Canadian Utilities Learn to Fly through Benchmarking of Water Loss Management

1. Canadian Utilities Learn to Fly through Benchmarking of Water Loss Management Christine McCormack, P.Eng. September 13th, 2005

2. Benchmarking Evolution • Introduction to NWWBI • Collecting PM data • Comparison of results • Water loss management strategies and best practices

3. How well are we doing? • How well do we compare • with similar organizations? • Are we getting value for money? • How can we improve? What is Benchmarking?

4. The Early Days • Pilot study in 1997 – NRC, four wastewater utilities & Earth Tech • Determine utility goals • Ensure apples-to-apples comparison through on-site data collection • Water Utilities joined in 2001

5. National Benchmarking 34Wastewater Utilities 32Water Utilities 15Stormwater Utilities

6. Canadian Utilities

7. Water Utility Goals

8. Water Loss in 2001 • “Unaccounted for water” • Many using PM “% of supply” • Adopted PM of m³/km/day of UFW • Leak detection primary strategy • Relevant to Reliable and Sustainable Goal

9. 2000 UFW m³/km/day Min 55 L/conn/day Max 545 L/conn/day

10. Metric vs Process BM Metric Benchmarking Process Benchmarking • How to Close the Gap • Improved Knowledge • Improved Practices • Improved Processes • Identify Performance Gap: • How much • Where • When Management Commitment Employee Participation SUPERIOR PERFORMANCE

11. Water Loss Task Force • Conference calls • Breakout session at the Annual Workshop • Sharing of BPs: IWA Water Balance, InfraGuide, AWWA etc • Sharing of water loss reduction strategies

12. Water Loss in 2005 Non-Revenue Water • Transmission only systems PM: m³/km/day • Distribution & Integrated systems PM: L/connection/day

13. 2003 NRW L/conn/day Min 105 L/conn/day Max 655 L/conn/day

14. 2003 NRW & Pipe Age

15. Water Loss Reduction Strategies

16. Mission: Performance Improvement • Learn from others • Validate existing best practices • Report back on PII at Annual Workshop – solutions, problems, ideas • Group peer pressure

17. 2005 Workshop - Abbotsford • Previously had separate fire and domestic line to ICI customers • New practice – combined domestic and fire line • Eliminates unauthorized use • Reduces O&M $

18. 2005 Workshop - Calgary • Water demand management – reduce per capita demand by 33% by 2032 (no change in total consumption despite 50% growth) • Temporary DMAs, leak detection, main replacement, meter calibration

19. 2005 Workshop - Peel • 7 pressure zones • 124 zone valves to maintain zone integrity = 248 dead end mains • Flushing required to maintain water quality • Pressure zone bypass (small f pipe and control valve) with minor constant flushing minimizes flushing volumes, reducing NRW and $ but maintaining water quality

20. Leaks in the Far North

21. “Victim”

22. Pipe damage

23. Benefits of Water Loss BM • Compare water loss to peers • Share methodologies for estimating Water Balance components • Share Canadian experiences with water loss reduction strategies • Validate best practices by monitoring PM results

24. Conclusions • Canadian utilities now have data to manage their water loss • Water loss management has many strategies and applies to most of the utility goals • Next steps: Collect ILI data

25. More informationwww.nationalbenchmarking.ca