Houston annual water loss. Source: FluksAqua.
Urban centers experiencing major losses is not surprising but smaller towns and villages are hit by bigger costs and ultimately bigger water bills. According to the data, some of the highest costs of water losses per customer are in small towns such as the City of Silsbee ($322), the City of Groveton ($242) and the City of Moulton ($233).
Created by FluksAqua based on data collected by the Texas Water Development Board, the Texas Municipal League and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the interactive infographic can show water leakage information based on geographical location.
"Texans can take some comfort in knowing that their water system is not unique - water leakage is a problem across the country," says Hubert Colas, president, FluksAqua Americas. "Having a system to properly track water losses is the first step in helping to contain and prevent leakage, but more resources are needed to maintain the water in the system."
Based on reported numbers, most states are likely experiencing the same or larger losses but there is no unified system for collecting the information. It is the problem that everyone knows is happening but there is little action to correct it. Texas may be wasting billions of gallons of water but they do require reporting from all their water utilities.
"Every State should be required to track their water losses and plan to improve their infrastructure before there is a significant break in the system," explains Colas. "Water is not an unlimited resource and the issue of water leakage can no longer be ignored."
Water losses may actually make up a large amount of water production costs. Water is taken from the environment, treated and pumped before being delivered which burns energy, uses chemicals and requires the building of facilities with extra capacity. In addition, there is the indirect cost of carbon emissions. For example, the energy to supply water to California corresponds to 19 per cent of all electricity consumed in the state. Overall, producing usable water consumes about three percent of all electricity in the U.S.
"The geographical size and multiple climate zones means Texas weather can vary greatly from one county to another," explains Colas. "This means precipitation patterns are such that little rain falls in areas like El Paso while Dallas enjoys a more moderate amount. Water supplies can be stressed when precipitation does not fall equally across the state."
Taking steps to conserve now means the state can help manage droughts in the future.
There is still work to be done as the infrastructure ages, energy costs increase and more regulations change the requirements for safe drinking water, while water revenues do not keep up with all issues to resolve. Texas can deliver improvements but there needs to be a change in attitudes towards water. Conservation means using this precious resource as efficiently as possible.
FluksAqua, a free, practical and moderated Q&A forum specifically designed for operators of drinking water distribution, water, and wastewater treatment plants, is online and actively answering important peer-to-peer technical questions from water professionals.
The FluksAqua Forum (available at https://www.fluksaqua.com/en/qa/) is uniquely 'searchable' so that water professionals can review the full string of conversation about a specific topic or concern. It is also anonymous so that water professionals can obtain exceptional peer-to-peer advice without disclosing which system they are working to improve.
About FluksAqua
FluksAqua is a new online community created by a dedicated group of water and wastewater professionals to facilitate a constant and interactive flow of information between operators and professionals on issues of water safety, infrastructure, conservation and optimization.
