distributing the use of available water resources in the optimal way and preserving them to achieve a better social, economic, and environmental life for humans. The Sustainability Unit at the university works with the team concerned with water management to develop plans and mechanisms that contribute to water conservation, reuse of treated water, and regular maintenance plans to preserve water. Examples of water conservation include the use of modern irrigation methods in the university’s farms.

 

Who We Are and What We Offer?

  • Raising environmental awareness and preserving green spaces among university members.
  • Encouraging research and scientific projects related to sustainability.
  • Contributing to promoting social change led by the university to achieve a sustainable environment.
  • Providing advice and support to civil society institutions to enhance the concept of sustainability.
  • Encouraging students to engage in activities related to sustainability.
  • Working on making university buildings environmentally friendly.
  • Encouraging university members to use eco-friendly means of transportation.
  • Organizing seminars and events that promote the concept of sustainability among students, faculty members, staff, and the surrounding community.
  • Collaborating with the health sector to reduce the spread of diseases and provide appropriate treatments to minimize health disasters and epidemics.
  • Presenting ideas and suggestions for utilizing natural energy sources.
  • Encouraging the rational consumption of energy, water, and food, as well as rooftop gardening.

Current Water Situation in the Arab Republic of Egypt

Current Water Consumption in Egypt

The Arab Republic of Egypt is considered one of the water-poor countries, as the per capita share is 650 m³ annually, while the water poverty line is 1000 m³ annually. Egypt’s water demand is about 110 billion m³ annually, of which it possesses 80.25 billion m³. The remaining quantity is imported in the form of food products and industries to compensate for this deficit of 30 billion m³. This indicates the urgent need to rationalize consumption and increase resources that can be used to provide safe water.

Available Water Resources in Egypt

There are a number of safe water resources in Egypt, and their contribution varies in the total used water. These resources are divided into traditional and non-traditional as follows:

Traditional Water Resources: These include the Nile River, which alone provides 50.55 billion m³ of the total available water resources. This is followed by deep groundwater (2.1 billion m³), desalinated seawater and brackish water for coastal cities (0.35 billion m³), in addition to rainfall (1.3 billion m³).

Non-Traditional Water Resources: These include water resulting from the reuse of agricultural, industrial, and sewage wastewater (20 billion m³), in addition to groundwater storage in the Delta Basin, which results from seepage of Nile water in this region (1.3 billion m³).

Water Consumption in Egypt

Water use in Egypt is steadily increasing due to population growth and the resulting increase in consumption across different sectors, in addition to the state’s development efforts. Agriculture, drinking, and industry are the most water-consuming sectors. The agricultural sector requires about 75% of total water demand, while drinking water production in 2015 reached 10.6 billion m³, of which 15-30% was consumed by small industries spread across towns and villages. Industrial water consumption reached about 5.4 billion m³ in 2015, excluding water used for cooling in power generation plants.

Water Consumption Inside Buildings

Water is consumed inside buildings in a range of activities serving basic human needs such as drinking, cooking, etc. The share of each activity varies depending on its nature. The following table shows the percentage contribution of all activities to water consumption.

Table (1): Percentages of Water Consumption for Different Purposes in Buildings

Activity Type Percentage of Total Water Consumption (%)
Garden Irrigation 4.6
Various Kitchen Uses 18.7
Laundry 18.7
Bathing 29.6
Drinking and Face Washing 11.3
Toilets 17.0

 

Water Management

Water management is defined as the process of planning, optimizing, and distributing the use of available water resources in the most efficient way while preserving them to achieve a better social, economic, and environmental quality of life for humans.

On the building level, water management refers to the rationalization of water consumption and the reuse of wastewater to maximize efficiency. Accordingly, water management involves three main aspects: rationalizing water consumption, reusing water after treatment, and implementing regular maintenance plans.

  • To create an executable plan aimed at increasing water efficiency in any building, a set of steps must be followed, including the following:
  • The first step is inspection and planning, where data related to water use in the building and its rates and points of use are collected.
  • The second step is implementation assurance, which means holding courses and awareness seminars at the institutional level to rationalize water use, educate employees and workers about the importance of water conservation, and encourage participation in the mechanism established by the institution to improve water efficiency.
  • The third step is to identify the available options that can be implemented in the building, the mechanism for implementing these options, and the expected cost.
  • The fourth step is to begin implementing these options on the ground in the institution.
  • The fifth and final step is to follow up on the mechanisms set for water efficiency and carry out regular maintenance of water and sewage connections, ensuring the devices are working properly and there are no leaks in the connections.

Mechanisms for Rationalizing Water Consumption

Rationalizing water use means reducing water use to the minimum level without compromising basic human needs. Water consumption in buildings can be rationalized through the use of various types of high-efficiency devices. These devices reduce water waste during use. In addition, bathrooms should be equipped in a way that minimizes cleaning water needs, including the following:

  • Water faucets equipped with sensors or timers, or both, where water flows only when a body, such as a human hand, is detected under it, and when there is a timer, the water continues to flow for about 30 seconds, then stops automatically.
  • Flush tanks equipped with an air compressor, which works by releasing a strong stream of air with the water, resulting in high pressure that reduces the amount of water consumed per flush.
  • Using easy-to-clean materials in bathrooms in general to reduce the amount of water consumed for cleaning. An example is phenolic panels, which are available in various colors, easy to clean, and resistant to water and heat.
  • Using PVC pipes for water supply and drainage instead of cast iron pipes to avoid rust and the water loss that comes with it.
  • Using wall-hung sanitary fixtures instead of floor-mounted ones to reduce water waste during cleaning.

Mechanisms for Reusing Water

Consumed water in buildings can be reused after treatment and filtration in irrigation processes or in toilet flush tanks. This is done by installing devices inside the building so that the drainage from sinks and washbasins, excluding toilets, goes to a separate tank connected to a treatment and filtration unit. The treated water can then be reused for surface or subsurface drip irrigation of gardens.

Water can also be treated and used inside toilets by installing the Aqua System, which is connected to the sink drainage. This system works on purifying the water coming from the sink and directly reusing it in toilet flush tanks. It can be installed in both old and new bathrooms.

Large amounts of drinking water are often wasted due to leaks or malfunctions in water coolers. To overcome this issue, water coolers can be replaced with drinking fountains, which help reduce water waste as they operate through a sensor that activates the water flow. The excess water can also be collected and used for irrigation or in toilet flush tanks without the need for purification or treatment, as it is already clean water.

University Maintenance Unit
The unit is responsible for receiving any reports regarding water leaks or malfunctions and addressing them as quickly as possible.

Contact Information:

Phone: 01144479231
Email: sustwater@sohag.edu.eg

 

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