Can Saving Energy Help Avoid Summer Water Shortages?

The record high temperatures sweeping the nation this week provide us all with a sweltering reminder that summer is finally here, and in many communities, so are the water shortages. Although there are plenty of tried and true strategies to conserve water, there is one strategy that often gets over looked: energy conservation.

The state of Texas is pretty familiar with water shortages. Texas also uses more energy than any other state in the country, which is prompting folks in the Lone Star State to look closely at the connections between water and energy.

As the 2009 report, Energy-Water Nexus in Texas describes, Texas uses enormous amounts of water to generate electricity – enough water to meet the needs of over 3 million people. With so much water demand tied to electric power production, energy efficiency could cut down on the cooling water needs of power plants and result in significant water savings.

Indeed, just last year Austin Energy, which services residents in water-scarce Austin, TX, announced that they could save 1 billion gallons of water in the next ten years by cutting the power they get from a local coal-fired power plant.

As Amy Herdberger, a climate and water specialist with the Environmental Defense Fund in Texas and co-author of the report mentioned above, explains in a recent blog post:

While many cities have effectively reduced water use through turf replacement and landscaping programs, they may have neglected the other big water user: power.

El Paso is a perfect example of this challenge. Experiencing temperatures of 110 degrees, water use has already peaked at 132.5 million gallons/day and power at a staggering 1,382 megawatts (MWh) of power. For comparison, a 95-degree day last month used 119.4 million gallons and 1,176 MWh. In the past, the city of El Paso implemented successful programs to reduce lawn watering and their overall water use has been fairly consistent even with a rise in population; however, water is still scarce and additional power demands only exacerbate the problem.

Historically the water and energy sectors have planned efficiency separately, but that time has passed. Collaborative planning can ensure maximum savings and ensure avoidance of unintended consequences. Solutions such as joint rebate programs between agencies encourage the customer to replace old equipment while providing a double savings for the city.

The strategies that Amy describes above are right on the mark. There are already examples of joint rebate programs for water and energy efficient devices which can serve as models for other states to adopt similar programs. It is high time that every state collaboratively manages its water and energy resources so that savings of each can be optimized.

If you are one of those people who have installed efficient fixtures and done everything under the sun to reduce your water use, next time drought restrictions hit your town (or better yet, even before!), consider replacing your old refrigerator, installing a more efficient air conditioner or changing out your incandescent light bulbs. You’d be surprised how much more water you can save through energy conservation.