The green utility : a practical guide to sustainability

259 Pages·2010·39.121 MB·English

by  Cheryl L. Welch

Green
The
Water Utilities—
Champions of Sustainability
Sustainability is not a fad; it is an emerging organizational T
S
imperative for the 21st century. The general practices that
h
fueled success and progress in the last century no longer
Utility
apply in a world of exploding population and diminishing e
natural resources.

G
Water utilities have special motivation to adhere to the prin-
ciples of sustainability. They are assigned the responsibil- r
ity of managing and providing one of Earth’s most precious e
resources. Most water utilities incorporate some sustainabil-
e
ity principles and practices in their day-to-day operations—
and may not realize it! n

The Green Utility: A Practical Guide to Sustainability provides
U
A Practical
ideas, plans, and tools to make it as easy as possible for every
water utility to reduce negative effects on the environment. t
At the same time, utilities will learn how to maximize positive i Guide to
l
impact in their communities, and continue to deliver water at
i
a cost that reflects its value, yet allows everyone to receive all
t
Sustainability
they need. This book is meant to inspire and encourage water
y
organizations to take simple but important steps to become
champions of sustainability in their own community.
Cheryl Welch
AWWA is the authoritative resource for knowledge, information, and advocacy
to improve the quality and supply of water in North America and beyond. AWWA Advocacy
is the largest organization of water professionals in the world. AWWA advances Communications
public health, safety, and welfare by uniting the efforts of the full spectrum of Conferences
the entire water community. Through our collective strength, we become better Education and Training
stewards of water for the greatest good of the people and the environment. Science and Technology
Sections
1P-6C-20706-9/10-SB
The Authoritative Resource on Safe Water®
The Green Utility

The
Green
Utility
A Practical
Guide to
Sustainability
Cheryl Welch
Tualatin Valley Water District
Th e Green Utility
Copyright © 2010 American Water Works Association
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in
any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording,
or any information or retrieval system, except in the form of brief excerpts or quota-
tions for review purposes, without the written permission of the publisher.
Disclaimer
Th is book is provided for informational purposes only, with the understanding that
the publisher, editors, and authors are not thereby engaged in rendering engineering
or other professional services. Th e authors, editors, and publisher make no claim as
to the accuracy of the book’s contents, or their applicability to any particular circum-
stance. Th e editors, authors, and publisher accept no liability to any person for the
information or advice provided in this book or for loss or damages incurred by any
person as a result of reliance on its contents. Th e reader is urged to consult with an
appropriate licensed professional before taking any action or making any interpreta-
tion that is within the realm of a licensed professional practice.
AWWA Publications Manager: Gay Porter De Nileon
Acquisitions Editor: Mary Kay Kozyra
Cover Design/Production Editor: Cheryl Armstrong
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Welch, Cheryl.
Th e green utility : a practical guide to sustainability / Cheryl Welch.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-1-58321-792-4
1. Water utilities--Environmental aspects. 2. Water utilities--Management.
I. Title.
HD4456.W45 2010
363.6’10684--dc22
2010028100
6666 West Quincy Avenue
Denver, CO 80235-3098
303.794.7711
www.awwa.org
Contents
List of Figures vii
Acknowledgments ix
Prologue xi
1 What Does Sustainability Mean to a Water
Utility? 1
Defi nitions of Sustainability . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Sustainability Frameworks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
2 Why Would a Water Utility Want to be More
Sustainable? 13
Benefi t to the Environment. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Benefi t to the Utility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Benefi t to Society. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Resources. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
3 Where Do We Start? 23
Strategic Sustainability Planning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Sustainability Status and Progress. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Resource Usage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Carbon Emissions Inventory and Management Strategy
Guidelines for Water Utilities. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
iii
Waste Production . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
4 What Sustainability Opportunities Exist
at a Water Utility? 55
Policies and Utility-wide Initiatives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Energy Issues/Carbon Emission Reduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Water Effi ciency Within Utility Facilities. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
Sustainable Construction in New Utility Facilities. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
Sustainable Purchasing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
Waste Reduction/Pollution Prevention. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
Transportation Issues . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
Outreach and Education. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
Community Service and Civic Involvement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
Employee Attraction and Retention . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .110
References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126
5 How Do We Talk About Sustainability? 127
Employee Communications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128
Elected Offi cial Communications. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136
Public Communications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138
Reporting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .141
References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .145
6 Where Do We Go From Here? 147
References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153
Appendix A Abbreviations 155
Appendix B Glossary 157
Appendix C SCORE Assessment—Water Sector 167
Appendix D Energy and Greenhouse Gas Management
Options in the Water Utility Sector 169
Appendix E Greenhouse Gas Inventory Process 181
Appendix F Elements of Sustainability Coordinator
Position 191
iv
Appendix G Sample Sustainability-related Performance
Evaluation Criteria 193
Appendix H Sample Sustainability Resolutions 197
Appendix I Sample Sustainable Purchasing
Guidelines 201
Appendix J Sample CIP Criteria and Rating
Samples 207
Appendix K Tualatin Valley Water District Sample
Bidder Integrity Policy 217
Appendix L Sample Life-cycle Costing Guidance
Document 219
Appendix M Advancing the Infrastructure Selection
Process: Yarra Valley Water Case Study 221
Appendix N BAYWORK’s Roadmap for Regional
Workforce Development 229
Index 233
About the Author 251
v
List of Figures
1.1. Sustainability as an intersection. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3
1.2. Sustainability as a nested set . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3
1.3. Th e three legs of the stool represent the economy,
the environment, and society. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4
1.4. A bio-inspired water mixer is used to maintain water quality.
Only 300 watts of power are used to move the entire volume of
this 7-million gallon tank. (Photo courtesy of Carollo Engineers) . . . . .6
1.5. Calla lily in bloom (Photo courtesy of Free Nature Pictures) . . . . . . . . .6
1.6. Th e Natural Step funnel of resources. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8
3.1. Steps for creating a sustainability plan. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25
3.2. San Francisco Public Utility Commission’s sustainability plan
framework. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26
3.3. Backcasting is an important component of sustainable development . .30
3.4. Example process fl ow diagram. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31
3.5. Parts of a sustainability management system: Plan–Do–Check–Act . .32
3.6. Looking at a single job using process mapping—meter reading . . . . . .34
3.7. Looking at utility-wide resources usage using process mapping . . . . . .36
3.8. Electricity use by type of facility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .39
3.9. Miami-Dade Water and Sewer District’s conservation measures . . . . .40
3.10. Enwave cooling system. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44
3.11. United Utilities long-term goals for carbon reduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . .48
3.12. Comparison of recyclables in trash at two waste audits. . . . . . . . . . . . .51
3.13. Types of recyclables in trash, by weight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .51
3.14. Pie chart showing that 44% of items in trash could be recycled . . . . . .51
3.15. Unusable meter registers ready for recycling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .52
4.1. Groundwater optimization results in less drawdown, less energy . . . . .71
vii
4.2. TVWD demonstration garden . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .72
4.3. Typical backwash sludge after decant. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .85
4.4. Residuals from 600 mil gal production; left is after 50 days,
right is after 33 days. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .85
4.5. Dried residuals ready for landfi ll . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .85
4.6. Goals of Zero Waste . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .91
4.7. Application of Zero Waste strategy. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .92
5.1. Explain new recycling policies and other sustainability issues
using staff presentations like the ones shown here. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .129
5.2. Batteries collected here! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .130
5.3. Employee recycling center makes it easy to recycle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .131
5.4. Slide describing sustainability accomplishments and opportunities . .137
5.5. SFPUC highlights its forward looking approach . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .138
5.6. Public outreach for high-effi ciency rebate programs . . . . . . . . . . . . . .139
D.1. Energy consumption in an urban water system. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .171
E.1. Th ree types of carbon emissions (Courtesy of the
World Resources Institute). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .185
E.2. Plan for developing and implementing a climate change
response plan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .189
M.1. Life-cycle assessment results . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .224
M.2. Community cost results . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .225
M.3. Total cost assessment results. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .226
viii