Matching alternative water services to industry type: an eco-industrial approach

摘要

This paper presents a framework for the matching industry clusters to appropriate alternativenwater sources using an eco-industrial approach. Alternative water sources are increasingly beingnconsidered in new industrial developments to reduce demand on potable supply and improvensustainability performance. The suitability of alternative water sources for industrial developmentnis influenced both by the demand profile of the industrial tenants and the limitations andnopportunities presented by the local environment. This paper demonstrates an approach thatnintegrates the principals of industrial ecology for considering the feasibility of alternative waternservices in a new industrial estate. The application of industrial ecology principles takes a sitenspecific approach that considers the opportunities and limitations offered by the localnenvironment and existing regional industries in moving towards sustainable water services.nIndustrial ecology facilitates opportunities for planning symbiosis between industries throughnby-product exchange, water cascading and cooperative infrastructure. The framework was appliednto a new industrial development in Melbourne, Australia; with the assessment of alternative waternsources part of a larger project that had the purpose of identifying regional by-product synergiesnbased on materials, energy and water exchanges between businesses. The feasibility assessmentndetailed demonstrates that suitability of alternative water sources varies depending on thenindustry water demand profile. The paper demonstrates that the application of industrial ecologynprinciples can be used to consider the feasibility of alternative water sources based on thenregional context and the demand profile of industries locating to an eco-industrial park.