Assessing spatial variation in water supply of a city using dasymetric mapping

Abstract

Wastewater has the potential to act as a supplement when freshwater resources are limited. To utilize this, city administrators need to identify the type and quantity of wastewater generated and its various functional uses. In countries like India, where detailed data about wastewater is not available, any potential reuse proposal is difficult to design and execute. To cover this gap, this research proposes a technique using dasymetric mapping and Voronoi diagrams to estimate the quantity and spatial distribution of wastewater generated in a city, based on population data and water supply information, by mapping and identifying the variation in the supply. The developed research framework is tested in Bhopal city in India. The results suggest that there is higher water consumption in areas of high population density, whereas wastewater generation displays a greater variation based on land use. Among 217 Voronoi polygons created throughout the city, eight have wastewater generation at more than 10 litres/sq. m of area. The total wastewater generated while considering only municipal water supply was 148.32 MLD. On intersecting the Voronoi polygons with ward boundaries, it is found that six wards generate wastewater more than 50 litres/sq. m, whereas seven wards generate less than 1 litre/sq. m of area.