Regional SelfSufficiency and Sustainability: A Strategy that Works

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Regional Self-Sufficiency and SustainabilityA
Strategy that Works

• February 28, 2009

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Moving to Regional Self-Sufficiency

• Past accomplishments are admirable, but they are
  not the future
• Water use efficiency local responsibility,
  global benefits
• Multiple wins water conservation reduces
• Energy use
• Wastewater treatment
• Green house gases
• Costs (savings for customers)
• And, makes water available for other uses

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Past Accomplishments are Admirablebut not the
Future

• Southern California
• Significant accomplishments
• Water use is similar to that of 30 years ago
  despite population growth
• Bay Area
• Population increase of 17 since 1988
• Water use is essentially the same

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Contra Costa Water District

• 1988-1990 Average use was 140,000 acre-feet per
  year
• Current use is about 115,000 af/year
• Population has increased 40 since 1988

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How was that done?

• Reduced unaccounted for water with meter
  replacements
• Industry closures, with recycled water for new
  industries
• Focus on efficient outdoor use
• Nonetheless, that is not all that can be done
• CCWD supports the 20 by 2020 goal

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Local Responsibility, Global Benefits

• Small improvements multiplied by hundreds of
  thousands of homes generates real benefits
• Local savings can provide
• Better water quality in the Delta
• More reliable supplies for all
• A more stable water system

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Not all savings are equal though

• Northern California dilemma
• Do water savings translate to more water? For
  whom?
• What are the benefits and tradeoffs?
• Example recycling water that is otherwise
  discharged to the Delta
• Already recycled
• May not reduce pollutant load
• Expensive and energy intensive
• May still work, but needs honest evaluation

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Multiple wins with conservation

• Follow the water, the energy and the money
• Conservation (reducing consumed water) reduces
  water use and
• Energy consumption (pumping and treatment)
• Chemical production and transport

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Multiple wins with conservation

• Follow the water, energy and money
• Conservation (reducing consumed water) reduces
• Consumer energy use (heating water for in home
  use)
• Wastewater treatment, chemicals and pumping

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Multiple wins with conservation

• Follow the water, energy and money
• Conservation (reducing consumed water) saves
  energy and that reduces
• Greenhouse gas production
• Costs (water pumping, treatment, consumer
  energy, wastewater treatment and pumping)

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Finally, with all that has been done

• How does an urban agency reduce consumption 20
  by 2020
• New development sustainable water systems
  (landscaping, small scale recycling, water
  budget, dual plumbing)
• Grey water projects and local catchments
• Improved conservation at all levels
• Recycling where it works

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Finally, with all that has been done

• Other necessary infrastructure
• Storage we still have a drought every year
  (starts in the spring, ends when is starts
  raining again) storage needed for dry periods
• Desalination Very promising.and probably
  always will be (energy intensive)
• Dual plumbing (the most expensive part of
  recycling)

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What challenges remain?

• Demand hardening
• With high efficiency, there is less opportunity
  to reduce during shortages (cant put a brick in
  an ultra low flush toilet!)
• Need to store some of the water saved (saving
  for a non-rainy day)!
• Inter-agency agreements to better use existing
  infrastructure, partnerships to reduce risks