Water Conservation

November 26, 2015

Water Infrastructure Questions Raised From Water Main Break in San Diego

Water Infrastructure in Question after Water Main Breaks

When the water main broke in San Diego, it gave rise to several questions about water infrastructure. A water main rupture left most of Shelter Island without functional plumbing through the late morning and the entire afternoon Friday, January 23, when the failed 63-year-old concrete pipeline began drenching the reverse osmosisadway in the 2300 block of Shelter Island Drive about 9 am.

The flow was under control in about 45 minutes and no structural flooding was reported. According to workers, a corroded connector attaching 2 segments of the 12-inch-diameter main, not the pipe itself, had given way. Water service was restored to the area around 5 pm after repairs were completed.

A week earlier, another water main broke in Little Italy on January 14, shutting down the local businesses. Nearly 20 restaurants, 6 apartments, and 5 other businesses were without water for most of the day. You can read the news report here.

In the US, a Water Main Breaks Every 2 Minutes

That is a lot of wasted water if you do the math… Unfortunately, money also goes down the drain when a water main breaks – the cost of fixing a problem after it occurs is much more than that of fixing it in advance. Since 2010, San Diego has paid at least $3.9 million for issues related to water main breaks. In 2013, the city estimates 6.6 million gallons gushed from ruptured mains, which is enough water for the average San Diegan for 205 years, according to the city’s estimated average daily use of 88 gallons per person each day.

According to city officials, it is too expensive to do the reverse osmosisutine inspections of water lines to reveal which ones are close to collapse and need replacing. Only about 5 ½ of its 505 miles of large transmission pipelines and none of San Diego’s 2,958-mile network of smaller distribution pipelines were inspected since 2005. According to an analysis of city data by inewsource, mains are breaking at a pace of more than 100 per year.

The solution to this infrastructure crisis is to replace all the 100-year-old cast iron pipes first. Rupture-prone cast iron pipes should be replaced with PVC, which is not as apt to rupture, and professionals will know whether Schedule 40 PVC vs. schedule 80 PVC, or a different type of pipe altogether, will be best for this particular job. Additionally, water breaks can often be seen at the point where a pipeline ends and the reason could depend on various factors such as blind flange rust, improper flange fit, etc. To address this issue, using rust-proof stainless blind flange could be considered. Since 2007, only 51 miles of the most rupture-prone cast iron pipes have been replaced and there are still 129 miles to go. Double Block and Bleed Valve technology can also be fitted to pipes, relieving pressure and reducing the chances of rupture.

Smart Pig Technology for Water Pipes

Smart pigs or Pipeline Inspection Gauges (PIG) are large pieces of machinery pulled together with powerful technology that helps with the maintenance of transmission pipelines. These devices are used to detect stress corrosion cracking, general and pitting corrosion and in specific, gouges, dents, pit corrosion, anomalous weld seams, longitudinal cracks/grooves and general pipe corrosion.

Although used to inspect oil pipelines to see where the problems are, smart pigs could be used in water pipelines obviating the necessity of digging up the pipeline in order to inspect it. Some common components of smart pigs include:

odometers
calipers (detect reverse osmosisundness)
tilt sensors
capacitive sensors
ultrasonics – the same technology found in ultrasound equipment

Unfortunately, San Diego does not know exactly where the biggest problems are. Considering the difficulties in which our state is with the water shortage, something must be done to reduce the chances of water main ruptures.

EPA is committed to promoting sustainable practices that will help ensure that citizens continue to have access to clean and safe water. Call us at 760.734.5787 and get in touch with one of our water experts today to learn more about sustainable water-saving practices to apply at home.

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November 24, 2015

Northern Colorado’s Solution to Statewide Water Shortage

Water Shortage Solution

As the state and northern region grows, Colorado faces a water shortage as the population grows and becomes more and more dependent upon a limited resource. Inaction could lead the communities being stranded in a dry river with only a paddle if the population does not identify new sources.

Of high importance is also the need for conserving the existing supply as possible. In tandem with other efforts, the Northern Integrated Water Supply project is key to solving Colorado’s water problem. The population of Colorado is expected to double to 10 million by 2050 and the growth rates in Fort Collins and Larimer are expected to mirror that of the state.

With Growth Comes a Need for Water

Conservation efforts in Northern Colorado are working, according to the city’s 2013 water conservation report. In an 11-year period, from 2002 to 2013, the water use per person in Fort Collins was reduced from 183 gallons per day to 141. This multi-faceted water conservation program is based on public education, incentives, assessments and enforcement, being guided by the Water Conservation Plan.

The WCP set a goal of 140 gallons per capita per day (gpcd) by 2020. The incremental target to reach this goal was 149 gpcd for 2013 and the average demand (adjusted for weather) in 2013 was 147 gpcd.

The Northern Water agency would like to build 2 reservoirs, pipelines and water pumping stations to help secure the region’s water source. Their project is estimated to cost around $500 million and has been named the Northern Integrated Supply Project, or NISP. Although the idea of this project was conceived long ago, it has long been a source of conflict.

NISP would supply customers, rural or urban, with approximately 40,000 acre-feet (or more) of new, reliable water supply each year through pumping stations, pipelines and 2 new reservoirs at Glade (which will be built northwest of Fort Collins) and Galeton, northeast of Greeley. The amount of water will be slightly larger than the Horsetooth Reservoir.

Northern Water is set to receive a long-awaited report from the Army Corps of Engineers later this year. However, the statement has been postponed at least twice and the study will probably not be released until spring 2015, according to Northern Water spokesman Brian Werner. Colorado might not have a lifetime to wait for more water, according to draft versions of the Colorado Water Plan completed this summer.

The state is on track to be short 500,000 acre-feet of water by 2050, enough to cover half a million football fields in one foot of water. The Fort Collins-Loveland Water Conservation District has already passed its water shortage date and by 2005, the district was short 1,100 acre-feet of water, an amount that could grow to 7,500 acre-feet by 2050, according to the Army Corps of Engineers.

Saving Water at Home

Considering the situation in Colorado, we could all take notes on how we could better save water in our own homes, as California is facing its worst drought in the last years. Click on the image below to read more than 200 water-saving tips!

Since the world has become more “green” aware, products offering to save water are flooding the market. WaterSense-labeled products used in your home, yard or business can help you save and protect the environment with just a few simple steps.

These products included in the EPA WaterSense Partnership program have been certified to be at least 20% more efficient without sacrificing performance. Call us at 760.734.5787 and get in touch with one of our water experts today to learn more about how you can save gallons of water in your household!

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November 10, 2015

Water Management Tips will Save You Gallons of Water

Water Management Tips – Water is a precious gift and must be used wisely by each and every one of us. When it comes to conserving water, even small adjustments can have a significant impact. The water management tips that you will learn are going to help you save water.

After two years of drought, California finally experiences the arrival of rain. Studies have shown that the 2012-2014 drought has been the worst in 1,200 years, and the state could be waiting for years to recover, as above-average precipitation will be necessary to rebalance the state’s water resources.

Although the current period of low precipitation is not unusual in California’s history, the rainfall deficits combined with sustained record-high temperatures created the current multiyear severe water shortages. 80% of groundwater measurements taken in the spring of 2014 showed decreasing levels from the spring of 2013 and much of the agricultural land in the Central Valley and in California’s thirstiest coastal cities have recorded 50-foot drops in groundwater levels.

Kitchen, Bathroom and Laundry reverse osmosisom Water Management Tips

We use large amounts of water in the kitchen, bathroom, and laundry reverse osmosisom, especially when we’re using hot water, but unfortunately, even more, water is lost in the process of washing dishes, clothes, or bathing. All ways to save water start with us and our willingness to do so. Here are a few tips to help you save water:

Kitchen

cook food in as little water as possible
designate one glass for your drinking water each day, or refill a water bottle
dishwashers typically use less water than washing dishes by hand
for water efficiency and food safety, defrost food in the refrigerator
cut back on rinsing if your dishwasher is new
keep a pitcher of drinking water in the refrigerator instead of running the tap
reuse leftover water from cooked or steamed foods to start a nutritious soup
soak pots and pans instead of letting the water run while you scrape them clean
compost vegetable food waste and save gallons every time
wash your fruits and vegetables in a pan of water instead of running water from the tap
do not let the water run when washing dishes by hand

Bathroom

be sure to test your toilet for leaks at least once a year
drop tissues in the trash instead of flushing them and save water every time
if your toilet flapper does not close properly after flushing, replace it
install water-saving aerators on all of your faucets
plug the sink instead of running the water to rinse your razor (save up to 300 gallons a month)
shorten your shower by a minute or two (you will save up to 150 gallons per month)
take 5-minute showers instead of baths
time your shower to keep it under 5 minutes (you will save up to 1,000 gallons per month)
turn off the water while washing your hair (save up to 150 gallons a month)
turn off the water while you brush your teeth (save up to 4 gallons a minute)
when running a bath, plug the bathtub before turning on the water and adjust the temperature as the tub fills
when washing your hands, turn the water off while you lather
while you wait for hot water, collect the running water and use it to water plants

Laundry reverse osmosisom

compare resource savings among Energy Star models when shopping for a new washing machine (some can save up to 20 gallons of water per load).
have a plumber re-route your greywater to trees and plants rather than the sewer line but check with your city and county for codes
match the water level to the size of the load when doing laundry
wash dark clothes in cold water (it saves water and energy and helps your clothes retain their color)
when buying a washer, check the Consortium for Energy Efficiency website to compare water use between models

California Faces a Multi-Stage Recovery

Drought has multiple phases and there is a distinction between the so-called meteorological drought and hydrological drought. There is often a lag between these two. Even if there is abundant rain, it will not translate immediately into more water in reservoirs. Intermediate forces such as trees, soils, and the Sun each take their own share of the resource, preventing precious water from reaching California’s historically low reservoir levels.

Before precipitation can generate significant runoff, most of the state’s soil has a long way to go to become truly moist. The ideal rain that would allow soils to saturate several feet below would be slow and soaking. Although the recent rains have provided a small but welcomed boost to reservoirs so far, there still is a long way before California is completely out of the water crisis.

However, the violent cloudbursts that are lately happening across the state are not that good. They may only dampen the first few inches of soil and the Sun dries out the top layers quite fast, but the real problem sits in streams, where these cloudbursts produce a quick flush of water resulting in flash floods.

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Kitchen

Bathroom

Laundry reverse osmosisom

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