Watermiser

Danville Urges Water Conservation; Hendricks County Issues Burn Ban

watermiser — Thu, 28 Jun 2012 03:02:18 +0000

Source: http://www.wishtv.com/dpp/news/local/west_central/danville-urges-water-conservation-hendricks-county-issues-burn-ban

DANVILLE, Ind. (WISH) – Danville Water Utility is asking town residents to conserve water as the hot, dry weather continues, and Henricks County officials have joined many across the state in instituting a burn ban.

The utility said it has enough water to meet demand for now, but it is asking that residents not water their lawns if possible. If watering is necessary, it asks that customers south of U.S. 36 water only on odd days, and customers north of U.S. 36 water only on even days.

Residents are also asked not to wash sidewalks or driveways, to fix leaking faucets or toilets and wash full loads of clothes and dishes.

If conditions worsen, the utility said, it may institute a mandatory watering ban.

Meanwhile, Hendricks County commissioners and fire chiefs ordered a burn ban Tuesday. Anyone violating the ban on open outside burning may be subject to fines or billing by fire departments.

Officials urge people to beware of using fireworks or carelessly discarding smoking materials. It also warns residents not to leave grills unattended or use them on grass – instead using them on concrete surfaces.

The county joins dozens of other counties that have instituted burn bans with the ongoing hot, dry weather and the high risk of fire.

Water Conservation Has Cal Water Looking For Rate Hike

watermiser — Thu, 28 Jun 2012 03:00:06 +0000

Source: Ben Mullin — Staff Intern at ChicoEr.com

CHICO — The California Water Service Co. will make its case to charge some Northern California residents between 20 and 30 percent more for their water Monday.

The company, also known as Cal Water, has 28,000 water hookups servicing 100,000 customers in Chico and Hamilton City areas.

It also provides water to Willows, Oroville, and Marysville, districts that will see fee increases separate but similar to the increases in Chico, said Darin Duncan, rates manager for Cal Water.

The proposed fee increase in Chico, an average of $9.57 per user per month starting 2014, will offset decreasing revenue from water sales and help pay for infrastructure projects in Chico, said Mike Pembroke, the Chico District manager for the California Water Service Company.

Because water sales are down due to water conservation efforts, Cal Water has to charge customers more to pay for costs that don’t change much over the years, like employment and maintenance on current infrastructure, Duncan said.

“If people cut their water use by 50 percent, we’d still have 90 percent of the cost we do today,” Duncan said.

Water use in Chico has decreased 72 gallons per person per day since 2008 to 208 gallons, which Cal Water attributes to conservation on the part of its customers, said Pembroke said.

Water retailers like Cal Water have seen a statewide customer decrease because of the ongoing economic downturn, said Chris Brown, the executive director for the California Urban Water Conservation Council. The rate increases are also caused by the rising cost of infrastructure projects like pipe replacements, he said.

After the increase is proposed next week, it will undergo scrutiny and auditing from the California Public Utilities Commission for 18 months, Duncan said. The public will be able to comment on the rates during a hearing in early 2013, and notification of the increase will be sent to all of Cal Water’s customers.

After that process is completed, the public utilities commission will decide how much of the proposed increase customers should pay.

In the past, the commission has granted Cal Water between 33 and 73 percent of its proposed increase for the Chico District, according to a report requested by the Enterprise-Record. When Cal Water requested a 49 percent fee increase in 2007, the commission granted them 33 percent.

Cal Water is considering spreading out the proposed increase over the span of three years, to minimize the economic impact on its customers, Duncan said.

Some of the new revenue generated by increased fees will go toward building a 1.5-million gallon tank near the intersection of East 20th Street and Notre Dame Boulevard for an estimated $1.5 million, Pembroke said.

Cal Water also plans to identify and replace narrow pipes to bring Chico up to date with fire regulation codes, Pembroke said.

Chicoan Nancy Martin is for Cal Water’s fee increase, as long as the benefits for the infrastructure developments outweigh the costs, she said.

Kristin Drake, another Chico resident, thinks the fee hike punishes people who have been conserving water over the years.

Cal Water is in the unenviable position of discouraging its customers to use excess water, which causes decreases in revenue, Duncan said.

“It’s weird, because we want our customers to use less of our product, and we’re encouraging them and supporting them and paying for programs that allow them to do that,” Duncan said.

Arizona’s Desert Mountain Community Conserves Water with IBM Analytics

watermiser — Mon, 18 Jun 2012 07:10:42 +0000

SOURCE: SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. and ARMONK, N.Y., June 13, 2012 /PRNewswire viaCOMTEX/ –

IBM today announced that Desert Mountain, an Arizona based golf and residential community, is using IBM analytics software to help the community reallocate and reduce water usage, save energy and cut operating costs.

To view the multimedia assets associated with this release, please click http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/arizonas-desert-mountain-community-conserves-water-with-ibm-analytics-158753705.html

Desert Mountain, with 4,500 residents and six golf courses, is already a leader in water conservation as the largest reclaimed water (26 million gallons) user in metro Phoenix-Scottsdale, AZ. The community will install analytics software to manage irrigation of all six of its championship grade golf courses and expects to reduce up to 10 percent of its water usage and generate an additional 10 percent savings in energy costs related to water pumping and distribution.

Using IBM Intelligent Operations Center software for Smarter Cities with IBM Business Partner UgMO Technologies’ Wireless Soil Moisture Sensor Solution, site managers can now have in-depth access to a variety of key data ranging from turf conditions, soil moisture, volume and frequency of watering, fertilizer application, distribution costs and weather forecasts. Accounting for all of these factors on an hourly or even daily basis can be a challenge for turf managers. The new solutions delivers real time data for managing irrigation systems, monitoring exact water supplies and allocating water with unprecedented speed and the potential to increase overall efficiency by 50 percent.

Water usage can now be monitored in real time from supply source to the soil enabling immediate corrective action, rather than waiting for a monthly water bill to view water and energy consumption after the fact. Turf managers can also immediately uncover leakage or low pressure issues that are often difficult to track down and take corrective action to ensure a healthier turf and reduce water loss and waste.

New capabilities will also reduce the amount of energy used to transport and treat irrigation water, as well as reduce the costs of these processes. Additionally, the collaboration moves the labor force from reactive to more proactive duties by providing the right insight gleaned from data on turf conditions.

With IBM’s analytics capabilities, employees can manage and view the overall status of irrigation operations through a single, unified view, in real time and provide access to advanced analytics capabilities to make it easy to analyze key metrics and trends. Sensors are buried underground to measure soil moisture, temperature and salinity levels at the root level up to six times every hour, 24 hours a day. All the data generated is then delivered to the IBM Intelligent Operations Center, a centralized solution that enables real-time communication and collaboration to help coordinate actions and respond to important events as they occur throughout the environment.

Previously, course managers would communicate via “sneaker net” — running back and forth to provide updates on course conditions such as moisture and salinity levels. Now, with sensors combined with the analytic capabilities of IBM’s Intelligent Operations Center, Desert Mountain has a complete overview of the golf course operations and can access information instantaneously, and glean insights from key data to make better decisions in minutes instead of days or weeks.

“Water is one of our most precious natural resources. Because its uses are so extensive, water is very difficult to manage,” said Bob Jones, Chief Operating Officer of Desert Mountain. “Desert Mountain has recognized its responsibility to reduce water use. We’ve taken many steps to achieve this goal with an approach that includes using advanced technologies to improve the efficiency of irrigation system programs and educate golf course managers and other water users about ongoing water conservation opportunities. This collaboration with IBM and UgMO provides real-time water information, helping to make environmentally sound and economical decisions about irrigation.”

IBM Intelligent Operations Center for Smarter Cities and the UgMO solutions monitor and manage a variety of grounds such as golf courses, resorts, public parks, corporate and university campuses, and other turf-intensive facilities, providing operational insight into daily operations through centralized intelligence.

In addition, IBM Intelligent Operations Center for Smarter Cities can be extended to help support a wide range of integration projects across the city or within agencies and departments. City leaders can adopt service solutions from IBM or IBM Partners that integrate city management of services such as public safety, transportation, water, building and energy management with the Intelligent Operation Center. Examples of city-wide uses supported by the Intelligent Operations Center for Smarter Cities include the management of public safety, transportation and water.

“A well designed, analytics driven irrigation system can significantly reduce water waste by collecting and analyzing data about water transmission – how water flows, where it flows, how it’s used, how it’s lost and where it’s vulnerable to future losses,” said IBM Smarter Water Program Director Michael Sullivan. “The ability to monitor these systems in real time means that potential problems such as under or over watering, a burst pipe, a slow leak or a malfunctioning pump can be quickly identified and resolved – or even predicted and prevented.”

To listen to Desert Mountain COO Bob Jones, please go to http://bit.ly/JX7qtt For more information on Desert Mountain, please visit http://desertmountain.com/ For more information on IBM Business Partner UgMO Technologies please visithttp://www.ugmo.com/For more information on IBM’s Smarter Cities, please visitwww.ibm.com/smartercities For more information on how IBM is working with midmarket clients: http://ibm.co/oR3Vzi

Contacts:

Sandy Painter Desert Mountain 480-595-4011 Lizette Kodama IBM Media Relations 646-675-0750 Jenny Hunter IBM Media Relations 510-919-5320

Copyright (C) 2012 PR Newswire. All rights reserved

Navigating Water Rate Increases in Lingering Drought

watermiser — Mon, 11 Jun 2012 04:19:36 +0000

Source: Kate Galbraith – NY Times

MIDLAND — David Rosen, a self-employed geologist, said he was relieved when he looked at his water bill for April. The drought-stricken city of Midland had just slapped a steep rate increase on heavy water users, and Mr. Rosen had avoided a big charge by curtailing his sprinkler use.

“I was watering like crazy in March to beat the price increase,” he said as he sat in his living room on a rare rainy day. Outside, his lawn showed the effects of the cutback, with big yellow patches alongside the green.

Higher prices have a way of grabbing attention, and many communities across Texas are raising rates to pay for new water supplies and to encourage conservation amid concerns that the lingering drought may portend a broader water crisis.

Water experts say it is about time Texans placed more value on this irreplaceable natural resource, given the state’s rapid population growth and fickle weather. But raising rates often triggers public resistance in a state that is wary of too much government.

“Every time we have to raise rates, it is a battle,” said Doug Evanson, the chief financial officer with the San Antonio Water System, which in 2010 increased rates by 33 percent on top water users. “It’s not fun.”

Comparing rates is a tricky proposition, not only in Texas but across the United States, because rate structures vary tremendously by city. Utilities also have different ways of recording water-use data, although legislation passed last year in Texas should help standardize reporting.

Better information is a priority because municipal water demand in Texas is expected to rise by more than 70 percent by 2060.

What is clear, however, is that water rates in big Texas cities are lower than in most other major metropolitan areas in the country, at least for moderate users.

Last year, for example, a household that used 7,500 gallons a month in Dallas — less than the city’s unusually high 10,140-gallon-per-month single-family use last year — would pay just $21.45, according to data collected by the market-analysis group American Water Intelligence. That is barely half the figure for Eastern cities like Philadelphia and Boston, which charge less than Seattle and Portland — places not known for water shortages.

State Representative Drew Darby, Republican of San Angelo, noticed the cheap water years ago when he studied water rates and found that Minnesota cities paid far more for water than their West Texas counterparts.

“You say, ‘That doesn’t really make sense. We’re on the edge of the Chihuahuan Desert, and they’re in the Land of 10,000 Lakes,’ ” Mr. Darby said.

Water, unlike oil, is not perceived as having an underlying value, he added.

Cities in the drought-stricken Permian Basin are just now making significant changes to their rate structures.

A year ago, Odessa and Big Spring had “uniform rates,” meaning that the charge per gallon of water (above a base price) did not change even as use increased, a practice that environmentalists say does little to discourage excess use.

Both cities have introduced tiered-rate structures, a common system nowadays, so that rates will rise in incremental blocks as a household’s water use increases.

Snyder, another city in the area, also changed its rate structure, so a 10,000-gallon-per-month customer will now pay nearly $60 per month, versus about $43 a year ago.

Utility officials say that water bills are comparable to cellphone or cable bills and generate a disproportionate amount of grumbling.

“We have people come in and say: ‘I’m really struggling to pay my water bill. Just a minute, let me answer my cellphone,’ ” said Mr. Evanson of the San Antonio Water System. That attitude, he said, was “frustrating to me as the financial person.”

When cities set out to encourage conservation, environmentalists say a key strategy is to increase rates for the biggest water users, so they water their lawns less. (Lawn watering can account for 50 percent to 80 percent of households’ summertime use, studies say.)

Indeed, several big Texas cities, led by Austin, assess charges to heavy residential water users (22,440 gallons per month and above) that match or exceed the nationwide average for large cities, according to 2010 data from the American Water Works Association.

“People respond to price, and that helps drive water use down,” said Jennifer Walker, a water resources specialist with the Lone Star chapter of the Sierra Club, who argues for affordable rates for low water users and much higher rates for big users.

Midland’s April rate hike targeted big users — so that households using more than 10,000 gallons a month now pay five times as much per gallon as they paid before.

“The thought process was, ‘If we don’t hit them in the pocketbooks, they will not adjust their habits,’ ” said Mayor Wes Perry, who added that he had received a few angry calls but that people had paid attention. The rate increase is temporary, to get through the drought, he said — and next summer, the City Council will work on a new rate structure.

But rates alone are not enough to encourage conservation. Indeed, El Paso and San Antonio — two cities lauded by environmentalists for encouraging residents to save water through incentives for low-flow appliances and other programs — have lower rates for 7,500-gallon-per-month users than Fort Worth or Houston, according to A.W.I. data.

Water restrictions also stimulate savings. When Midland boosted rates in April, it also tightened its rules so that residents could water their lawns only once a week for two hours. So far, the city is meeting its water-saving objectives. Even so, not all users will overhaul their habits. Mr. Rosen, like some of his Midland neighbors, has just drilled a well so he can maintain his lawn and trees even if high rates and restrictions remain.

But saving water is not the only aim of adjusting water rate structures. (Indeed, San Antonio officials also say that some of the biggest water users will not respond to price signals.) Conservation can in fact pose a conundrum for utilities, because it reduces their revenues. Officials often point to the need to pay for new water supplies or fix leaky pipes as a reason to raise rates, and the utilities also typically carry large debt loads that require interest payments. The rate increases in many Permian Basin cities will help pay for access to new water supplies, as the lakes those cities draw from remain dangerously low.

With the Texas population projected to leap from 25 million to 46 million by 2060, cities across the state will be seeking new water sources. That means expanding beyond the cheapest and most convenient water sources, like lakes and freshwater aquifers, which are already being tapped, according to William West Jr., the general manager of the Guadalupe-Blanco River Authority. His agency is considering seawater desalination — often considered the costliest form of water production — but he said that other types of projects, like building reservoirs, also carry high costs.

“We’re going to have sticker shock, with or without desalination,” Mr. West said. “That’s coming.”

kgalbraith@texastribune.org

This article was reported and written with help from a media fellowship from the Bill Lane Center for the American West at Stanford University.

Oil Sands Operators Should Lead Water Conservation Drive: Deloitte

watermiser — Thu, 07 Jun 2012 20:41:51 +0000

Source: Yadullah Hussain from Canada.com Network

     Let’s face it, we have managed our bounties poorly. While the country has 20% of the world’s fresh water supply, Canadians are among the largest per capita consumers in the world, each of us using an average of 2,500 litres per day — or more than 100 times the amount of water used per day by people in much of the developing world.
     “If there is an area of resource development that is going to benefit from focused innovation, water management is it,” notes management consultant Deloitte in a new report. “Unlike energy sources themselves, water has no alternative. It is the very definition of indispensable, irrespective of circumstance.”
     Contrary to popular belief, the petroleum industry “uses the least amount of water and recirculates more of what is uses than all other sectors in Canada”, there is still a need to find innovative ways to reduce, re-use and recycle water in the industry. In fact, the petroleum industry should lead that drive, argues the consultancy.
     “Canada leads the world in heavy oil technology, with research and development proceeding in the areas of advanced in situ processing and recovery, process water treatment and re-use and co-generation technologies aimed at energy efficiencies,” Deloitte notes.
      Not everyone would agree. Environmentalists claim oil sands operators return almost none of the water they use to the natural cycle, while water consumption in the oil sands reached 170 million cubic metres last year, equivalent to the residential water use of 1.7 million Canadians, according to the Pembina Institute Furthermore, aboriginal groups blame rapid oil and gas development for contamination and depletion of fresh water in and around their lands.
     All of this makes Deloitte’s point all the more important: given the demands the oil industry makes on water resources, it should be tasked with driving water efficiencies, especially as it already has the research & development infrastructure in place.
Instead, the government’s recent federal budget is sending mixed signals to the industry.
     “On the one hand, cuts in R&D credits will provide only negligible savings to government over the long term and risk putting Canada out of favour with multinationals trying to attract and deploy investment capital in our industries,” the report notes.
      “On the other hand, the announced $200-million of agency funding continues the very interventionist approach whereby government attempts to pick winners that many believe is a major reason why Canada lags the world in converting R&D investment into profit.”

Water Conservation

watermiser — Wed, 30 May 2012 06:38:16 +0000

Source: City of Santa Barbara

It is a dry year; the City’s rainfall to date is 11 inches, far below the annual average of 18 inches. Because we live in a semi-arid climate it is common to have a dry year. One dry year does not mean we have a water shortage, but it does reinforce the need to always manage our water supplies to prepare for a prolonged drought.

Fortunately, the City has a diverse water supply portfolio. The City’s primary water supply is Lake Cachuma, which spilled last year and is currently 90% full. Another significant water source is Gibraltar Reservoir, which also filled last year, and is currently near capacity. State Water, groundwater, and recycled water also add to our available water supplies.

The City manages its water supplies to plan for a six-year dry period and resulting water shortage. When Lake Cachuma stops spilling, we assume we are in the first year of a drought and begin planning for a prolonged dry weather scenario. We do this by saving water from the various supplies so they will be available in later years of a drought.

So what does that mean for water conservation? The City’s Water Conservation Program offers incentives and assistance for water conservation. We rely on our customers to conserve water consistently to achieve long-term water savings. This is what allows us to have the “extra” water to save for prolonged drought. In the fourth year of drought, the City does count on extraordinary water conservation to bridge the gap between supply & demand.

The City is grateful to our customers for all they have done to save water. By saving water, we are doing the right thing for Santa Barbara and ensuring water is available for future generations. The City offers many opportunities for you to reap the benefits to conserving water: saving money and time, keeping your landscape beautiful and protecting the environment. For details on all the City offers for water conservation, go to www.SaveWaterSB.org or call 564-5460.

IAPMO Supports Proposed Legislation Addressing U.S. Water Crisis

watermiser — Wed, 30 May 2012 06:37:14 +0000

IAPMO, the preeminent developer of codes governing plumbing, mechanical, swimming pool and solar systems, has expressed public support for two proposed pieces of legislation concerning national water supplies introduced by U.S. Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-Texas).

The Energy and Water Research Integration Act of 2012 focuses attention on the energy-water nexus, which means the energy required to provide reliable water supplies and the water required to provide reliable energy supplies. The Act directs the Secretary of Energy to integrate water considerations into the Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) energy research. The bill requires the Secretary to seek to advance energy technologies and practices that would minimize freshwater withdrawal and consumption, increase water use efficiency, and utilize nontraditional water sources with efforts to improve water quality. The Secretary is required to develop a Strategic Plan and create technical milestones to address the energy-water nexus.

“The Energy and Water Research Integration Act of 2012 is long overdue and integral to addressing the energy-water nexus,” IAPMO CEO GP Russ Chaney said. “In achieving energy independence, the embedded energy in water is often overlooked by policymakers. This bill focuses the spotlight on this key issue and calls for better water collection data, which is desperately needed to properly address this ever-growing problem.”

The Coordinating Water Research for a Clean Water Future Act of 2012elevates the importance of clean and reliable water through the implementation of a National Water Research and Development Initiative at the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) out of the White House. The Initiative will improve the federal government’s role in coordinating federal water research activities, which will help address changes in U.S. clean water use, quality, supply, and demand. The Act establishes an interagency committee, coordinating office, and advisory committee to implement the Initiative.

“This focused initiative would create a collaborating effect among the federal government to better address the very fragmented issues facing the plumbing industry and the overall water issue as a whole,” Chaney said. “With plumbing systems being an IAPMO key core-competency, we feel strongly that the provisions outlined in both bills are pivotal to the needs of our country in addressing the water crisis.”

With membership of approximately 7,300 members worldwide, IAPMO remains the only standards body where plumbing, mechanical and solar codes are developed employing a true voluntary consensus process accredited by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI).

“These two bills will focus the federal government research efforts on clean water, a critical natural resource that we can no longer afford to take for granted,” Rep. Johnson said. “Whether it is billions of dollars in lost revenue to our country’s small businesses, or lack of quality water supplies, the country is already feeling the impacts of reduced water availability and quality. Given this diverse base of support and the passage of similar bills through the House in the 111th Congress, I hope that the Science, Space, and Technology Committee and the House will be quick to take up these pieces of legislation and move them expeditiously. With IAPMO’s core competency on plumbing issues, I appreciate their support and expertise.”

Fines of $500 for Those Who Steal Water

watermiser — Wed, 30 May 2012 06:36:17 +0000

Summer season is getting closer and the City of Laredo is urging the community to take action in conserving water.

Our reporter Carolina Garcia speaks to a representative with the utilities department who says citations will be given to those who take advantage and use the resource without paying for it.

5 Hundred dollars per violation per day is the fine residents who are caught stealing water from a water hydrant or making any other violations could face.

Water Conservation Planner Karla Robles said that in addition to that there’s also the water waste fees so every costumer that receives a citation for the first time, they will also have a five dollars water waste fee added to their bill and it increases if violation is repeated.

Karla Robles says once the consumer reachers a 6th citation, another fine of 360 dollars will be applied.

That’s because she says the water conservation and the drought contingency ordinance have been taken lightly by many residents.

Now they are approaching the community raising awareness of steps that can be followed to help conserve water.

Robles said, “Not leaving the hose unattended making sure if they see anybody stealing water from the fire hydrant to contact us because that’s a way of conserving water.”

Robles says reporting a violation can save thousands of gallons of the natural resource.

We speak to a local resident, Benny Salinas who says he has done that in the past.

He said, “On the first I was hey they’re water leaking and people aren’t aware of it so let me go ahead and report it to the proper authorities so they can go ahead and repair it.”

Laredo is currently in stage of two of the contingency ordinance which asks residents to voluntarily water their plants only three times a week but Robles says that can change at any point for several reasons.

She says the water plant can process 60 million gallons of water per day and as the city grows that amount does not increase.

EXCLUSIVE: The Top 25 Water Users in Worcester

watermiser — Mon, 21 May 2012 13:04:13 +0000

The Top 25 water users in Worcester have consumed a combined 934 million gallons of water and paid $4 million in fiscal 2012. The majority are schools, hospitals and housing projects.

Leading the pack in water consumption is the University of Massachusetts Medical School (UMass), which used 138,157,096 gallons of water between July 1, 2011 and April 13, 2012, according to documents GoLocalWorcester obtained from city hall. That’s enough to fill more than 77,000 average-sized, above-ground swimming pools. All that water cost $598,581.50.

List stays steady

The hospital is part of the list GoLocalWorcester compiled, one that has remained relatively steady over the past decade, according to Philip Guerin, director of environmental systems for the Worcester Department of Public Works and Parks (DPWP). Before that, there was a much different make-up, with many large manufacturers accounting for much of the water use.

“What you have on the list now is what’s left of the big manufacturers,” said Guerin. “And colleges have always been up there.”

In fact, as the city – not unlike most other Central Massachusetts towns that once were known for their old mills and manufacturing companies – continues to grow, especially its medical and educational facilities, the top user list has reflected that sea of change.

“Historically, it’s pretty much been that same list for a while. It’s been fairly constant the last 10 years or so,” said Guerin. “There’s been a shift to more institutions, such as colleges and hospitals. Historically, there were a lot more manufacturers. They just don’t exist any more.”

Water use

They haven’t all gone the way of the dinosaur, though. The Polar Corporation – recognizable to motorists on Interstate 290 because of its giant, inflatable polar bear and billboard – is the city’s No. 2 largest water consumer. The company used 114,144,800 gallons between July 1, 2011 and April 13, 2012, at a cost of $542,375. Saint-Gobain is No. 4 on the list, using 73,618,160 gallons during that same span at a cost of $323,574.50.

Multiple attempts to obtain comments for this story from UMass were unsuccessful. Representatives from Polar and Saint-Gobain also did not return telephone calls seeking comment.

Rates increasing

Depending on how much conservation water customers – especially single-family homeowners – plan to do, the quarterly bills could be getting bigger. The city’s biggest water users no doubt are following city councilors as they mull a 6-cent, or 1.8 percent increase, up to $3.31 per hundred cubic feet (748 gallons) of water used for fiscal 2013. The current water rate is $3.25 per hundred cubic feet of water usage. Water rates in Worcester have increased seven straight years.

The current sewer rate is $5.40 per hundred cubic feet of usage (sewer rates are also targeted for an increase, up 12 cents to $5.52 per cubic feet). Sewer rates have gone up nine straight years.

The DPWP is also recommending an increase on the rate for out-of-town users to $3.60 per cubic feet, an increase of 20 cents, or 5.9 percent.

“The cost,” said Guerin, “has definitely gone up.”

Less usage

One factor in the rise of water rates is a steady decrease in consumption. According to Guerin, water use peaked in 1988 around 27 million gallons a day. That, said Guerin, was the total amount of water coming into the water system. The amount dipped to about 23 million gallons a day before leveling off, Guerin said. It has since dropped to about 22 million gallons a day.

The water and sewer department depends solely on its rates for revenue, since it does not derive tax income. As consumption has declined, officials had no choice but to increase rates to meet the costs associated with providing water and sewer service.

“It is the conundrum of the public water supply profession,” Guerin said. “All the revenue we need comes from water and sewer rates, there are no tax dollars. Our revenue depends on us selling a product. If we sell less, we get less revenue. We’re a fixed cost business.”

A dilemma

That means the annual cost of providing water and sewer service won’t change much. If the money coming in goes down, and costs don’t, the department is left with few options. Worcester Housing Authority (WHA) Executive Director and former Mayor Raymond Mariano said he understands the dilemma facing the DPWP.

“I think Worcester does a reasonably good job,” he said. “The guys and girls doing the work over there know what they’re doing. If rates go up, I don’t worry about it. The city has a certain set of fixed costs that won’t be dramatically lowered. They have to raise that revenue, so there’s a direct correlation between rates and water use. When you go to communities where there are a lot wells, there isn’t that challenge.”

The WHA, which ranks No. 3 on the list of top water consumers, used 82,827, 536 gallons from July 1, 2011 through April 13. While much less than what UMass Medical School has used, it’s still enough water to get more than 6,900 pools ready for summer. The cost for WHA was $359,899.75.

DPWP salaries are also playing a role in the proposed fiscal 2013 water rate increase. According to a report from City Manager Michael O’Brien to city councilors, the pay raises are part of the city’s contractual obligation as part of collective bargaining.

Said Guerin: “The increase in salaries is not a big driver of water rate increases,” Guerin said.

Water conservation

The town of Paxton is in the middle of reviewing its contract with Worcester. As the fifth largest water user – the town has its own water supply, but draws from Worcester to augment its service – Paxton used 97,700 gallons between July 1, 2011 and April 13, 2012. The charge was $360,884. Paxton currently pays $3.32 per cubic foot of water. The community sends some water to Worcester to be treated.

“We’ve been looking for some revision, because they do pull some of the water from our supply,” Paxton Town Administrator Carol Riches said.

Water use in Paxton has declined, she said. Through March, the town used a combined 53 million gallons of water. Through March of fiscal 2011, the customers consumed about 58 million gallons.

“I’ve followed the water consumption since coming on board,” said Riches, who has been in her position for about 16 months. “I’m surprised how much it has gone down.”

Officials in Paxton provide water conservation education, Riches said. Workers also frequently check for leaks, because the infrastructure is “really old,” she said. That step, combined with measures put in place by the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection help keep things under control, she said.

“People are conscious of having to pay for (water),” Riches said. “I know in my family, I tell my kids not to take long showers.”

At the WHA, conservation efforts are also paramount.

“As part of an energy conservation program, we pay a considerable amount of attention to it,” said Mariano, citing the installation of low-water consuming toilets and shower heads.

Tips to conserve water

While the DPWP has to make money, that doesn’t mean water conservation isn’t a priority. The city has been fortunate in recent years, however, to have maintained a high capacity in its 10 reservoirs. The last time a water ban was put in effect, for example, was around 1999, according to Guerin, when the city was at 50-percent capacity and outdoor water use was limited to every other day. Other towns, such as Sturbridge, regularly implement outdoor water bans.

“We’re still at 100 percent capacity in our reservoirs,” said Guerin. “If we’re around that level June 1, we can go through the summer without an issue.”

Still, customers can and should take measures to conserve water consumption. For one thing, said Guerin, older buildings and houses that still have old toilets operating on three-and-a-half gallons per flush should upgrade to newer, more efficient models that use just 1.6 gallons per flush. Also, newer, high-efficiency clothes washers can help, although they can be expensive.

The main culprit for wasting water, however, is lawn care.

“Watering your lawn can use as much water as you’ll use the rest of the year with anything else,” Guerin said. “We encourage people to know how to control their irrigation systems. That’s a big one, because people water their lawns all summer and don’t get their bills until September. Then they see their bill has tripled.”

Tampa Bay water solution simple: Charge heavy users more

watermiser — Mon, 21 May 2012 13:01:08 +0000

Tampa Bay experienced the 11th driest winter since 1915 and it is once again in a drought. Tampa Bay residents continue to demand more water than the Southwest Florida Water Management District, or Swiftmud, and Tampa Bay Water can supply. To reduce water demand, lawn watering is limited to once a week and the operation of outdoor fountains to four hours a day.

What is wrong with limiting frivolous uses of water during a drought? During the area’s last drought, the Tampa Bay Times ran a story about a Swiftmud official receiving a question from someone with a backyard pond stocked with koi, the colorful Japanese carp. The pond’s fountain is keeping the fish alive, the owner said. Will Swiftmud save water by killing koi? The Swiftmud official said that, so far, no answer had surfaced.

Water restrictions force bureaucrats to spend time fielding questions about lawns, birdbaths, and the life and death of koi. Many more person-hours and budget dollars are used to educate consumers, enforce new rules and punish cheaters. All the effort spent engaging in such matters comes at a high cost for the Tampa Bay area.

It doesn’t have to be this hard. The price mechanism does a fine job of allocating scarce resources. The markets for economics professors and tomatoes operate efficiently by allocating resources to the individuals willing to pay the highest price. Allowing the market to allocate the supply of water in Tampa Bay would work, too — if we let it.

A 2005 Swiftmud study found that water use will decrease as the price of water increases. Thus, we do not need to resort to inefficient bureaucratic mechanisms to allocate water. A better pricing system will give consumers the freedom to decide on the life or death of their koi or on the greenness of their lawns. Along the way, Tampa Bay Water can increase its coffers by charging heavy users higher prices.

The city of Tampa uses a tiered system in which the per-gallon rate increases with higher water usage. Currently, it costs $10.45 a month for the first 3,740 gallons of water. This lowest-rate tier is a proxy for the necessary indoor water use of a typical household — cooking, bathing, laundry and flushing toilets. Outdoor water use, however, varies greatly across households and includes irrigating lawns, filling swimming pools, and supporting koi ponds. We offer a relatively simple proposal: In times of drought, Tampa Bay Water should sharply raise the price of water for volumes above the lowest tier.

While our proposal increases the price of using a gallon of water, customers would have the opportunity to conserve to avoid higher bills. If a customer used less than 3,740 gallons per month, his bill would not increase. Customers have the freedom to decide how to conserve water. A customer might decide to install a water-saving shower head rather than be forced to switch off the life support for koi. From a communitywide perspective, a gallon of water saved is a gallon of water saved.

Consumers are sensitive to water rates, so water use will diminish if upper-tier rates are increased. However, the Swiftmud study found that very wealthy users are less sensitive to price changes. They can afford to maintain their lush landscapes and run their fountains. A higher water bill would be a minor part of their monthly expenses. Thus, we should not expect significant usage reductions from this group. Even if these folks choose not to conserve water, they will provide extra revenue to Tampa Bay Water, which it might use to fund the repair of the cracked reservoir.

How would the poorest households be affected? The Swiftmud study reports that lower-income households have a limited ability to reduce water consumption when faced with higher prices because they are mostly indoor water users satisfying basic needs. By not changing the price of water in the lowest tier, the area’s poorest households would not be impacted by increased upper-tier water prices.

Rather than prohibit specific uses of water for all households, we suggest that in times of drought, water authorities temporarily institute a significant increase in upper-tier water rates. This proposal avoids an undue burden on the poor while encouraging water conservation among outdoor water users. Expensive water encourages consumers to choose how to conserve. And it is more efficient than having bureaucrats perform the impossible task of deciding what types of water use should be restricted and whether the koi shall live or die.

Robert L. Beekman is an assistant professor of economics and coordinator of the international business program at the University of Tampa. Before working at UT, Beekman was an economist for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Brian T. Kench is an associate professor of economics, editor of “The Tampa Bay Economy,” and chairman of the Department of Economics at the University of Tampa.