There is increasing interest in the cost-effectiveness and economic benefits of replacing traditional engineering-based ‘grey’ infrastructure with nature-based ‘green’ infrastructure in the water sector. This study builds on the emerging literature in this field and sets itself apart in several ways. New in this study is the focus on the interrelationship between green infrastructure, water treatment costs proxied by drinking water rates, and drinking water safety. The latter refers to adverse treated water quality incidents (AWQI's) such as unsatisfactory bacteriological test results that may lead to drinking water advisories when sufficiently severe. An integrated modelling framework is furthermore developed, accounting simultaneously for possible spatial spill-over effects due to watershed land cover and potential endogeneity embedded in the relationship between water treatment costs, drinking water billing, and the occurrence of AWQI's. Data from the water- and forest-abundant and densely populated Canadian province of Ontario were used and significant negative correlations between forested land area and both drinking water rates and AWQI's are observed. While causality underlying these relationships needs further investigation, these results indicate support for the use of techno-ecological nature-based solutions in drinking water risk management.

人们越来越关注在水务部门用基于自然的“绿色”基础设施取代传统的基于工程的“灰色”基础设施的成本效益和经济效益。本研究以该领域的新兴文献为基础，并以多种方式脱颖而出。本研究的新内容是关注绿色基础设施、以饮用水价格为代表的水处理成本以及饮用水安全之间的相互关系。后者是指经过处理的水质不良事件 (AWQI)，例如细菌学检测结果不理想，在足够严重的情况下可能会导致饮用水咨询。进一步开发了一个集成的建模框架，同时考虑由于流域土地覆盖和潜在内生性导致的可能的空间溢出效应，这些内生性嵌入在水处理成本、饮用水计费和 AWQI 发生之间的关系中。使用来自水和森林丰富且人口稠密的加拿大安大略省的数据，并观察到林地面积与饮用水率和 AWQI 之间存在显着的负相关。虽然这些关系背后的因果关系需要进一步调查，但这些结果表明支持在饮用水风险管理中使用基于技术生态自然的解决方案。使用来自水和森林丰富且人口稠密的加拿大安大略省的数据，并观察到林地面积与饮用水率和 AWQI 之间存在显着的负相关。虽然这些关系背后的因果关系需要进一步调查，但这些结果表明支持在饮用水风险管理中使用基于技术生态自然的解决方案。使用来自水和森林丰富且人口稠密的加拿大安大略省的数据，并观察到林地面积与饮用水率和 AWQI 之间存在显着的负相关。虽然这些关系背后的因果关系需要进一步调查，但这些结果表明支持在饮用水风险管理中使用基于技术生态自然的解决方案。