Real World Experiences BIG Program

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Real World Experiences Business, Industry
Government Water Conservation Program Jeff
Sandberg PNWS Conference May 2, 2008
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Customer Requests

• Green building
• Cost reduction
• Unexpected increases

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Green Buildings - Office

• Replace toilets, faucets, showerheads
• Determined fixture use by manf. Date
• Estimated savings 1.6 MG/mth
• Actual (so far) 98,000 gal/mth

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Green Buildings - Hotel

• Faucets are 0.5 gpm
• Installed 2.0 gpm showerheads
• Estimated savings gt300,000 gal/mth

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Reducing Costs - Office

• Installed 0.5 gpm faucets
• Estimated savings 39,000 gal/mth

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Reducing Costs Glass

• Installed recirculation system
• Estimated savings 450,000 gal/mth

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Unknown Use Asst. Care

• Use 1,150 gpd excess
• 8 leaking toilets 144 gpd per toilet

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Unknown Use Tavern

• Excess use 1,900 gpd
• Plumber checked
• Dye tested.

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Unknown Use Restaurant

• Excess use 5,000 gpd or 3.3 gpm

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Unknown Use Firelines

• Pumps, risers and underground

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Unknown Use Trap Primer

• Ultrasonic metering
• Excess use 27,000 gpd

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Unknown Use Single Pass

• Replaced with air cooled
• Savings 495,000 gal/mth

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Unknown Use _at_

• Feline Entertainment
• Humidification
• Retribution

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World Of Conservation

• To expect the unexpected shows a thoroughly
  modern intellect. Oscar Wilde
• The simplest answer is usually the correct one.

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Ultrasonic Water Meter
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Customer Service Through Targeted Water
Conservation Programs Sarah Murphy Santner PNWC
Conference April 2008
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Targeted programs for low-income customers

• In the City of Portland more than 25 of citizens
  are classified as low income.
• For the past ten years the Portland Water Bureau
  has designed and funded conservation programs
  that are specifically targeted at low-income
  families.
• Current programs
• Home Water Assessment pilot project
• Use Less, Pay Less Resource Conservation

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Home Water Assessment

• 2 year pilot project
• Leverage existing program though the Energy Trust
  of Oregon
• 3 water providers partnered
• Portland Water Bureau
• Tualatin Valley Water District
• Rockwood PUD
• Goal to provide 200 water assessments per year
  per utility

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Home Water Assessment Recruitment

• Portland targeted outreach to low-income
  customers only
• Mailed an invitation flier to all customers
  enrolled in Portlands financial discount
  program.
• Trained Portland call center staff to make
  referrals to the program

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Home Water Assessment Procedure

• Staff trained by the Energy Trust of Oregon enter
  private homes.
• Toilet leak test. Replace flapper as needed.
• Measure flow of all faucets and showerheads.
  Replace aerators and heads as needed.
• Document presence of dishwasher
• Document style (front vs. top load) of washing
  machine
• Document other leaks

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Home Water Assessment Results

• Customer Response
• 7,230 invitations mailed to date
• 150 Water Assessments completed
• 2 response rate
• Cost
• Estimated cost per assessment 50
• (devices, staff time, administration, data)
• Water Savings
• Total estimated savings to date based on
  engineering estimates - 7,147 gallons per day.
• Estimated savings 47 gallons/household/day
• Approximately 171 year to customer
• True savings based on meter data - TBD

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Use Less, Pay Less Resource Conservation Program

• 2 year pilot project for recycling water
  conservation education
• Outreach to 1,000 low-income customers each year
• Leverage established community organizations
  which have existing relationships with clients
• Train NGO staff to provide education

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Use Less, Pay Less Procedure

• Recruit community partners
• Focus groups with target audience
• Develop training materials kits for customers
• Train community partners

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Use Less, Pay Less Results

• Customer Response
• 1,000 customers served per year
• Cost
• 57 per participant
• Water Savings
• Evaluation of savings from another program done
  with similar kits showed a 13.4 CCF annual
  savings

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Questions?

• Sarah Murphy Santner
• Residential Conservation Coordinator
• 503-823-7444
• Sarah.santner_at_ci.portland.or.us