ASU Electronic Theses and Dissertations
This collection includes most of the ASU Theses and Dissertations from 2011 to present. ASU Theses and Dissertations are available in downloadable PDF format; however, a small percentage of items are under embargo. Information about the dissertations/theses includes degree information, committee members, an abstract, supporting data or media.
In addition to the electronic theses found in the ASU Digital Repository, ASU Theses and Dissertations can be found in the ASU Library Catalog.
Dissertations and Theses granted by Arizona State University are archived and made available through a joint effort of the ASU Graduate College and the ASU Libraries. For more information or questions about this collection contact or visit the Digital Repository ETD Library Guide or contact the ASU Graduate College at gradformat@asu.edu.
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Description
The National Research Council 2011 report lists quantifying the extent of de facto (or unplanned) potable reuse in the U.S. as the top research need associated with assessing the potential for expanding the nations water supply through reuse of municipal wastewater. Efforts to identify the significance and potential health impacts of de facto water reuse are impeded by out dated information regarding the contribution of municipal wastewater effluent to potable water supplies. This project aims to answer this research need. The overall goal of the this project is to quantify the extent of de facto reuse by developing a model that estimates the amount of wastewater effluent that is present within drinking water treatment plants; and to use the model in conjunction with a survey to help assess public perceptions. The four-step approach to accomplish this goal includes: (1) creating a GIS-based model coupled with Python programming; (2) validating the model with field studies by analyzing sucralose as a wastewater tracer; (3) estimating the percentage of wastewater in raw drinking water sources under varying streamflow conditions; (4) and assessing through a social survey the perceptions of the general public relating to acceptance and occurrence of de facto reuse. The resulting De Facto Reuse in our Nations Consumable Supply (DRINCS) Model, estimates that treated municipal wastewater is present at nearly 50% of drinking water treatment plant intake sites serving greater than 10,000 people (N=2,056). Contrary to the high frequency of occurrence, the magnitude of occurrence is relatively low with 50% of impacted intakes yielding less than 1% de facto reuse under average streamflow conditions. Model estimates increase under low flow conditions (modeled by Q95), in several cases treated wastewater makes up 100% of the water supply. De facto reuse occurs at levels that surpass what is publically perceived in the three cities of Atlanta, GA, Philadelphia, PA, and Phoenix, AZ. Respondents with knowledge of de facto reuse occurrence are 10 times more likely to have a high acceptance (greater than 75%) of treated wastewater at their home tap.
ContributorsRice, Jacelyn (Author) / Westerhoff, Paul (Thesis advisor) / Abbaszadegan, Morteza (Committee member) / Vivoni, Enrique (Committee member) / Wutich, Amber (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2014
Description
The 2017 Atlantic hurricane season is considered as one of the costliest in U.S. history. In the case of the archipelago of Puerto Rico, 3.2 million people were without energy, approximately a third of the residents were without municipal water services, houses and larger infrastructures were severely damaged among other challenges. While both the local and federal government have been highlighted to be inefficient to meet resident’s needs, the people took the streets to assist family, neighbors as well as to collaborate with non-profits and faith-based groups. These organizational efforts allowed the supply of water, food, clothes, and emotional support in areas with the most needs. In light of this knowledge, this dissertation focuses on two main areas: (1) communities’ capacities to absorb and adapt in the wake of a disaster (2) how households addressed large-scale water infrastructure failure. I investigate resilience in the communities of Corcovada, Anasco and Mariana, Humacao, and water insecurity in the municipalities of Anasco, Rincon, and Mayaguez. I do this through a mixed-methods approach including semi-structured interviews, participant observations, and an open-ended structured protocol with egocentric network elicitation. I engage with the literature on social capital, water sharing, social networks in disaster context, autogestion (self-management) and informality to examine the dynamics occurring in response and recovery efforts. The three sub-study mixed-method dissertation examines: 1) how social capital in low-income communities can support resilience, 2) the role of social networks and water sharing to cope with water insecurity in the wake of Hurricane Maria, 3) autogestion (self-management) at the household and community level and how does it fit with both the larger political economic dynamics in the archipelago as well as the post-disaster context. The results have theoretical and practical implications for future hurricane planning in Puerto Rico and for other sites at high disaster risk around the world.
ContributorsRoque, Anais Delilah (Author) / Wutich, Amber (Thesis advisor) / Jepson, Wendy (Thesis advisor) / Brewis, Alexandra (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2021