We are developing a water efficiency outreach program in Nevada City (pop. 3,000), a small, historic mining town in Northern California. The water utility is run by the city and recently switched from flat rate to metered billing. For the first time customers are paying for actual volume of water used and some are upset at billing increases. Water supply is not an issue for Nevada City, in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains, so incentives for a program are economical (reducing bill costs) and ecological (benefiting the watershed). We are developing an outreach plan for the city and trying to provide suggestions for actions with different levels of investment.
The question(s):
1. What are some of the best or most creative actions to take to increase efficiency of water use for residential homes?
2. What are the costs of running a successful outreach program? Assuming there are different amounts depending on incentives of program such as rebates, subsidies, etc. Are there examples?
As we develop a new program we are open to innovative ideas and curious about real costs, challenges, and best practices.
Thank you,
Katie Merrill and Ellis Garvin
Katie Merrill
A.P.P.L.E. Center
United States
Water Efficiency Outreach Suggestions & Costs
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Hi Katie,
First of all, kudos to Nevada City!
I would get in touch with Next Step Living of Boston who does a very good job at residential energy. www.nextstepliving.com. Their website is great and residents can sign up for free home walk-throughs online. The technicians come out with CFLs, faucet aerators and lo-flow shower heads ready to install for free. They have the outreach pretty much mastered - Massachusetts was just ranked #1 in the U.S. in terms of energy efficiency and I think they are a huge component of that ranking.
Two items that have an under 3 month payback are:
1. Faucet Aerators
2. Low flow shower heads
They are extremely inexpensive and are as simple to install as screwing in a light bulb. They also have a positive impact on the electric / gas bill because they reduce the amount of hot water needed.
The user experience post aerators and low flow shower heads is also better.
Best of luck!
Megan
Megan Ramey
Sustainability Coordinator
A Better City
United States
www.challengeforsustainability.org
Rob: Thank you for the information! We have actually been looking at Watersmart Software to help improve our billing process and communication with water customers in Nevada City! I'd love to directly contact you and get more information and price estimates!
Megan: Thank you also for the great information! Providing low flow shower heads and aerators is a main and prioritized component of our outreach program. Also, thank you for the Next Step Living contact! It's always great to check out successful programs!
Cheers,
Katie
Katie Merrill
A.P.P.L.E. Center
United States
Katie: There are a lot of actions that can be taken inside and outside of a residence. To start, we like to provide folks with a "typical" breakdown of outdoor vs. indoor use...this often grabs their attention as often, much more water is used outside for irrigation than inside for essential purposes. Then we show a "typical" breakdown of water use inside the home...that often surprises people to see the amount going down the toilet. Next we like to show "payback period" for and "lifetime savings" in dollars the top 3-5 tips. This often gets them on the phone with our utility customers or out to the hardware store PDQ and results in solid savings across the population. Cost is normally for bill inserts, separate mailing and possibly an online resource...not too much to overcome. Good luck!
Rob Steiner
Founder, VP Sales and BD
WaterSmart Software, Inc.
United States