Case Studies in Water Conservation

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Case Studies in Water Conservation

• Mary Ann Dickinson
• November 13-14, 2001

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Darwin Advises..

• Everything evolves, including water conservation
  programs
• Learn from others what works and what no longer
  does
• Analyze your situation for the pieces that fit
• Document.document..

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In Your Backyard.

• City of Atlanta
• City of Savannah

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Atlanta Water Department

• Low Income Care and Conserve Program
• Plumbing repairs to reduce water waste
• Fixture replacement (w/ ultra low-flow fixtures)
• Direct payment assistance when funds are
  available
• Information and instruction on water
  conservation

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Atlanta Water Department

• Xeriscape Water Wise Landscaping Program Site
  audits
• Evaluate the current landscape for water use
  needs/patterns.
• Deliver water conservation literature water
  saving devices for indoor and outdoor use.
• Provide one-on-one instruction in the basic
  principles of Xeriscaping

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Savannahs Savings Strategies

• Conduct unaccounted for water audits
• Leak repair programs and meter calibrations
• Fire protection and looping improvements
• Alternate water sources for irrigation 5 MGD of
  reclaimed water
• Water conservation program
• Conversion of light industrial commercial
  groundwater use to surface water

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Savannahs Water Conservation Program

• Public outreach and education
• Mascot, Less Waters
• Indoor/Outdoor Water Conservation kits
• Water Wisdom video
• Water Sourcebooks to schools
• Plumbing retrofit program for residential homes
  has saved approximately 1.113 MG/year.
• Plumbing retrofit for public housing complexes
  has saved approximately 3 MG/year.

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Savannahs Bottom Line

• Customer base in last 17 years increased by 17
• Total water production from all city wells has
  remained constant over the last 17 years
• Total water leaks reduced by 65 from 3,242 leaks
  in 1981 to 1,131 leaks in 2000
• Looping lines requires less system flushing
• In 1999, 21.8 MG was needed to maintain water
  quality in 800 miles of distribution system
• In 2000, only 15.0 MG was needed

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Dwelling Units vs. Pumpage
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Beyond the Backyard.

• EPA Case Studies Book
• Infrastructure Model Study

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Infrastructure Study

• AWWA Fax to 3700 utilities
• 653 responses
• 570 with useable data
• Data entered into MS Access Database
• Matched with EPA Region
• Divided into size categories based on persons
  served
• less than 10,000
• 10,000-100,000
• more than 100,000

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Distribution of Responses
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Data Collected

• Water Use
• Average Day, Peak Day, Total Sales, and Lowest
  Month
• Demographics
• Population served, number of accounts breakdown
  in residential and non-residential
• Growth and projected growth in accounts
• Planned Investments
• Water Supply, Treatment (current price on energy
  chemicals), SWDA

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Benefit Cost Model Analysis

• Baseline 1999 water use projected over 30 years
  for residential and non-residential use.
• Employment estimated at 49-52 from Bureau of
  Labor Statistics
• Separated into Indoor and Outdoor Use
• AWWARF Residential End Uses Study 1999
• Energy Chemical Costs
• Planned Infrastructure Investments SDWA

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Water Savings Estimates by Region System Size
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Costs Savings Estimatesby Region System Size

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Study Conclusions

• Water savings by 2010 estimated at 5
• increasing to 8 by 2020
• Savings higher where indoor use is higher
• (e.g., East Coast)
• Infrastructure cost savings average 26/person
• to utilities and 127/person to
  communities
• 7.5 billion to utilities nationwide
• 35 billion to communities nationwide

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Beyond the Backyard Examples

• Irvine Ranch Water District
• City of Albuquerque
• City of Cary
• Arizonas Public Awareness Campaign

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Irvine Ranch Water District

• Connections 85,000 and Population 266,000
• Conservation Budget 700,000 2 million
  (funded through the excessive use penalties)
• Conservation Rate Structure
• Based on water budgets for all customers
• Penalties for excessive use
• Landscape water use has decreased approx. 50
  (over 650,000 gallons per year)

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Irvine Ranch Water District

• Other Conservation Programs
• Rebates/low interest loans for irrigation system
  and landscape upgrades
• Monthly performance reports for 4,000 dedicated
  landscape meters
• Monthly notification letters to the highest water
  wasters
• Monthly conservation tips and suggested
  irrigation schedules provided as bill inserts
• 80 of landscape accounts are reclaimed water

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Irvine Ranch Water District

• More Conservation Programs
• Water Conservation Demonstration Garden
• School education program
• Residential garden workshops
• Participation in the Orange County Landscape
  Performance Certification Program
• Participate in regional ULFT programs, CII rebate
  and Landscape Education programs

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Irvine Ranch Water District

• Conservation Studies
• X-Ray Film Processor Study Initial savings are
  98
• Supermarket Cooling Systems Study
• Residential Run-off Reduction Study Testing a
  real-time water based irrigation controller.
  Initial data showing a 70 reduction in runoff.
• Pressure Optimization Study Testing pressure
  levels for reducing misting and breaks in
  irrigation systems
• National Sub-metering Study
• Strawberry Reclaimed Water Study Initial
  savings are nearly 1 MGY

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City of Albuquerque

• Population Served 483,000
• Conservation Goals
• 30 reduction over 10 years ( 1995 -2005)
  Reduction in total production from 250 gpcd to
  175 gpcd
• Achieved 23 savings by 2001
• Gpcd 205 in 2001, down from 216 in 2000
• Residential only per capita for 2001 144 gpcd,
  down 27 from the baseline of 198 gpcd

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City of Albuquerque

• Conservation Programs
• 2000 letters to customers with more than 10
  increase in usage since 1994
• Commercial water audit program
• Free residential surveys to SF MF customers
• Toilet rebate program 43,000 replacements to
  date
• Xeriscaping 286 customers rebated for 383,180
  square feet of xeriscape conversions
• Water-waste inspectors visited 3000 sites and
  issued more than 400 water-waste violations

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City of Albuquerque

• More Conservation Programs
• Take the Plunge media campaign
• Outdoor Watering Time of Day restrictions April
  to September
• Water Recycling over 3.4 MGY
• Audit of unaccounted for water loss
• Washing machine rebates -100 for high efficiency
  machines

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City of Cary

• Population has doubled in last 10 years
• 75 residential, 21 commercial customers
• 1998 average daily retail water demand 8.6MGD
• 2028 projected is 26.7

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Carys Response

• Benefit-Cost Analysis Model
• Conservation measures chosen with B/C greater
  than 1.0
• 10 year plan to reduce retail water production by
  4.6 MGD (16 by 2028)
• Emphasis on measures to reduce peak-day demand
  during high-volume summer months

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Carys Program

• Water Reclamation Facility for 4.6 MGD
• Conservation Rate Structure
• New Homes Points Program
• Residential Audits
• Landscape Water Budgets
• Landscape and Irrigation Codes
• Toilet Flapper Rebates
• Public Education

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