By Angela Liu and Brett Rosenberg
February 11, 2008

Albuquerque Mayor Martin Chávez, Co-Chair of the Mayors Water Council, moderated a session of the Council during the 76th Annual Winter Meeting of The U.S. Conference of Mayors. He commented briefly on a few of the Conference’s water related goals, including a shift in Water Council discussion toward adapting to climate change, and noted that, “48 percent of the water taken from sources in the United States is used in energy production.”

Chávez also touched upon what The U.S. Conference of Mayors has identified as the Integrated Water Resources Hierarchy. It involves reducing per capita consumption: reusing and recycling water; reclaiming brackish water for consumptive uses; restoring water resources by preserving or introducing the natural features of the watershed that capture, clean, and store runoff, to protect water supplies and mitigate flooding and non-point source runoff; and recharging groundwater through measures that promote infiltration in watersheds.

The Mayors Water Council was briefed by Ben Grumbles, the Assistant Administrator for Water at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Grumbles provided an update on federal priorities in water supply, infrastructure and quality. Grumbles stated that the EPA shares many of the same water priorities as local governments. Namely, Grumbles covered what he called the Three R’s of Sustainable Water Infrastructure: Reducing waste and inefficiency, Reusing water, and Restoring watersheds.

One of the projects the EPA has implemented to advance its three R’s and the USCM’s hierarchy, according to Grumbles, is called WaterSense, modeled after the well-known Energy Star program. WaterSense aims to create markets for products that range from toilets to backyard irrigation systems that reduce water use and consumption by at least 20 percent below their traditional counterparts. In citing a 2005 Mayors Water Council survey that revealed that nearly 40 percent of American cities face much uncertainty in terms of their water supply beyond a 20-year horizon, Grumbles alluded to the fact that using less water not only decreases demand on existing supplies but also decreases the amount of energy needed to treat it. “The connection between water efficiency and energy efficiency has never been more important,” Grumbles said.

On a similar front, Grumbles commented on the connection between climate change and water supplies. He noted that the EPA is currently working on a strategy to address climate change as it relates to water through focusing more on water conservation and efficiency programs that also reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Further, Grumbles said that the EPA is exploring new regulations that would ensure that injecting and sequestering carbon dioxide emissions in underground formations is done safely, in a way that does not harm groundwater supplies. Grumbles signed off, saying, “Think globally, drink locally.”

Wauwatosa (WI) Mayor Theresa Estness discussed the Milwaukee Region’s next steps to cleaner water by focusing on stormwater and flood management. Estness first described the Deep Tunnel System, which stores and transports stormwater to two regional wastewater treatment facilities. Thanks to the massive tunnel system, combined sewer overflow (CSO) and storm sewer overflow (SSO) volumes dropped from an average of 85,000 million gallons to 176 million gallons upon the System’s installation in 1994. By 2006, the tunnel reached 26.5 miles long, with a capacity of 494 million gallons. The Deep Tunnel has proven highly effective in reducing the impact of major storm events on local water bodies; however, according to Estness, “Beaches still close even with zero overflows” due to contamination from non-point pollution sources.

The 28 area municipalities are taking several additional steps to eliminate further contamination to Lake Michigan and area streams, according to Estness. These steps include increased public education programs, stormwater best management practice pilot projects, creating stream buffers, enhancing flood management, and an expanded residential rain barrel program. Through these best practices, the Greater Milwaukee Watersheds fecal coliform loadings from CSO events has decreased from 49 percent of total pollution loads in 1975 to seven percent in 2000, and continue to decrease.

Ike Moss, Vice President of Hexagram Inc., a new Platinum Partner of The U.S. Conference of Mayors, introduced the STAR Network automatic meter reading system as a useful tool to better manage municipal water issues: aging infrastructure, billing problems, detecting leaking pipes and other concerns.

Moss stated that the STAR Network automatic meter reading system delivers robust data communications on secure, licensed radio frequencies. The STAR wireless fixed network efficiently and automatically provides timely data, empowering utilities to maximize meter functionality and provide superior customer service.

Cerritos (CA) Mayor Laura Lee then shared with the Council her city’s efforts to conserve and reclaim water resources. The city established a recycled water distribution system in 1988, made up of approximately 22 miles of underground piping that can transport up to 4,000 acre-feet of recycled water annually for public and private landscaping irrigation. Upon the recent Recycled Water Distribution system 20th anniversary celebration, it features a 73,600-foot main loop and 39,950-foot lateral connections.

To encourage the Cerritos residents’ efforts to conserve water, the city planted a 2,500'square-foot water'saving demonstration garden in the late 1990s and dedicated another park featuring a botanical garden with drought-tolerant plants in 2003.

From 2006 to 2007, the Recycled Water System saved the city 10.4 billion gallons of water, 713 million gallons of drinking water and $858,234 per year in water purchase expenses. Since its establishment, the Recycled Water System has saved 11.8 billion gallons of drinking water and $5.9 million in water purchase expenses. Lee said, “The city will continue its conservation efforts, and I encourage you all to do what you can to help conserve water and all of our other natural resources.”