A framework for systems analysis of sustainable urban water management

The increasing demand for sustainable development will have a profound impact on all types of urban infrastructures. However, there is a lack of knowledge of how sustainable development should be attained and how sustainability of various technical systems should be assessed. This paper describes the framework of a systems analysis project dealing with the above issues, which focuses on urban water and wastewater systems. The project is part of large national research program in Sweden entitled “Sustainable Urban Water Management.” A set of sustainability criteria—covering health and hygiene, social and cultural aspects, environmental aspects, economy and technical considerations—are defined. To promote the practical use of a set of sustainability criteria it must be concise and related to quantifiable indicators that are easily measured. This paper suggests suitable indicators for the proposed criteria. It also contains a brief analysis of the contribution to various environmental effects and resource utilization of the Swedish urban water system in relation to the impact of Swedish society in total, to allow for a correct prioritization of the criteria.