ON THE EVENING OF January 7, 1610, Italian polymath Galileo Galilei turned his telescope toward Jupiter and saw three small stars near the planet. Each night, he recorded the positioning of the stars in relation to Jupiter. His first entry indicated that two stars were east of the planet, and one to the west. The next night, they had shifted so that all three were west of the planet. He logged the data and used a brass computation device to interpret and test his calculations.
With continued observation, data collection, and mapping, he determined that four moons revolved around Jupiter in an orbital pattern. This realization not only supported the theory of heliocentrism—that planets rotate around the sun—it helped make concrete the fundamental steps of modern scientific method: observation, measurement, evaluation, and experimentation.
Today, in a similar set of circumstances, our industry is working to get its arms around an immense and highly complex issue. Water loss is a multifarious and often abstract problem. As states and communities contend with the challenges of aging water infrastructure, a changing climate, projected population growth, and the widespread effects of urbanization, preventing water loss becomes increasingly important. In fact, resource management has never before been so crucial.
According to a recent article by Nick Danby in the Harvard Political Review ( http://bit.ly/2fIDOJX ), in the US alone, there are 1.5 million miles of water-related pipelines, some of which were constructed more than 120 years ago. Each year, the article states, there are an estimated 240,000 water main breaks. Infrastructure improvement is imperative today. We simply can’t afford to lose such a limited resource.
The invisibility of water infrastructure contributes to the problem. Since most water systems exist underground, we’re largely unaware of the elaborate matrices of pipelines, valves, and pumps that convey water—not to mention their state of decay. As a result, Danby explains, approximately 2.1 trillion gallons of water a year are wasted due to old and leaky pipes, meters, and water mains.
In order to observe and assess these invisible pipeways, we need to collect data and find better ways to interpret it. Like Galileo, we need to chart a course studded with relevant data points and hard facts. Knowledge enables action. In America, water infrastructure needs to increase its efficiency—and much of that improvement begins with accurate measurements.
“We are operating blind,” Michael E. Webber wrote of data deficiencies in a recent New York Times article about America’s water infrastructure ( http://nyti.ms/25khc52 ). “Compared to sectors like energy, where robust statistics on prices, production, and consumption are generated weekly, key information on water use and supply is missing or published only every few years.”
In fact, the official analysis of water use in the US takes place every five years. It takes a tiny team four years to collect, tabulate, and release the data. In November 2014 the United States Geological Survey issued its most current comprehensive analysis of United States water use—for the year 2010.
Furthermore, the data that we actually receive is often antiquated by the time it reaches us. And it is often poorly represented in lists of numbers and Excel spreadsheets. How can we possibly manage our resources if we don’t have accurate insights to guide our decisions? We need to know how much water we use, as well as when and where we use it, in order to streamline our practices and maximize conservation efforts.
Updating water infrastructure with advanced metering technology and communications software seems a logical step toward accounting for, and ultimately reducing the amount of water lost. According to a Northeast Group study, “Global Water Metering Market Dataset (2016–2026),” investment in water metering is projected to grow from $3.7 billion per year in 2016 to $7.5 billion per year in 2026. But beyond data collection, there is also an ever-increasing need for data consolidation and sharing via digital platforms and portals.
Perhaps we should increase government budgets for water monitoring and the development of new technologies to increase efficiency. As Webber suggests, we could establish, “a Water Information Administration, just as the Department of Energy has an Energy Information Administration to collect, curate, and maintain up-to-date, publicly available water data.” Data, he adds, supports both conservation and innovation.
In this issue of Water Efficiency, we explore these infrastructural issues and offer practical strategies that balance understanding and action. We invite you to apply Galileo’s scientific method to observe and measure your system’s efficiencies, and to facilitate subsequent evaluation and experimentation. Our hope is that by discussing these techniques and new technologies, we can raise the bar for innovation and conservation industry-wide.
More data means that utilities have a deeper view of their water resources. In “AMR or AMI?“, we explore metering technologies and the benefits of data collection and analysis. From efficient resource allocation, leak detection, and process automation, metering technology offers an abundance of resource management and cost saving tools. A clear picture of water’s path offers valuable insight.
In “Inspection and Cleaning“, we’re introduced to camera technology that allows operators to view and evaluate aging water infrastructure. Pipes can be so filled with sludge and biofilm that it reduces the efficiency of the agency’s pumps. Pipe cleaning services can inspect and pressure-wash a water system, helping identify leaky or problematic sections to prevent future damage.
Furthermore, in “Pipes: Repair or Replace?“, we outline the decision-making process for analyzing pipeline data—weighing long-term costs and factors like repair history, environmental forces, product quality, and life expectancy to ensure the effectiveness of equipment upgrades and infrastructure improvement projects.
In our cover story, “Water for Colorado Springs“, we see one community’s solution to a limited water supply. After evaluating costs, patterns of population growth, and limited resources, the community chose to construct a new, 50-mile water conveyance system. From the planning and permitting process, to funding, value engineering, and tunnel drilling, we offer you a front-row seat to this project’s magnificent success.
Observation, measurement, evaluation, and experimentation: Galileo’s scientific method is as relevant to today’s water issues as it was to the discovery of Jupiter’s moons. Each stage of study makes us aware of our collective behaviors and usage, while supporting evidence-based decision-making and suggesting prescriptive action. And, this empirical insight allows us to chart our trajectories and take enlightened steps forward as the water-wise explorers of the modern age.
What steps is your organization taking to address its water infrastructure? Is it prepared to observe, measure, evaluate, and experiment?
