Water Online the Magazine gives Water & Wastewater Engineers and end-users a venue to find project solutions and source valuable product information. We aim to educate the engineering and operations community on important issues and trends.
Issue link: http://wateronline.epubxp.com/i/303843
Feature 11 wateronline.com ■ Water Online The Magazine s u b m i t t a l s from 2010, 36 percent were unsuitable for analysis due to errors. The Texas Water Development Board and T e n n e s s e e Comptroller's Office have reported simi- lar challenges since they began collecting water audits in 2005 and 2007, respectively. In Georgia, a statewide training and data validation initiative was conducted for the 200+ water systems subject to the water auditing and reporting requirement begin- ning in 2012. The training and validation initiative was ordered because the presence of unvetted audits and their performance indicators undermined the credibility of the entire dataset, and the auditing process as a whole 8 . A survey of the regulatory landscape today reveals grow- ing regulatory momentum for water loss in the industry and a foundational need for education, training, and validation per the AWWA M36 auditing and loss control methodology. A look back at prior research efforts 3,5,9 on this topic reveals that much has changed in a short amount of time. A look ahead at leading indicators 10,11,12 — such as draft M36 legislation in New Hampshire, or M36 policy objectives established in state- wide water conservation planning documents in Oklahoma and Hawaii — suggests that we may see an increasing rate of change in the future. References 1. EPA Report "Water Audits and Water Loss Control for Public Water Systems" http://water.epa.gov/type/ drink/pws/smallsystems/upload/epa816f13002.pdf 2. Kunkel, G. et al. Applying Worldwide Best Management Practices in Water Loss Control, AWWA Water Loss Control Committee Report, Journal AWWA, August 2003. 3. Survey of State Agency Water Loss Reporting Practices. 2002. Beecher et al. 4. Manual of Water Supply Practices — M36, Water Audits and Loss Control Programs. 2009. 3rd Edition. American Water Works Association. 5. Developments in Water Loss Control Policy and Regulation in the United States. 2005. Kunkel, G. Leakage 2005 Proceedings. 6. Sayers, D. DRBC CY2012 Water Audit Program Summary. Presentation to DRBC Water Management Advisory Committee, October 2013. 7. Sturm, R. Summary of Report of BMP 1.2 Water Audit Data. Prepared for the California Urban Water Conservation Council. 2011. 8. Moeti, L., Ph.D. Water Audit Results for Large Georgia Public Drinking Water Systems for 2011. Report for Georgia Environmental Protection Division Watershed Protection Branch. January 2013. 9. Dickinson et al. The Water Efficiency and Conservation State Scorecard – An Assessment of Laws and Policies. Prepared by the Alliance for Water Efficiency and Environmental Law Institute. September 2012. 10. Draft Rule Amendments for PART Env-Wq 2101, eff. 5-14-05 (doc #8353). New Hampshire Administrative Code, proposed amendments 05-03-13. 11. Hawaii Statewide Water Conservation Plan. Hawaii DLNR-Commission of Water Resources Management. February 2013. 12. Oklahoma Comprehensive Water Plan. Oklahoma Water Resources Board. October 2011. Figure 5: States with water loss regulatory or policy framework per AWWA M36 method (in red), as of 2013 Will Jernigan, P.E., is the director of Water Efficiency with Cavanaugh, and is an industry expert in water efficiency with a focus on water loss control and revenue recovery. 8 _ V E R T _ 0 5 1 4 C l e a n w a t e r _ C a v a n a u g h _ D G . i n d d 4 8_VERT_0514 Cleanwater_Cavanaugh_DG.indd 4 4 / 2 1 / 2 0 1 4 2 : 5 8 : 3 6 P M 4/21/2014 2:58:36 PM