LCA methodology to quantify the carbon footprint in a water supply system

Abstract

The current European environmental strategy is committed to sustainable development by generating action plans to improve the environmental performance of products and services. The analysis of carbon footprints (CFP) is considered one such. One methodology to quantify the CFP is the Life-Cycle Assessment. (LCA) is an environmental management tool that evaluates the environmental performance of a service or a product using evaluation of emissions and consumption of resources at every stage of the life cycle, "from cradle to grave". The aim of the study is to evaluate the total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions associated with the life cycle of potable water supplied from a water supply system. This study highlights an operational tool to help the water manager to improve the current environmental management of the system, considering only the system operating phase. The methodology proposed was applied to a real case study, a complex water supply system, the Favara di Burgio system (Sicily, Italy).