Collaborative Research: EAGER: SAI: Participatory Design for Water Quality Monitoring of Highly Decentralized Water Infrastructure Systems

合作研究：EAGER：SAI：高度分散的水基础设施系统水质监测的参与式设计

• 批准号: 2121991
• 负责人: Alex Mayer
• 金额: $ 11.03万
• 依托单位: University of Texas at El Paso
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2022
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2022-01-01 至 2024-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2121991&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Collaborative; Research; EAGER; SAI; Participatory

In this project, an iterative, collaborative framework for monitoring point of use water treatment in under­served communities is tested. This framework blends local expertise on social dynamics and water issues with project expertise in governance, water treatment, and systems modeling. This framework is co-developed with communities where residents rely on a combination of trucked­ and bottled water. Aging pipes and treatment facilities, droughts exacerbated, and contamination of water supplies all challenge America’s drinking water infrastructure. Water typically is treated at central facilities and then piped to users, but recent technological advances could enable water treatment at the point of use (e.g., a house). In theory, this approach can make water systems more resilient to extremes, reduce the need for pipes and pumping, help water systems scale up or down as populations change, and filter contaminants that existing plants cannot treat cost-effectively. However, point of use water treatment also shifts the burden of maintaining water treatment infrastructure, monitoring water quality, and governing water systems onto end users, creating new vulnerabilities for water infrastructure systems. In this project, an iterative, collaborative frame­work to stress test strategies for water quality monitoring in decentralized water treatment systems is developed to address this challenge. This research contributes to answering important questions for 21st century water infrastructure, including: (1) Under what biophysical and social conditions are decentralized water systems effective and likely to succeed? (2) What is the appropriate scale for decentralized water systems in small communities? (3) What are the barriers to water access in the US rural context?In this project an iterative, collaborative frame­work to stress test strategies for water quality monitoring in decentralized water treatment systems is developed. The stress test integrates potential challenges identified by community members and leaders in focus groups with water quality sampling and mathematical modeling of water systems. The project is carried out through a series of iterative activities: qualitative interviews, field water quality observations, water system design, first round of focus groups, water security assessment, quantitative surveys and conjoint experiment, revised water system design, and a second round of focus groups. This project concerning participatory design for water quality monitoring extends observational research on water systems and social dynamics by actively engaging the community in collaborative focus groups about the current water system and potential future water systems.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

在这个项目中，一个迭代的，合作的框架，监测点的使用水处理在服务不足的社区进行了测试。 该框架将当地在社会动态和水问题方面的专业知识与治理、水处理和系统建模方面的项目专业知识相结合。 这一框架是与居民依赖卡车和瓶装水的社区共同制定的。 老化的管道和处理设施、干旱加剧以及供水污染都对美国的饮用水基础设施构成了挑战。 水通常在中央设施进行处理，然后通过管道输送到用户，但最近的技术进步可以使水在使用点进行处理（例如，房子）。从理论上讲，这种方法可以使水系统对极端情况更具弹性，减少对管道和泵的需求，帮助水系统随着人口的变化而扩大或缩小规模，并过滤现有工厂无法经济有效地处理的污染物。然而，使用点水处理也将维护水处理基础设施、监测水质和管理水系统的负担转移到最终用户身上，为水基础设施系统带来了新的脆弱性。 在这个项目中，开发了一个迭代的，协作的框架，以应对分散式水处理系统中水质监测的压力测试策略。 本研究有助于回答21世纪世纪水利基础设施的重要问题，包括：（1）在什么样的生物物理和社会条件下，分散式供水系统是有效的，并可能成功？(2)小社区分散供水系统的适当规模是多少？(3)美国农村地区用水的障碍是什么？在这个项目中，开发了一个迭代的、协作的框架，用于分散式水处理系统中水质监测的压力测试策略。压力测试将社区成员和焦点小组领导人确定的潜在挑战与水质采样和水系统数学建模相结合。 该项目是通过一系列反复的活动进行的：定性访谈，实地水质观察，水系统设计，第一轮重点小组，水安全评估，定量调查和联合实验，修订水系统设计，以及第二轮重点小组。 该项目涉及水质监测的参与式设计，通过积极地让社区参与当前水系统和潜在未来水系统的合作焦点小组，扩展了对水系统和社会动态的观测研究。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。