State pushing utilities to efficient water use

Mike Dexel has taken the lead on implementing Washington state's water use rule. Photo by David Hathcox

June12, ATLANTA—The state of Washington is implementing a new regulation requiring water utilities to control water loss.

Mike Dexel, the water resources policy lead for the Washington State Department of Health, considers water efficiency as a measure of public health protection. “I think it is a proactive approach” considering expanding resource demands and the potential impacts of climate change, he said, during the closing day of the AWWA annual conference.

Washington’s Water Use Efficiency Rule is the result of a 2003 overhaul of municipal water law. In a state with appropriation water law, the complex legislation allowed for growth by setting a 10 percent leakage standard. Water suppliers would be able to use inchoate water rights for growth within their service areas if they implemented and achieved water efficiency goals.

The rule, which took effect in January 2007, applies to all systems with 15 or more service connections and requires them to submit water use plans to the state. In preparation for the rule, the state issued a WUE Guidebook and conducted 30 training events.

All utilities are required to educate their customers about efficient water use, and the training events promoted the US Environmental Protection Agency’s Water Sense program.

The WUE Rule requirements include

Planning, using demand forecasts, evaluation of rates and reclaimed water opportunities, and selection of customer measures, such as rebates for water-efficient plumbing or appliances.
Goal setting specific to each system that is measurable within a timeframe and takes into account water source, production, seasonal variations, water rights, and legal constraints.
Annual reports.
Installation of source and service meters within 10 years and a maintenance program that incorporates calibration and replacement.
Leak detection and correction.

The rule follows the International Water Association method to account for water use, which means that sales, maintenance flushing, firefighting, and street cleaning, are to be included in authorized use. The goal is to limit loss, or unauthorized use, from the distribution system to 10 percent or less, Dexel said.

However, the rule allows for alternative methodology for measuring water use and loss, and Dexel anticipates that AWWA’s revised manual, Water Audits and Leak Detection ( M36), will likely offer an alternative method when it is released later this year.

Although the 10 percent standard is legislatively mandated, Dexel said the goal is really to develop action plans for water loss control; a higher percentage of leaks would require more action. These plans are to document the water utility’s efforts, with the time frame, budget, and technical and economic concerns detailed.

He acknowledged that small systems might need more time to reach efficiency goals than larger systems. As a result, there could be fewer very small systems as larger systems were able to accommodate growth and might even incorporate small systems that cannot develop additional resources.

Percentages can be misleading, Dexel noted. In one case, 50 percent of the leaks were in mains, and 47 percent of the leaks in a system were from service lines; however, the service lines accounted for 58.5 percent of the volume of water lost. In addition, mains might be repaired more quickly after a leak occurs.

Mary A. Parmelee, MainStream Editor

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