Looking for Information on Water Efficiency

We have a very successful program at reducing water use by tackling once through cooling (when equipment like autoclaves, compressors and lasers are cooled by treated water which is then sent down the drain) and installing more efficient fixtures. For example, the autoclave vendor we use on campus has a "water saving kit" that can be retrofit to reduce water usage. We installed 41 of these kits and each one saves over 35,000 gallons every month for a total of over 17 million gallons per year for all the autoclaves. The compressors, lasers and other equipment are being taken off of once through cooling and switched to our district cooling loop as funds become available. There is a slight increase in electric usage as a result of this switch, but it is more than offset by the water savings. On our main campus over the past ten years, building square footage and enrollment has increased, but water usage has actually dropped from a peak of over 300 million gallons per year to under 200 million gallons per year. Note that we irrigate with untreated water so irrigation usage is not included in these totals.

Thanks & Adios,
CJD --

Carol J. Dollard, P.E.,
LEED AP Utility Engineer
[email protected]
(970) 491-0151
(970) 491-6116
FAX Mailing Address: Facilities Management
Colorado State University
6030 Campus Delivery
Fort Collins, CO 80523-6030

Hi Gregory,

In our Council we have had a proactive water program. The first thing we did was to go to all urinals in the area and fit a motion sensor to automate the flushing. We also fitted water meters to all connections and started to charge by volume. The whole time we have had a schools program going and I started a free tap washer service to get the contacts to talk about where their water was being used. For further information visit our website on http://www.taurangawater.govt.nz

Allan Dale

Domestic Water Advisor
Water Section City Services
Tauranga City Council
Phones (07) 5777 000 or 027 284 9416
Fax (07) 571 8917
email [email protected]

Gregory,

I work for Eugene Water & Electric Board in Eugene, OR. We have run a Home Water Survey program for over 8 years, which entails our staff being invited to the residents home and performing a short indoor water audit, and a much more in-depth outdoor consultation where we measure irrigation system output and efficiency, examine soil depth and structure, advise on water wise plantings, and draft up water budgets. We have a very detailed and thorough evaluation protocol which is enhanced by a database where we enter all data gathered. We track participants summer water usage for up to three years after their participation in our program and consistently see approximately 24% reduction in water use as a group over pre-survey use. The most recent evaluation showed the program participants of 2002, 03, 04 (totaling approximately 600 residential customers) saved 36 million gallons of water over their pre-survey water usage. If you are interested in more details on our program, feel free to contact me directly.

Stephan Meyer

Water Management Technician
Eugene Water & Electric Board
PO Box 10148 Eugene, OR 97440
Phone: 541-341-1853
Fax: 541-341-1867

Here in Seattle, Washington we have an extensive array of water conservation programs targeting indoor and outdoor use for the full range of customers (residential, commercial/industrial/institutional, low-income, etc.). We do a lot with promoting water-efficient technologies such as low-flow toilets and washing machines and smart irrigation technologies. On the behavioral side, we have a number of programs on natural yard care, which encompasses not only water use but pesticides/fertilizers, soil-building, and waste reduction (composting). Approaches have ranged from landscape audits and small neighborhood-based workshops, to large-scale information campaigns. Programs focused on behavior change (versus technology change) have been harder to evaluate for water savings, though some attempts have been made over the years. I don't know what kind of examples you are looking for or how rigorously they should have been evaluated for "success" (presumably you mean measurable water savings), but a good place to start is the Seattle Public Utilities website at: http://www.seattle.gov/util/Services/Water/Reduce_Water_Use/index.asp A selection of reports is available here, but this list is out of date: http://www.seattle.gov/util/About_SPU/Water_System/Reports/index.asp If you would like more information about a specific program, please contact me and I will put you in touch with the appropriate project manager.