Water
Water conservation training
BROOKSVILLE, Fla. – The Southwest Florida Water Management District is building upon the success of its Water Conservation Hotel and Motel Program (Water CHAMP) by launching a new companion program for restaurants, termed the Water Program for Restaurant Outreach.
A restaurant uses an average of 5,800 gallons of water per day, which equals more than two million gallons of water per year.
Water PRO is a free program that helps restaurants conserve water by educating staff and customers. By implementing the Water PRO program, the restaurant management agrees to only serve water upon request, display water conservation materials on tables, conduct self-audits and train staff. By joining Water PRO and installing low-flow spray valves, restaurants can save up to $1,320 per year.
Some of the ways restaurants can save water is by installing low-volume faucets and toilets in bathrooms and by making other simple retrofits. In 2001, the District conducted a water-use evaluation on a Largo restaurant and discovered it could save more than 1.5 million gallons of water a year by replacing spray nozzles with sink aerators, installing low-flow toilets and reducing the flow in dripper wells and continuous flow faucets next to ice cream and butter scoop troughs. Water saved by these retrofits led to a savings of nearly $8,000 a year for the establishment. For more information, see www.swfwmd.state.fl.us
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EPA notes clean water
ATLANTA – The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has given its EPA Region 4 2007 Clean Water Act Operations & Maintenance Award to the South Central Urban Water Reuse Facility (SCUWRF) in Douglasville, Ga. EPA’s national office has also recognized the facility’s innovative treatment technology and land application system with a 2007 Clean Water Act First Place Award for Operations and Maintenance in the small, non-discharging plant category.
Under the Clean Water Act, EPA provides awards to facilities that have demonstrated outstanding and innovative waste treatment and pollution abatement practices during the year. More information about the award is available online at: epa.gov
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Food and drink manufacturers pledge to cut water use
LONDON – Fully 21 of the UK's leading food and drink manufacturers have signed an agreement to improve their water efficiency and thereby reduce water use, according to Envirowise.
Once rolled out across the sector as a whole, the initiative could save some 140 million liters of water per day - equivalent to 56 Olympic-size swimming pools - and a combined financial saving of around £60m per year on water bills.
The signatories are: apetito; Birds Eye Iglo; Britvic; Cadbury Schweppes; Coca-Cola Enterprises; GlaxoSmithKline; Kellogg Marketing & Sales Co; Kraft Foods UK; Mars Snackfood; Müller Dairy (UK); Nestlé UK; PepsiCo UK; Premier Foods; Tate & Lyle; UIN Foods; Unilever UK; Uniq; United Biscuits; Warburtons; Weetabix; and Young's Seafood. These companies generate a combined annual turnover of more than £15 billion.
Companies working with Envirowise will review their current water use and develop site specific action plans to significantly cut water use and costs within six months of signing up to the commitment. They will report annually to Envirowise on water and cost savings made on site. Envirowise will offer signatories a package of support measures to help them. For more information, see www.envirowise.gov.uk
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Keeping water clean
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that the nation requires a $202.5 billion nationwide capital investment to control wastewater pollution for up to a 20-year period. The estimate includes $134.4 billion for wastewater treatment and collection systems, $54.8 billion for combined sewer overflow corrections, and $9.0 billion for stormwater management.
Communities across the country face challenges in sustaining their water infrastructure. EPA is working with states, tribes, utilities, and other partners to reduce the demand on infrastructure through improved asset management, improved technology, water efficiency, and watershed-based decision making. For more information, see epa.gov
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Improving drinking programs
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The National Capacity Development Strategic Plan describes how the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), state drinking water programs, drinking water system owners and operators, and technical assistance providers will work together to achieve the objectives and anticipated outcomes of the national capacity development program.
The strategy outlines how EPA and its partners will promote proactive communication and outreach to help ensure that water systems have the capacity to demonstrate long-term sustainability. Funding made available through the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF) program can be critical in advancing capacity development programs at the state level. For information about capacity development, see epa.gov
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EPA offers water management system
WASHINGTON, D.C. –- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is rolling out a management tool for small drinking water and wastewater systems.
Check Up Program for Small Systems (CUPSS) is a user-friendly computer-based program assists owners and operators in developing and using plans for maintaining their systems and providing service to their customers. This program will help bridge the growing financial gap faced by small drinking water and wastewater systems as they repair, and replace infrastructure.
The program uses information provided on the system’s assets, operation and maintenance activities, and financial status to produce a prioritized asset inventory, financial reports, and a customized asset management plan. Asset management programs support informed budget discussions, boost efficiency of the utility, and improve customer service by ensuring clean and safe water at competitive prices. For more information on CUPSS, including program downloads and ordering information, visit epa.gov
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DOE issues water standards
WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced new ENERGY STAR® criteria for water heaters. According to DOE projections, by the end of the fifth year in effect, the new water heater criteria are expected to save Americans approximately $780 million in utility costs, avoid 4.2 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions, and achieve cumulative energy savings of more than 3.9 billion kilowatt-hours and 270 million therms of natural gas. Water heating currently represents up to 17% of national residential energy consumption, making it the third largest energy user in homes, behind heating and cooling, and kitchen appliances.
For the first time, the following five categories of residential water heaters will be eligible for an ENERGY STAR® label: high-performance gas storage, whole-home gas tankless, advanced drop-in or integrated heat pump, solar, and gas condensing.
The new criteria for high-efficiency and high-performance gas storage water heaters will take effect in two phases. The first phase goes into effect January 1, 2009, and requires gas storage water heaters to have a minimum Energy Factor (EF) of 0.62 - or they must be 6.9% more efficient than the Federal Standard. Energy Factor is a measurement of relative energy efficiency for a water heater; the higher the Energy Factor, the more energy efficient the water heater. A 50-gallon high-performance gas storage water heater which meets the new ENERGY STAR® criteria, for example, is estimated to yield annual savings of 7.3% and save $26 using the national average gas rate. Effective September 1, 2010, phase two requires the EF to increase to 0.67 - or 15.5% more efficient than the Federal Standard, resulting in annual savings of 14% and $51 for a single high-performance gas storage water heater.
Taking effect January 1, 2009, whole-home gas tankless water heaters which carry the ENERGY STAR® label must have a minimum EF of 0.82, minimum gallons-per-minute flow of 2.5 at a 77 degrees Fahrenheit rise, or be 41.4% more efficient than the current Federal standard. A whole-home gas tankless water heater with a 0.82 EF is expected to achieve a 30 % reduction in energy use and save a consumer approximately $108 in annual energy costs compared to a typical gas storage water heater.
ENERGY STAR® criteria for residential drop-in or integrated heat pump water heaters require a minimum EF of 2.0 or must be 121.2 % more efficient than the Federal standard, and a minimum First-Hour Rating requirement of 50 gallons-per-hour, effective January 1, 2009. Under these criteria, a heat pump water heater is expected to save consumers nearly 55 % in energy use and yield annual energy savings of approximately $277 compared to a typical electric resistance water heater.
Effective January 1, 2009, solar water heaters must have at a minimum Solar Fraction of 0.50 and OG-300 certification from the Solar Rating and Certification Corporation (SRCC) in order to carry the ENERGY STAR® label. The SRCC is a third-party organization that rates solar water heater systems. By earning the OG-300 rating, solar water heaters have met certain performance, durability, reliability, and safety requirements set by the SRCC. An OG-300 certified solar water heater with a 0.50 Solar Fraction and a fifty-gallon electric storage auxiliary water heater would achieve a Solar Energy Factor of 1.8, saving 50 % in energy use and annual savings of $180, compared to a typical electric storage water heater. For more information, see www.energy.gov
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Detecting water contamination
SAN FRANCISCO – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has granted $8 million to San Francisco to help the city develop and evaluate a drinking water contamination warning system for its drinking water supply.
The pilot project, called the Water Security Initiative, is expected to serve as a model for the nation’s drinking water utilities. The grant funds will allow the San Francisco Public Utility Commission to pilot monitoring, sampling, detection and early warning systems. The $8 million EPA grant will be matched by a $3 million investment by the SFPUC. New York City also recently received a similar grant.
The contamination warning system to be installed and evaluated by San Francisco involves online water quality monitoring, public health surveillance, sampling and analysis, enhanced security monitoring and consumer complaint surveillance. The warning system is also designed to be sustainable for long-term operation and to even improve water quality management. For more information about the EPA’s Water Security Initiative, visit: cfpub.epa.gov
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