Publication:
Impact of the sewage discharge from hot springs to water sources

Thumbnail Image
Files

Files

Impact of the Sewage Discharge from Hot Springs to Water Sources.pdf (689.85 KB)
View Statistics
Reference Managers
Mendeley
Indexers
Google Scholar CORE
QR Code
QR Code
Authors

Authors

Romero Rojas, Jairo Alberto
Sanchez Londoño, Yuly Andrea
Quiñones-Bolaños, Edgar
Rodriguez Cheu, Luis Eduardo
González Leal, Rocío
Mehrvar, Mehrab
McCarthy, Lynda
Reuss, Alexander
Abstract (Spanish)
Las aguas termales han sido tradicionalmente una atracción turística en muchas partes del mundo, como Japón, Canadá, Taiwán, entre otros. Durante la temporada alta de turismo, se suele descargar a arroyos sin tratamiento, lo que puede afectar la calidad del agua receptora, provocando impactos negativos en los ecosistemas acuáticos. Se han estudiado los impactos ecológicos aguas abajo de varios sitios recreativos de spa importantes en diferentes partes del mundo, y se ha encontrado que las descargas de aguas residuales de las aguas termales tienen efectos ecológicos adversos. La composición mineral de las aguas termales, derivada principalmente de las aguas subterráneas, suele ser mayor que la del agua de los arroyos. Estudios realizados con modelos como QUAL2K (o Q2K), la versión modernizada del QUAL2E (o Q2E), simulan el efecto de las descargas de aguas termales en fuentes de agua superficial, principalmente de naturaleza negativa. A pesar de las consecuencias negativas de los impactos en los ecosistemas derivados de las aguas residuales de las fuentes termales, es interesante notar que existen regulaciones para las descargas de aguas residuales, incluidas las aguas de retrolavado de piscinas, en ríos y alcantarillas (por ejemplo, Alemania y Canadá), pero no específicamente para la descarga de aguas termales. Sin embargo, esta evidencia indica la necesidad de que las autoridades aumenten el control del uso de las aguas termales y la descarga de sus aguas no tratadas. En Colombia, la Resolución 631 de 2015 regula la descarga de aguas residuales en ríos y alcantarillados. Sin embargo, no considera parámetros para la descarga de aguas termales. Sin embargo, los autores consideran necesario avanzar en la investigación sobre la contaminación de las aguas residuales provenientes de aguas termales, y pensar en un turismo sustentable de aguas termales.
Abstract (English)
Hot springs have traditionally been a tourist attraction in many parts of the world, such as Japan, Canada, Taiwan among others. During the peak tourist season, it is usually discharged into streams without treatment, which can affect the quality of the receiving water, causing negative impacts to the aquatic ecosystems. Downstream ecological impacts of several major spa recreational sites in different parts of the world have been studied, and it has been found that wastewater discharges of hot springs have adverse ecological effects. The mineral composition in hot springs, derived mainly from groundwater, is usually greater than that of stream water. Studies carried out with models such as QUAL2K (or Q2K), the modernized version of the QUAL2E (or Q2E), simulate the effect of the hot spring discharges on surface water sources, mainly negative in nature. Despite the negative consequences of the impacts on ecosystems derived from hot springs’ wastewater, it is interesting to note that there are regulations for wastewater discharges – including backwash water from swimming pools – into rivers and sewers (e.g., Germany and Canada), but not specifically for hot springs discharge. Nonetheless, this evidence indicates a necessity for the authorities to increase the control of the use of hot springs and the discharge of their untreated waters. In Colombia, Resolution 631 of 2015 regulates the discharge of wastewater into rivers and sewers. Yet, it does not consider parameters for the discharge of hot springs. However, the authors deem it necessary to advance in the investigation on the contamination of the wastewaters coming from hot springs, and think about a sustainable tourism of hot springs.
Extent
6 páginas
URI: https://repositorio.escuelaing.edu.co/handle/001/3096
Collections

Collections

AF - Centro de Estudios Ambientales
References

5th International Conference of Recent Trends in Environmental Science and Engineering (RTESE'21). “Adverse Effect of Direct Discharge of Hot Spring Tributaries into Rivers on Life Aquatic Ecosystems”. Virtual Conference – May 17-19, 2021.

Alberta, Environmental Protection and Enhancement Act. (2013). Wastewater and Storm Drainage (Ministerial) Regulation. Canada. Available in: <https://www.canada.ca/en/environment-climatechange/services/wastewater/regulations.html>.

Colombia, Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development. (2015). “By which the parameters and maximum permitted limit values are established in the specific discharges to surface water bodies and to the systems of Public sewer and other provisions are issued”. Available in: https://www.minambiente.gov.co/images/normativa/app/resoluciones/d1- res_631_marz_2015.pdf.

Erfurt, P. (2021). “The Geoheritage of Hot Springs (Geoheritage, Geoparks and Geotourism)”. Editorial: Springer.

Germany, Federal Ministry of Justice. (1997). Ordinance on requirements for the discharge of wastewater into bodies of water (Wastewater Ordinance - AbwV). Available in: < https://www.bmu.de/fileadmin/bmuimport/files/pdfs/allgemein/application/pdf/wastewater_or dinance.pdf >.

Koch, I., Feldmann, J., Wang, L., Andrewes, P., Reimer, K., Cullen, W. (1999). “Arsenic in the Meager Creek hot springs environment, British Columbia, Canada”. Journal The Science of the Total Environment. Vol. 236. Pp. 101 -117. DOI: 10.1016/S0048-9697(99)00273-9.

Lenart, A., Wolanin, A., Jelonkiewicz, L., Chmielewska, Daria & Żelazny, M. (2016). “Spatiotemporal Variability in Microbiological Water Quality of the Białka River and Its Relation to the Selected Physicochemical Parameters of Water”. Water Air Soil Pollut 227: 22.

Lin, J.Y., Chen, C.F., Lei, F.R., and Hsieh, C.D. (2010). “Field observations and management strategy for hot spring wastewater in Wulai area, Taiwan”. Water Science and Technology; London, Tomo 61, N.º 9, pp 2309-2316. DOI:10.2166/wst.2010.088.

Qi Liu, A., and Deljana L., (2021). “Creating water demand: bathing practice performances in a Chinese hot spring tourist town”. Journal of Sustainable Tourism, pp. 1- 19.DOI: 10.1080/09669582.2021.1876716.

Taipei Times, Taiwan News. “EPA plans to regulate hot-spring wastewater”. October 13 of 2004. Available online: https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2004/10/13/2003206666. (accesed on 12 February 2021).

United States, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). (2004). “Stream Water Quality Model”. Available in: https://cfpub.epa.gov/si/si_public_record_Report.cfm?Lab=NERL&dirEntryID=75862.(accesed on 9 April 2021).

United States, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). (2018). “Authorization to Discharge under the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System”. Available online: https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2018-04/documents/mt0020591-hot-springs-finalpermit-6mar18.pdf.(accesed on 10 April 2021).

Yan, J., Chan, Y., Wen, C., and Hung, W. (2005). “Impact of hot spring bathing water on the water quality in the Nan-Shih Creek”. Journal of the Chinese Institute of Environmental Engineering, Vol. 15, No. 2, pp. 91-99.