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Water Source Signatures in the Spatial and Seasonal Isotope Variation of Chinese Tap Waters
Author(s) -
Wang Shengjie,
Zhang Mingjun,
Bowen Gabriel J.,
Liu Xuemei,
Du Mingxia,
Chen Fenli,
Qiu Xue,
Wang Liwei,
Che Yanjun,
Zhao Guoyong
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
water resources research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.863
H-Index - 217
eISSN - 1944-7973
pISSN - 0043-1397
DOI - 10.1029/2018wr023091
Subject(s) - tap water , environmental science , surface water , stable isotope ratio , groundwater , precipitation , δ18o , hydrology (agriculture) , water supply , spatial variability , water resources , seasonality , sampling (signal processing) , environmental engineering , geology , geography , ecology , meteorology , statistics , physics , geotechnical engineering , mathematics , quantum mechanics , biology , filter (signal processing) , computer science , computer vision
Different water sources exploited for public use have different exposure to risks associated with climatic and environmental change. Isotope ratios of tap water have previously been studied as a potential tool to link public supply waters with water source characteristics at local to continental scales, providing information on the footprint of and potential risks associated with the water sources used. Work that combines intensive spatial and temporal sampling with independent water management data has been limited, however. In this study, an extensive observation network was established during 2014–2016 to provide monthly tap water sampling across China. We show that the spatial distribution of annual mean tap water isotope ratios is generally consistent with that of local precipitation across China. We identify seasonal correlation between tap water and precipitation isotope ratios in south China, where use of surface water is prevalent. In contrast, relatively invariant tap water isotope ratios elsewhere in China, which are not correlated with seasonal variation of precipitation isotope ratios, can be attributed to use of groundwater or water from river basins with longer storage times. The tap water isotope signatures identified here could be widely applied to characterize water supplies and associated sustainability challenges in different regions worldwide.