Water-Energy Testimony: “Dual Savings Opportunities”

In this installment of our series on the testimonies supporting the Energy/H2O bill recently introduced in the Senate, Dr. Lon House, an energy adviser to the Association of California Water Agencies, describes how the energy embedded in our water gives us the opportunity to simultaneously save significant amounts of both water and energy.

By now I hope that anybody reading this understands how saving water can save energy. If you need a refresher, check out this or this. Heck, you can even reduce your water-related energy use via pasta and lunch trays.

Dr. House spends much of his testimony listing off a litany of strategies that can be used to reduce the energy footprint of our water use. Here are a few of his recommendations:

• ”Increase use of recycled water. The use of recycled water for agricultural, industrial and commercial purposes and for outdoor irrigation results in significant reductions in the demand for water from the environment and in the amount of energy needed by the water sector. The wastewater has to be treated anyway. If that water can be used in lieu of additional fresh water it saves not only all that water but all the energy associated with providing the additional fresh water. California has a state policy that no fresh water can be used for electrical production if there are available alternatives–including recycled water–recycled water is a major component of existing and future water supplies.”

• “Capture and use of stormwater and rainwater. The use of stormwater and rainwater to supplement fresh water sources can significantly enhance available fresh water supplies and are often at energy costs lower than other new sources of fresh water.”

• “Provide incentives that encourage customers to more efficiently use existing water supplies and to reduce water demand which saves both water and energy. New appliance efficiency standards (residential and commercial clothes washers, dishwashers, clothes dryers, pool and spa pumps and heaters, showerheads and faucets, toilets, urinals, landscaping irrigation). New appliance standards should be evaluated based upon the contributions of both their water and energy savings.”

• ”Rebates/grants/tax credits for efficient appliances that go beyond current standards (aggressive production tax credits spur market share growth for the most energy and water efficient appliances, combine ENERGY STAR and WATERSENSE labeling). More efficient water-using appliances save both water and energy–directly, as in the case of water heaters, dishwashers, clothes washers–indirectly, by reducing water use as in the case of high efficiency toilets. Incentives for increased efficiency should involve both water and energy savings.”

• ”Incorporate water efficiency requirements into new construction and upon resale (LEED standards, plumbing fixtures, appliances, landscape and landscape irrigation, cooling towers, decorative and recreational water features). New construction and transfer of ownership presents a unique opportunity to reduce water consumption which, once accomplished, continues to save water and energy for an extended period of time.”

• "Increase electric and gas utility programs in water programs. There is a need to increase electric and gas utility programs in water efficient appliances and processes. Allowing energy utilities to partner with water systems on water conservation projects as part of their energy saving portfolios has tremendous potential. California has a pilot program through the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) that allows the investor owned energy utilities (IOUs) to partner with water providers to implement jointly funded programs designed to save energy via water savings . This pilot focuses on efforts that conserve water, use less energy-intensive water, make delivery and treatment systems more efficient, and determine actual water savings and actual energy savings.”

Dr. House has a number of other recommendations that are worth checking out. For his complete testimony, click here.