Are Your Conservation Programs Really Saving Water?
Water providers in the U.S. are making substantial investments in conservation planning and programs to tackle current and future water scarcity issues. For example:
- Denver Water's conservation budget for 2011 is $8.8 million
- City of San Diego has budgeted $945,000 for water conservation, resources, and planning
- Colorado Springs Utilities plans to spend $810,000 on 2011 conservation programs
With all the money, time, and effort being spent on water conservation, you'd think there would be clearly defined procedures for quantitatively evaluating if these initiatives are producing results. That's not the case and accurate evaluation is crucial.
Water Scarcity is a Critical Issue in the U.S.
For several states, finding the necessary water to supply the communities they serve is an ongoing concern. This couldn't be more apparent than in Colorado:
- From 2008 to 2050, Colorado's population is projected to nearly double, from approximately 5.1 million to between 8.6 and 10.5 million people
- By 2050, Colorado will need between 600,000 and 1 million acre feet per year of additional municipal, irrigation, and industrial water.
Conservation Planning is a Mandate for Colorado Water Providers
To deal with water supply issues, Colorado passed the Water Conservation Act of 2004, mandating that all retail water providers who sell 2,000 acre feet (650,000,000+ gallons) or more of water annually, submit a water conservation plan to the State that has been approved by the Colorado Water Conservation Board (CWCB).
Each conservation plan must include:
- The benefits of past water conservation efforts, in terms of water saved
- The identification and evaluation of costs and water savings associated with various water conservation measures and programs that a covered entity may select for implementation.
In spite of these requirements, there are no procedures for conducting these evaluations.
Evaluating Conservation Programs is a Tough Problem to Solve
As it turns out, properly analyzing a conservation program to determine if and how much water was saved, is a difficult problem to solve. Each day, water providers are recording volumes of consumption data, weather information, billing figures and more. The size and complexity of the data make it very difficult to understand. There is a lack of industry accepted guidelines for measuring how programs are performing. And affordable, user-friendly analytical tools are just not readily available.
What results is a process of evaluation that uses very simplified calculations performed in a billing or spreadsheet application, or measuring a program's effectiveness by making ballpark estimates and guesses.
AquaHawk Analysis is the Water Conservation Program Evaluation Solution
AquaHawk Analysis™ is a service that helps water utilities quantify and objectively measure the effectiveness of their conservation programs--e.g. rate structures, ET controller programs, rebates, irrigation audits and retrofits, etc. Utilizing statistical data analysis and mathematical modeling, AquaHawk Analysis can determine:
- How much water your conservation programs are saving
- Which of your conservation programs are/are not effective
- Which programs are worth continuing or expanding
- How your organization can improve its conservation efforts
- How you compare with other water providers serving similar communities.
Measure Your Conservation Results...Accurately
AquaHawk Analysis will provide an objective, quantitative audit of your water conservation programs. Municipal water providers will finally have the information they need to understand which of their programs are effective and to what degree. It also serves as a third party verification that will demonstrate to board members, conservation committees, regulatory agencies, and your customers how your conservation programs are performing.
Who is AquaHawk Analysis for?
The service is used by municipal water providers who have implemented water conservation programs and are struggling to measure their results.
How does AquaHawk Analysis Work?
Using historical consumption data and basic property information, AmCoBi conducts a comprehensive statistical analysis. The analysis reviews how different customer types--e.g., single family residences, multifamily homes, commercial buildings--consume water. AquaHawk then measures how participants performed before and after a specific conservation program was implemented. The analysis takes into account weather variations, property size, and other factors to determine if there were water savings.
How is it Priced?
The price of an AquaHawk Analysis is based on the number of water conservation programs being reviewed and the number of accounts or meter points being evaluated. For covered entities in the State of Colorado with a water conservation plan on file, grants may be available through the CWCB.
What's Included in the AquaHawk Analysis?
The AquaHawk Analysis is a comprehensive report that includes:
- Executive summary of the findings
- Interpretation of historical usage data
- Analysis of different types of water users--e.g. single family, commercial, multifamily--and how they compare to each other
- Recommendations for improving conservation results.
When the final report is presented, AmCoBi will explain the results, answer questions, and participate in follow up discussions.
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How do I get Started?
Give us a call today to discuss an evaluation of your water conservation programs. The setup process is simple and we'll help you each step of the way.