The
Zer0-m Decision Support System for Sustainable Water Management go to the DSS webpage to test your
case-study here SWM
appears - in theory - to be a very nice, environmental friendly,
cost effective approach. But how to apply it in real life? Are all SWM solutions - rain water
harvesting, fluxes separation, low scale treatment, water reuse -
always useful and practically suited? And, having the opportunity to design a new system, how
can I choose the more convenient layout of the many possible solutions?
The DSS system presently under
construction by Zer0-M WP4 is thought to answer such questions. DSS login screen
The user
management of the system provides a personalised work environment for
individuals and groups. 
Start page of the DSS
The system comprises a design support tool and an experience database
that can be used independently. By opening an existing case study the
user could see how similar problems have been faced in other
experiences; creating a case study the user is able to start designing
a SWM solution. 
Case
study datasheet
To create a case study, general information concerning the situation
has to be given. This information is descriptive and is used both for
the search of similar experiences in the experience database (thus, it
helps to find SWM technologies suitable and recommended in context to
the described case study) and to give some "default" value to the
system to be used in the design phase and in the evaluation of the
performance. 
Design support system
The central point of the DSS is the interactive map. This map contains
all information available about a case study area. Topographic and
thematic information are visualised in their spatial context. The
system provides functionalities to import geometric and thematic data
in a standardised format. (Additionally, a simple GPS-based data
acquisition tool is developed in order to facilitate the work (data
collection) in the field and to provide the specified format.)
Spatial
query
Spatial query functionalities are featuring distance measurement as
well as information retrieval by the means of spatial selection.
Design of
alternatives
The design of alternatives is done by positioning and connecting
technical objects. This can be done by directly adding and editing
objects on the map. In the background system based functions are
checking the general consistency and admissibility of connections.
Design of
alternatives
For a complete description, attribute information has to be given for
each object positioned on the map, such as "how many people use this
facility? how large are the impermable surface? how much does it costs
this material?". Where possible, the system provides som default value,
that can be used by the user, but there's always the possibility to
directely introduce values, more correctely describing the local
situation.
Evaluation
The evaluation of the alternatives developed is done on the basis of
economic, socio-cultural and environmental models. The results of
calculations/simulations are indicators representing the performance of
the relevant alternatives or in, other words, what alternative is
better under the economic, sociocultural and environmental point of
view.
Reporting
Reporting includes the compilation of tabular or graphical (charts,
map) output.
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