Making It Count

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Utilities gets big and consistent results from water conservation programs based on public education

Every drop counts. That’s the message behind Charlotte-Mecklenburg (N.C.) Utilities’ proactive, keep-it-simple community outreach program that is helping its 220,000 households get smart about saving water.

The utility decided in 2002 to raise customers’ water conservation IQ through a WaterSmart program publicized on the Web site and through water bill inserts. It has brought about a 35 percent reduction in domestic water use since 2003, says Maeneen Klein, water conservation manager.

“In 2003, the average household use was about 7,800 gallons,” Klein notes. “Now it’s 5,100 gallons.” But the 750,000 residents the utility serves benefit from more than just saving money and water. “Water conservation just makes good sense,” says Klein. “Commu-nities that adopt water efficiency as a lifestyle will continue to prosper and grow. Moreover, it’s a shared resource. We have to ensure there’s adequate water flow to our neighboring communities downstream (on the Catawba River).”

When Klein speaks at seminars and conferences, attendees often tell her afterward that their communities can’t afford conservation programs. “I tell them they can’t afford not to,” she says. “It’s the cheapest new water you can find. It’s cheaper than building a new water plant, expanding an existing plant or finding new water sources.”

Humble beginnings

One of the first WaterSmart initiatives was Liquid Assets, in which residents used a booklet or an online survey to audit their water use. It helped customers assess where they could save water by, for example, replacing old toilets, fixing dripping faucets and using low-flow fixtures.

Depending on the audit results, the utility might send customers items such as low-flow fixtures and leak-detection tablets, which use dye to determine if toilet flappers seal properly. Along with the audit tools, the utility started including on water bills a 13-month history of each household’s consumption.

“We want customers to take ownership of their consumption patterns,” Klein says. “The consumption history makes them aware of up-and-down usage trends that may signal leaks or other problems. Then they can be proactive about fixing those problems.

The vast majority of people resolve their own problems. But if asked, we’ll visit in person if they can’t get a fix on the problem.”

In 2003, the program expanded to include a showerhead swap. “We swap 700 or 800 showerheads a year,” Klein says. “Low-flow heads easily save 5 gallons per minute, so if someone takes a five-minute shower, that’s 25 gallons per shower per person, which can really add up.”

Tackling irrigation waste

When finances allow, the utility plans to offer a $150 water bill credit to any household that replaces an old toilet with a high-efficiency toilet approved by the U.S. EPA (one per household while supplies last).

The utility also plans an all-out campaign to reduce water used for irrigation through smart control technology. Both programs are on hold because water restrictions over the last year and a half have reduced water revenues.

A 100-year drought in 2007 and 2008 that greatly increased irrigation use motivated the utility to look closely at watering of lawns and plants. The utility targeted commercial water users, including the top 100 irrigation users that account for 81 percent of all irrigation water used.

“Irrigation affects us tremendously,” Klein says. “We looked at the top 100 irrigation users during a five-month period in spring and summer of 2007, and found they used 500 million gallons of water. That’s 80 percent of all the water that flowed through irrigation meters. Smart control could have a significant impact, even at the low end of estimated savings, which is 20 percent, or 100 million gallons.”

Irrigation is prevalent in the South because keeping foliage and lawns healthy helps offset the effects of hot weather and adds to the quality of life, Klein notes. “But we felt we needed to investigate the impact of irrigation on our system. We need to be proactive. We’re not trying to eliminate irrigation, just make it more efficient, and mitigate its effect on our overall water system.”

Satellite assistance

Smart controls for irrigation systems aim to do just that. Most in-ground irrigation systems have timers to water for specific periods. With smart controls, each sprinkler head is programmed according to what it waters: lawns, shrubs, flower gardens or vegetables. The programming also includes site-specific information, such as ground slopes, sun exposure and shade coverage.

Each day, the control box downloads pertinent weather data from a satellite, then waters each zone accordingly. “The system even monitors things like how much water is lost through evaporation and the moisture content of the ground,” Klein says.

“Based on all this information, the system on any given day might irrigate just the lawn, but not the shrubs, or water the grass two days in a row. Or if your backyard gets four hours of sun a day and the front yard gets eight hours, then the backyard will get less water and the front yard will get more.”

Education is critical

To further educate customers, the utility operates the Blue Planet environmental education center, a hands-on place where children can learn the basics of the water cycle: where water comes from, how it’s treated and distributed, and how wastewater is collected and treated. The utility Web site is full of information about simple ways to save water. Residents are getting the message.

“We’ve established a track record of less usage since 2003,” Klein says. “Whether or not we’re in a drought, customers are receptive to conservation. The challenge going forward is to measure and benchmark what we do, so we can clearly show the program’s impact on water supply planning. It’s a critical tool for a well-run utility.”

In general, Klein says, it’s important for people to value water. Because it is relatively inexpensive, consumers often take it for granted, until water restrictions are imposed. That’s where an educational program is valuable. “We need to show people how seriously we take the role of stewardship, but point out their responsibility to be smart water users,” Klein says.



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