Sustainable Environmental Engineering

4Integrated and Interconnected Systems

All the things are eternally connected with everything.

OBJECTIVES

• To define integrated and interconnected EEIS and to achieve high air, water, and soil quality indices within a specific time frame
• To illustrate WRRF as key enabling EEIS for sustainable food–energy–water (FEW) nexus of local economy
• To optimize environmental, economy, and equality (3E) goals of integrated EEIS by identifying and involving stakeholders
• To calculate waste generation factors for element management in integrated solid waste management
• To apply integrated system approach using blue, green, gray, brown, and black water management
• To design zero energy and zero waste for integrated solid waste management
• To understand integrated air quality management with renewable energy instead of fossil fuels such as coal
• To compare and select the best integrated EEIS using LCA, FT, and life cycle cost and benefit analysis

4.1 Principle 1

Population growth, increasing living standards, and urbanization under climate change require integrated and interconnected sustainable EEIS. EEISs should be integrated and interconnected for sustainable development (NSF et al., 2015). For example, integrated plan is at the core of food–energy–water (FEW) nexus. WRRFs could be integrated with the power infrastructure for the benefit of producing energy. More importantly, the integration would make it possible for WRRFs to operate independently of the electrical grid to increase ...