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Firefighting without drinking water: An investigation to viable alternatives
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Abstract: (1019 Views) |
As a critical agent in firefighting, water is extensively consumed in firefighting activities, particularly in urban environments. Traditional firefighting approaches heavily rely on potable water reserves. According to data from Tehran’s Fire Department, the consumption of potable water for firefighting in 2022 was estimated at approximately 6.5 million cubic meters in the city of Tehran. Given the severe water crisis in Iran, exploring alternatives to potable water for firefighting in Tehran is a pressing issue. This study assesses the feasibility of substituting potable water with non-potable water sources, prioritizing potential components, understanding their interrelationships, and identifying dependable alternatives.
Relevant components and subcomponents were extracted from scientific literature and documentary resources and prioritized based on their feasibility as evaluated by firefighting experts using the fuzzy Delphi method. Subsequently, the MAXQDA method was employed to design a conceptual model for implementing reliable alternatives to potable water in firefighting.
The study's findings indicate that, from the perspective of firefighting experts, the most viable alternatives for replacing potable water in Tehran’s firefighting operations are municipal wastewater, stormwater runoff, and surface water. Among these, surface water in the northern, eastern, and southern parts of Tehran is the most feasible option due to the significant volume of surface water available during rainfall and the impermeability of urban surfaces in these areas. However, in the western part of Tehran, the abundance of rivers makes stormwater runoff a more favorable option. Conversely, the reuse of municipal wastewater was not prioritized in any part of Tehran due to its high economic costs.
In western Tehran, the annual average discharge of permanent rivers was calculated to estimate the volume of water that could be stored for firefighting purposes. The volume of water available from stormwater runoff in this region shows substantial potential to meet firefighting demands even under critical conditions. The cost of constructing storage facilities for stormwater runoff was estimated at 1.08 trillion Iranian Rials (IRR) based on the official 2022 national pricing index. Additionally, the cost of treating one liter of potable water is approximately 150,000 IRR according to national water utility statistics. Annually, 25,544,160 liters of potable water could be replaced with stormwater runoff at a cost of 4 trillion IRR, which is nearly four times the annual cost of constructing and maintaining water storage facilities for firefighting. Over time, with the elimination of storage construction costs in subsequent years, this approach becomes highly economical and sustainable.
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| Keywords: firefighting, municipal wastewater, stormwater runoff, surface water, potable water, MAXQDA |
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Type of Study: Applicable |
Subject:
Special
Accepted: 2025/02/28 | Published: 2025/02/28
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