ABSTRACT
Life-cycle consideration is vital in evaluating sustainable development activities that continue to provide significant operating and maintenance energy as well as cost savings over long periods. Through intensive use of energy and consequent emissions, urbanisation contributes to global warming, climate change, rising sea levels, change in vegetation and severe weather events. The standard practice for residential water supply in urban locations is to rely on pipe-borne services that involve collecting, storing, treating and transporting water over long distances. A life-cycle study to quantify resource use of Auckland City's mains water supply system considered the initial construction, maintenance and operating requirements over a period of 100 years. Resource use was evaluated in terms of life-cycle energy and associated emissions. The decision to adopt resource-efficient water supply systems, which are initially expensive, would, however, depend on the relative importance of water supply in the overall construction and operation of individual houses.
