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Where to measure water quality? Application to nitrogen pollution in a catchment in France

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  • François Destandau

    (UMR GESTE - Gestion Territoriale de l'Eau et de l'environnement - ENGEES - École Nationale du Génie de l'Eau et de l'Environnement de Strasbourg - INRAE - Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement, SAGE - Sociétés, Acteurs, Gouvernement en Europe - UNISTRA - Université de Strasbourg - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique)

  • Youssef Zaiter

    (UMR GESTE - Gestion Territoriale de l'Eau et de l'environnement - ENGEES - École Nationale du Génie de l'Eau et de l'Environnement de Strasbourg - INRAE - Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement)

Abstract

Information on the water quality of rivers can be used to judge the effectiveness of past policies or to guide future environmental policies. Consequently, the location of water quality monitoring stations (WQMSs) plays an important role in river pollution control. In the 2000s, a literature developed on the optimization of WQMS location to identify pollution hot spots, average quality, or to minimize the detection time of a potential source of accidental pollution. This article is part of a new literature aimed at localizing WQMSs in order to optimize the economic value of information (EVOI) generated by water quality monitoring networks (WQMNs). The field of study is a catchment in northeastern France where the purpose of quality measurement is to define a policy of reduction of agricultural nitrogen fertilizers in order to reach the standard of 50 mg/l of nitrate at the WQMS. Agro-hydrological and economic models estimate the net benefit of input reduction depending on the location of the WQMS on the basis of different assumptions concerning the ecological damage generated by nitrate. We show that the magnitude of the ecological damage and, consequently, the perception of the contamination generated by nitrate in water, play a decisive role on the optimal location of the WQMS, as well as on the benefit of the economic optimization of locations, compared to traditional optimization. Locating WQMSs in a way that maximizes EVOI will be more attractive for very high or very low levels of damage. However, in this context, linking damage to nitrate concentration or to concentration coupled with riparian population density alone will have little impact.

Suggested Citation

  • François Destandau & Youssef Zaiter, 2023. "Where to measure water quality? Application to nitrogen pollution in a catchment in France," Post-Print hal-05156559, HAL.
    • Handle: RePEc:hal:journl:hal-05156559
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2022.116721
    Note: View the original document on HAL open archive server: https://hal.science/hal-05156559v1
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Alvarez-Vázquez, L.J. & Martínez, A. & Vázquez-Méndez, M.E. & Vilar, M.A., 2006. "Optimal location of sampling points for river pollution control," Mathematics and Computers in Simulation (MATCOM), Elsevier, vol. 71(2), pages 149-160.
    2. Alban Verchère, 2010. "Normes, taxes et pollution diffuse aux nitrates," Revue française d'économie, Presses de Sciences-Po, vol. 0(2), pages 93-135.
    3. Price, James I. & Heberling, Matthew T., 2018. "The Effects of Source Water Quality on Drinking Water Treatment Costs: A Review and Synthesis of Empirical Literature," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 151(C), pages 195-209.
    4. Feuillette, Sarah & Levrel, Harold & Boeuf, Blandine & Blanquart, Stéphanie & Gorin, Olivier & Monaco, Guillaume & Penisson, Bruno & Robichon, Stéphane, 2016. "The use of cost–benefit analysis in environmental policies: Some issues raised by the Water Framework Directive implementation in France," Environmental Science & Policy, Elsevier, vol. 57(C), pages 79-85.
    5. François Destandau & Youssef Zaiter, 2020. "Optimisation « économique » vs « physique » des réseaux de surveillance de la qualité de l’eau," Revue d'économie politique, Dalloz, vol. 130(3), pages 473-499.
    6. François Destandau & Youssef Zaiter, 2020. "Optimisation « économique » vs « physique » des réseaux de surveillance de la qualité de l'eau," Post-Print hal-03373478, HAL.
    7. Kuosmanen, Natalia, 2014. "Estimating stocks and flows of nitrogen: Application of dynamic nutrient balance to European agriculture," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 108(C), pages 68-78.
    8. Koikkalainen, Kauko & Laukkanen, Marita & Helin, Janne, 2006. "Abatement costs for agricultural nitrogen and phosphorus loads: a case study of South-Western Finland," Discussion Papers 11867, MTT Agrifood Research Finland.
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