Water quality trading using tradable discharge permit in a river and assessment of its cost-effectiveness

ABSTRACT

Localizing water resource management with optimum waste allocation approach in rivers is one of the strategies for reducing the pollution. In this regard, a water quality trading program among pollution sources can fulfill this issue. This program is achieved through a tradable discharge permits system which is based on the river self purification capacity and creates an economical incentive to reduce the pollutants. Water quality trading emerges from the concept of hydrology and economy based on the transfer coefficient which is the fraction of pollution load that is transferred from the upstream to the downstream. Transfer coefficient is obtained from the water quality model. In this paper, execution of a tradable discharge permit program for the index pollutants has been assessed. Finally the results are analyzed for evaluating the cost effectiveness