Background

Climate change influences the incidence and scope of climate extreme events that affect communities and the environment around the world. In an urban context such as Barcelona, these climate extremes can have a negative impact on drinking water quality. The worsening of drinking water quality can have important repercussions on human health, leading to the appearance of different diseases.

Objective

Investigate the association between climate extremes, in particular heavy rainfall events and drought conditions, and the drinking water quality in the city of Barcelona from 2010 to 2022.

Methods

We conducted a daily retrospective time-series study using data covering 13 years of daily monitoring of conductivity, nickel, turbidity and trihalomethanes parameters of raw water in the Llobregat River catchment area and treated water in the Drinking Water Treatment Plant (DWTP) Sant Joan Despí. We used river flow as a proxy for drought conditions and heavy rainfall events. We analyzed short-term associations between river flow rate and quality parameters in raw and treated water using generalized linear regression with distributed lag-non-linear models (DLNM).

Results

A low flow, as an indicator of drought condition or low rainfall, was significantly associated with an increase in conductivity in raw water and nickel in both raw and treated water. A high flow, as an indicator of heavy rainfall events, was significantly associated with an increase of turbidity in raw water, and a decrease in all other quality parameters.

Impact statement

This study provides novel evidence that climate extremes have an impact on the quality of drinking water in urban areas with a Mediterranean climate. The findings of this study are significant because they suggest that as the frequency and intensity of climate extremes increase due to climate change, there will be further challenges in managing and treating drinking water, which could have a detrimental effect on public health. This study serves as an important reminder of the need to strengthen and accelerate adaptation actions in water management to ensure an adequate supply of drinking water that protects the people’s health.

中文翻译：

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巴塞罗那干旱条件和强降雨与饮用水质量的关系（2010-2022）

背景

气候变化影响极端气候事件的发生率和范围，进而影响世界各地的社区和环境。在巴塞罗那等城市环境中，这些极端气候可能会对饮用水质量产生负面影响。饮用水质量的恶化会对人类健康产生重要影响，导致不同疾病的出现。

客观的

调查 2010 年至 2022 年巴塞罗那市极端气候（特别是强降雨事件和干旱条件）与饮用水质量之间的关联。

方法

我们利用 13 年来每日监测 Llobregat 河流域原水和 Sant Joan Despí 饮用水处理厂 (DWTP) 处理水的电导率、镍、浊度和三卤甲烷参数的数据进行了每日回顾性时间序列研究。我们使用河流流量作为干旱条件和强降雨事件的代理。我们使用分布式滞后非线性模型 (DLNM) 的广义线性回归分析了河流流量与原水和处理水质量参数之间的短期关联。

结果

低流量作为干旱条件或低降雨量的指标，与原水电导率以及原水和处理水中镍的增加显着相关。高流量作为强降雨事件的指标，与原水浊度的增加以及所有其他质量参数的下降显着相关。

影响报告

这项研究提供了新的证据，证明极端气候对地中海气候城市地区的饮用水质量有影响。这项研究的结果意义重大，因为它们表明，随着气候变化导致极端气候的频率和强度增加，管理和处理饮用水将面临进一步的挑战，这可能对公众健康产生不利影响。这项研究提醒人们需要加强和加快水管理方面的适应行动，以确保充足的饮用水供应，保护人民的健康。