An International Conference hosted by

The Commission for Water Sustainability

International Geographical Union (IGU)

Torino, Italy

Tuesday July 28, 2009

8.30 Registration

9.15 Opening ceremony

Introduction (Claudio Cassardo, J. Anthony A. Jones)

Ezio Pelizzetti, Rector of the University of Torino

Francesco Profumo, Rector of the Politecnico di Torino

Nicola De Ruggiero, Councilor for Environment, Regione Piemonte

Roberto Ronco, Councilor for Environment, Provincia di Torino

Giuseppe Portolese, Director of Env. Sustainability, Comune di Torino

Silvano Ravera, General Director of ARPA Piemonte

Francesca Palozzo, The World Political Forum

Rossella Monti, Director of HYDROAID

Simone Grego, UNESCO World Water Assessment Programme

Renzo Tamburelli, Director of the Autorità d'ambito 6

10.45 Coffee break

Water resources and environmental and climatic change

11.15 A. Pasini, R. Langone

    Neural network modelling for climatic investigations and attribution of precipitation changes at regional scale (Keynote lecture)

11.40 P. J. Robinson

    Climate and water supply changes in North Carolina (USA)

12.00 M. Baudena, F. D’Andrea, A. Provenzale

    A model for soil-vegetation-atmosphere interactions in water-limited ecosystems

12.20 N. Loglisci, R. Bonanno, S. Cavalletto, C. Cassardo

    Managing soil water freezing in the svat scheme LSPM (Land Surface Process Model)

12.40 Lunch

14.15 C. Cassardo, Y. Zhang, M. Galli, N. Vela

    Analysis of the hydrologic budget over Northwestern Italy during the period May 2008 – April 2009

14.35 M. Pasqui, J. Primicerio, R. Benedetti, A. Crisci, L. Genesio, G. Maracchi

    Seasonal forecasting precipitation in the Mediterranean basin

14.55 Y. D. Chen

    Simulating hydrological impacts of climate changes in the Dongjiang Basin, South China: Comparison of six monthly models

15.15 V. Tigini, V. Prigione, P. Giansanti, A. Mangiavillano, A. Pannocchia, G. C. Varese

    Fungal biosorption, an innovative treatment for the decolourisation and detoxification of textile effluents

Water sustainability in the alpine environment

15.35 E. Cremonese, U. Morra Di Cella, P. Pogliotti, M. Galvagno, F. Pellicciotti

    Modelling Snow Water Equivalent distribution in the Alps: the activities in Aosta Valley (Keynote lecture)

16.00 S. M. Oh, M. Galli, C. Cassardo, S. K. Park

    Hydrological effects of climate change in the Po Valley, Italy

16.20 Coffee break

16.50 M. Galli, S. M. Oh, C. Cassardo, S. K. Park

    The effects of climate change on the soil-atmosphere energy balance and on the snow coverage: a case study of the Po Valley and the Alpine area

Underground resources

17.10 F. Winde

    Peatlands as filters for polluted mine water? – A case study from a uranium-contaminated karst system in South Africa Part I: Hydrogeological setting and U-fluxes

17.30 F. Winde

    Peatlands as filters for polluted mine water? – A case study from a uranium-contaminated karst system in South Africa Part II: Pollution patterns and filter efficiency

17.50 End

Wednesday July 29, 2009

8.55 J. A. A. Jones

    Hydrological effects of afforestation: a view from the soil (Keynote lecture)

9.20 K. Mori, K. Urushibara-Yoshino, J. Kogovsek, T. Slabe

    A relation between surface and subterranean waters as inferred from hydrochemical characteristics in the Slovene Karst

9.40 D. Trinchero, R. Stefanelli, A. Galardini

    Cost effective underground wireless architectures for pipes survey and leakage prevention in water distribution networks

10.00 I. Oueslati, D. Zaccaria, N. Lamaddalena, L. S. Pereira, M. Vurro

    On-demand delivery schedule as a tool for reducing groundwater pressure: a case study in Southern Italy

10.20 Coffee break

Water and hydro-geological risks

10.50 E. Hagen

Reverse engineered flood hazard mapping in Afghanistan: a parsimonious flood map model for developing countries (Keynote lecture)

11.15 O. E. Scarpati, L. B. Spescha, J. A. Forte Lay, A. D. Capriolo

Soil water surplus, its variability during the last forty years in Buenos Aires province (Argentina)

11.35 H. Oyagi, T. Ishikawa, Y. Okumura, B. Chhay, P. Hang, S. Tsukawaki

    Seasonal fluctuation of water quality in Siem Reap river, Cambodia

Planning of water resources

11.55 I. J. van der Walt, S. J. Pretorius

    The role of geohydrology in the determination of a·spatial development framework in the vredefort dome world heritage site (Keynote lecture)

12.20 Lunch

14.10 I. Bevilacqua, A. Leo, S. Ferraris, D. Canone, F. Calderon, M. Previati

    Drought and desertification assessment in the Piemonte region

14.30 F. Becchis

    Integrated pollution prevention and control (IPPC) in EU: some theoretical aspects and consequences on water policies

14.50 J. H. Ryu, S. K. Park

    A framework of sustainable water resources management in a changing climate

15.10 R. Ingaramo, A. Voghera

    A project for the valorisation of the Sangone river

15.30 R. Rushforth

    Looking to the Past for Hints on the Future: The Role of the Mining Industry in Shaping Water Policy in Arizona

15.50 P. Gossa, F. Boano, R. Revelli

    Development of control system for the optimization of irrigation consumption and nitrogen leaching in agriculture

16.10 Coffee break

16.40 C. Ronchi, N. Loglisci, R. Pelosini, A. Salandin, D. Rabuffetti, S. Barbero

    The Piedmont region hydorlogical bulletin as support to water resouce monitoring and management

17.00 N. Calda, R. Valloni

    Conventional and alternative water resources in the Northern Apennines (Italy)

17.20 C. Murano

    Strategic environmental assessment in river basin planning system: the scale "dilemma" through two case studies in France and Italy

Hydrologic emergencies

17.40 S. Eslamian, H. Hasanzadeh, J. Abedi-Koupai

    Drought index frequency analysis using L-moments (Keynote lecture)

18.05 End

20.00 Banquet

Thursday July 30, 2009

8.45 M. Casazza, A. Piano

    Use of the X-band raingage - disdrometer Pludix along the 2008 flood event in Piedmont, NW Italy

Infrastructure for water resources management

9.05 R. Cremonini, R. Bechini

    Heavy rainfall monitoring using C-band weather radars (Keynote lecture)

9.30 G. Rovero

    A holistic approach to the environmental management of wet textile productions by process intensification

9.50 R. Cavallo Perin, D. Casalini

    Water and infrastructure property models for water public service provision: a legal perspective

10.10 A. Ortolani, C. Brandini, R. Costantini, L. Costanza, L. Innocenti, B. Gozzini

    A versatile and interoperable network sensors for water resources monitoring

10.30 Coffee break

11.00 S. Turso, M. Zambotto, M. Gabella, F. Orione, R. Notarpietro, G. Perona

    Microradarnet: a new low-cost micro radar network for meteorological purposes

11.20 Albert Djemetio

    Understanding sustainable infrastructure platform as a gateway to achieving water security in sub-Saharan Africa?

11.40 A. Dematteis, D. Marchisio, L. Meucci, G. Morello

    Water resource protection in mountain regions

12.00 K. Vouti-Kotor

    Freshwater Ecosystems in West Africa: Problems and Overlooked Potentials

12.20 Conference closure

    Discussion

12.45 Lunch

Fieldtrip 1 - The International SMAT Research Centre (one of the main Italian references in the field of applied research and control of drinking and waste water) and Po River  Potabilisation Plants

Thursday 30 July 2009 afternoon

Po River Potabilisation Plants

The SMAT company (Società Metropolitana Acque di Torino) manages drinking water distribution lines, potabilisation plants and wastewater treatment systems that rank among the biggest and the most advanced in Europe.
The first in Italy to use river water for the production of drinking water, SMAT manages a complex which is able to potabilise up to 2,500 lit. per second of water drawn from the Po River and which is rated as a benchmark in today’s scenario for its cutting-edge technology. The Po River potabilisation plants account for about 16 % of the water produced and distributed by SMAT through a network extending over ca 6,283 km, which can deliver an average daily flow of up to 7,000 lit./sec. during peak consumption periods.

The SMAT Research Centre

The new SMAT Research Centre is one of the main Italian references in the field of applied research and control of drinking and waste water.
Applied research activity is mainly dedicated to projects on the following topics:

• conventional and innovative drinking and waste water treatments
• chemical, microbiological and organoleptic quality of drinking water
• monitoring of water resources quality
• innovative devices and materials which are often studied jointly with universities, main organizations and large companies.

This Research Centre occupies more than 2,200 square meters located inside the area of the SMAT large Po river treatment plants, near the International Labour Organization (ILO) campus, where the courses of Hydroaid International School are carried out.

SMAT Research Centre has deepened the knowledge and the monitoring activity on the following topics:

• Disinfection by-products formation in surface treated waters, especially of chlorite and chlorate ions 
• Traditional and innovative arsenic removal treatments from groundwater
• Surface water treatment by means of submerged hollow fiber membranes
• Analysis of new pathogens and real time indicators of bacterial contamination
• Presence of cyanobacteria in reservoir waters
• Risk assessment for pesticides in drinking water sources
• Development of rapid analytical protocols for drinking water quality emergency management
• Automation of analytical techniques for the determination of environmental relevant trace molecules
• Presence of endocrine disruptors and pharmaceutical and drugs residuals in waste waters
• Reuse of waste water for special application (potable water for the International Space Station)
• Effect of hypochlorite disinfection on toxicity at the discharge of urban waste water
• Ozonation in waste water treatment plants to reduce sludge volumes
• Anaerobic digestion of the organic fraction in urban solid wastes
• Evaluation of the compatibility of dissipators for organic wastes
  

In the last years, according with the awareness that “tap water can’t be only safe, it must be also palatable” (Bonn Charter, 2004), the Research Centre has formed a team of patented tasters. Testing the organoleptic characteristics of the drinking waters we produce, they provide suggestions to improve drinkingwater taste.

But the results of research and innovation activities performed by the Research Centre find application even at international level on water for human spaceflight. On March 9th 2008 a special type of water produced by SMAT was launched with the ATV module Jules Verne to the International Space Station.

The supply of the first Italian water drunk in space required the setting up of a complex production process that was entirely studied, checked and realized by the Research Centre in cooperation with Thales Alenia Space-Italia.

Moreover, the Research Centre cooperated with SERMIG no profit association to realize a new device which can be applied to any bicycle, transforming the energy produced by cycling to obtain drinking water without any trace left of arsenic or other contaminants.

             The SMAT Potabilization plant of the Po river                        A line of jag bottling

Entrance of the SMAT Research Centre at Torino

Time table of the visit

13.50    Departure (bus) from the Conference Centre (Dept. BAU)
14.10    Arrival at SMAT Research Centre
14.15    Presentation of the Centre - visit of the laboratories
15.30    Visit of the Po river potabilization plant
18.00    Departure for the hotels
18.30    Arrival at the hotels

Fieldtrip 2

Architecture of the hydroelectric plant of Pont Ventoux-Susa

Friday 31 July 2009

The fieldtrip will show the architecture of the hydroelectric plant of Pont Ventoux-Susa.

The hydropower station of Pont Ventoux-Susa has an installed capacity of 150 MW. The plant uses the waters of the Dora Riparia river, taken at Oulx, and partly those of its left tributary Clarea. The water is conveyed through a secondary channel 14 km long, partly tunneled, to the basin of Val Clarea, which has a capacity of 561,000 cubic meters. From this basin a pressure tunnel starts, bringing the water to the central cave, where there are two production units: a binary turbine-alternator and a ternary turbine-alternator-pump. Downstream of the power, the water is returned to the Dora river in a basin from which, during nighttime, the water can be pumped back to the Val Clarea reservoir, in order that it can be used to produce valuable energy during daytime, when demand is higher and electricity is more expensive.

Time table of the visit