The untapped Water and Energy Efficiency Opportunities in Municipal Water Systems

The untapped Water and Energy Efficiency Opportunities in Municipal Water Systems

Mike RabeCity Energy Strategies Conference19 - 21 November 2003Cape Town

Who is the Alliance to Save Energy ?

U.S. based NGO coalition of prominent business, government, environmental and consumer leaders who promote the efficient and clean use of energy worldwide to benefit the environment, economy, and major stakeholders

Expertise in Building, Industrial, International, Financing, Utility, Water and Energy management, Policy, Market Development, and Education sectors

Over 70 Alliance Associates Alliance runs programmes in many countries

around the world

What is the relationship between water and energy?

Wasted Water = Wasted Energy ResourcesAddressing inefficiencies in systems results in

substantial water savings and hence also substantial energy savings

Therefore substantial quantities of energy can be saved within municipal water systems

In many water supply systems (water and wastewater), energy represents the single biggest input cost in the final delivered product

What does the Alliance do?

Initiated the ‘Watergy Programme’ in various European countries, Brazil, India, Mexico, and South Africa

Watergy underway as a programme in four S.A. cities, funded by USAID

Helps set up Efficiency Management teamsAssists in accessing financial resourcesCo-manages the implementation of technical

improvements to water systemsDisseminates best practice through case

studies

What does the Alliance plan to do in South Africa?

Leak reduction programmesPressure ManagementPlanning and setting up Energy Efficiency cellsBiogas utilizationWater audits and benchmarking,

in Buffalo City, Mogale City, Sol Plaatje and Polokwane

What are the challenges to this programme?

Lack of informationLack of capacityLack of financial resource

Context within S.A.

Much change within municipal environment over the last 10 years

Focus on many issues except perhaps efficiencyExtension of service delivery to low income

areas is critically needed but cannot be expanded sufficiently due to constraints on resources

=>A solution to this constraint is to create A solution to this constraint is to create efficiencies within the existing systemsefficiencies within the existing systems

Watergy Efficiencyseeks to cost

effectively deliver water services

while minimizing water and energy

use.

=

Water supply systems offer multiple opportunities to directly reduce water and energy waste while better serving the customers’needs___________________•Leak and Loss Reduction•Operations & Maintenance•Pumping systems•Primary/secondarywastewater treatment•Pressure Management•Preventative Maintenance

Supply Side Efficiency Measures

+

Looking at a water system comprehensively and making sure efficiency projects are designed in tandem creates even greater efficiency opportunities _____________________•Right sizing pump systems after reducing consumer demand•Identified cascading effects of efficiencies•Avoided wastewater treatment by promoting reuse and reducing demand•Embed principles in building codes

+

Reducing demand by helping the consumer use water more efficiently decreases the required water supply saving both energy and water__________________•Water efficient household appliances•Metering, billing and credit control•Low-flow plumbing fixtures•Industrial water reuse•Leak and water waste reduction•Aligning Level of Service to affordability

WATERGYEfficiency

ConsumersResidential/Industrial

Demand Side Efficiency Measures

Comprehensive Demand /Supply Side Approach Synergies

The Solution-Watergy Efficiency 

Synergies resulting from co-managing water and energy

resources

Reduce Costs Improve affordability / sustainabilityAllows for expansion of service delivery

footprintCuts Air PollutionImprove Public HealthUpgrade Water and Energy ServicesMinimize Strain on Natural ResourcesReduce or Eliminate Major Capital

Investment

What can Municipalities do to Promote Watergy Efficiency?

Create management infrastructure (people aspect, competency and capacity)

Expand bulk water metering and monitoring systems (procedures)

Develop baselines and metrics (benchmarking)Carry out facility assessments (systems audit)Establish goals and record successDevelop an action plan for addressing wasteSeek outside assistanceMobilize community action

Management and leadership are key

Supply Side and Demand Side Intervention

Supply Side: Addressing leaks low c-value (high friction) for pipes improper system layout system over-design incorrect equipment selection old, outdated equipment Lack of preventative and proactive maintenance Poor reactive maintenance wastage of usable water inefficient pumps and motors, correcting power factors Pressure management Load shifting

Supply Side and Demand Side Intervention (cont.)

Demand Side:Metering, billing and revenue collectionRetrofitting water efficient household appliances

including toiletsIndustrial water reuseLeak and water waste reductionEfficient basin Aerators Efficient washing appliancesMatching service level provision to affordabilityXeriscapingDrip IrrigationRebate installation programmes

Case Study: Results of a co-ordinated supply and demand side approach to water services in the

Kagiso area of Mogale City

Kagiso Consumption

828740

361560

250977

803985

782310

417703

0

100000

200000

300000

400000

500000

600000

700000

800000

900000

Months

Results/Benefits

Substantial water and energy savingsEfficiencies createdReduced sewage flowsReduced cost of sewage treatment

(quantitative and qualitative)Increased payment percentages for wet

servicesPostponement of substantial CAPEX

Another key principle: Efficiency attracts development

The case of SAB-Miller in Mogale City:SAB-Miller represents the single biggest user of

water in Mogale City (10% of total) and hence also the single biggest source of revenue from water for the City

Water is the largest input cost into brewing beerCreating efficiencies=>reduces cost of water to the

end-user=>attracts future national expansion in capacity of SAB-Miller

SAVE WATER – DRINK BEER !!!

Industrial Demand Side Approaches

Water Reuse Austin,Texas is developing an entire piping system

for recaptured water to be used in a large variety of industrial and irrigation purposes throughout the city saving 150 million liter per day

California reuses over 160 billion gallons of water for irrigation and industries

eThekwini Municipality has implemented an industrial water reuse project

Demand-Side Action Case of Toronto Canada

Goal- Reduce peak water demand and waste water treatment by 15 (220 million liters per day) percent by 2015

Motivation- Demand is predicted to outstrip supply in 10-15 years dictating the need for costly infrastructure investments

Process- Created a cross sectional water efficiency team with both demand and supply side expertise

Case of Toronto Canada

ActionsLeak reduction program- reduced 30 million liters

per dayLow flow toilet installation programHorizontal Washing machine programIndustrial capacity buy-back program

ResultsEfficiency measures cost 1/3 of building new

capacity

Other examples in S.A.

Operation Gcin’amanzi project in SowetoKhayalitsha pressure management projecteThekwini optimization of water systemLeast cost planning as adapted to the

Western Highveld

----- keep listening!!!

For More Information

Mike Rabe mrabe@jwater.co.za

27 11 416 3015or

Seth Baruch at the Alliance to Save Energy

sbaruch@ase.orgwww.ase.org