Central Basin, DOE Partner to Reduce Water, Energy Consumption

The Central Basin Municipal Water District has been awarded a grant from the U.S. Department of Energy to retrofit public facilities, implement a notification awareness program and install software to manage water and energy use in its recycled water delivery system. The grant makes history as the first project aimed at reducing water and energy consumption simultaneously.

“This project is an example of an innovative approach to address two vital resources in Southern California,” said Central Basin General Manager Antonio Perez. “Providing the cities and communities with these resources will assist in reducing water and energy consumption in our region.”

The retrofit component of the grant will provide qualifying public facilities, such as school districts, city owned properties and non-profit organizations, with free water efficient devices and installation. Qualifying sites will also be provided with a facility inspection that includes an in-depth analysis of their water-use practices. The results of the inspection will help determine the recommended retrofits. Devices available for retrofit include high efficient urinals and toilets, faucet aerators and rotating nozzles.

Funding from the grant also includes the development of a notification awareness program. The web based platform will be made available to water retailers to send inter-agency notifications on water usage, drought emergency and conservation measures.

To further reduce energy and water use the District will also utilize grant funding to install a supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) program in its recycled water delivery system. The pumps in the recycled water system use a large amount of energy due to the constant on and off cycling. The SCADA program will reduce energy consumption by adjusting the schedule of the water pumps.

Source: Central Basin Municipal Water District