Better Than Perfect When your ILI is too good. Alan Shorthouse City of Olathe, Kansas Tory Wagoner Cavanaugh
Historical Water Loss Management We viewed water loss as a number, focusing on how much water was being lost Olathe did not approach water loss as a long-term Non Revenue Water (NRW) management strategy
Step 1 Document Existing Practices Kick-off Meeting - ~ 20 people from all across the City at all positions Document Existing Practices Small Meter Testing Large Meter Testing Leak Detection Reestablish Monthly Water Loss Team Meetings
Step 2 Top Down Water Audit Convert existing tracking to AWWA Free Water Audit Software Results Unrealistic Performance Indicators ILI = 0.2 Better Than Perfect! Continue Monthly Water Loss Team Meetings
Step 3 Preliminary Economic Analysis With unrealistic baseline results, economic analysis put on hold
Step 4 New Top Down Water Audit/ Preliminary Bottom-up Analysis Original audit period overlapped billing system change Updated volumes for 12 month period from new billing software Preliminary Bottom-up Analysis to inform Real Loss volume Results: Unrealistic Performance Indicators ILI = 0.2 Still Better Than Perfect! Background Leakage greater than Total Real Loss from audit Continue Monthly Water Loss Team Meetings
Step 5 Finished Water Meter Testing Meters had not been tested for flow accuracy, calibration had been completed annually Volumetric Comparison over time selected as testing method One plant Two treatment trains Two Clearwells Three FWMs Test - Thursday, October 20, 2016 Low Flow Rate Clearwell Test Meter Wetwell Starting Level 12.580 feet Meter Reading: 512.83 Starting Level 18.990 feet Ending Level 12.327 feet Time Start: 10:55 AM Ending Level 18.712 feet Pump Flow: 2 MGD Total Volume 2,523 cubic feet Time End: 11:10 AM Total Volume 272 cubic feet 0.019 MG Meter Reading: 512.84 0.002 MG Meter Volume: 0.016 MG Clearwell Wetwell Starting Level 12.327 feet Meter Reading: 512.84 Starting Level 18.712 feet Ending Level 12.065 feet Time Start: 11:10 AM Ending Level 18.414 feet Pump Flow: 2 MGD Total Volume 2,613 cubic feet Time End: 11:25 AM Total Volume 290 cubic feet 0.020 MG Meter Reading: 512.87 0.002 MG Meter Volume: 0.024 MG Clearwell Wetwell Starting Level 12.065 feet Meter Reading: 512.87 Starting Level 18.414 feet Ending Level 11.773 feet Time Start: 11:25 AM Ending Level 18.136 feet Pump Flow: 2 MGD Total Volume 2,912 cubic feet Time End: 11:40 AM Total Volume 272 cubic feet 0.022 MG Meter Reading: 512.89 0.002 MG Meter Volume: 0.016 MG Clearwell Wetwell Starting Level 11.773 feet Meter Reading: 512.89 Starting Level 18.136 feet Ending Level 11.500 feet Time Start: 11:40 AM Ending Level 17.850 feet Pump Flow: 2 MGD Total Volume 2,722 cubic feet Time End: 11:55 AM Total Volume 279 cubic feet 0.020 MG Meter Reading: 512.91 0.002 MG Meter Volume: 0.025 MG Test Total: 0.081 MG Test Total: 0.081 MG Test Total: 0.008 MG Test Total - Tank Volume: 0.089 MG (clearwell + wetwell) Test Total - Meter Volume: 0.081 MG Difference: (0.008) MG UNDER REGISTRATION (7,537.279) -9.27%
Step 5 Finished Water Meter Testing Results 42" Mag Flow Range Flow (MGD) Test Time Results % of Normal Flow Weighting Low 4 0:30 0.16% OVER REGISTRATION 2% 0.00% Avg. 7 1:39 1.39% OVER REGISTRATION 64% 0.88% High 10 0:30 1.86% OVER REGISTRATION 34% 0.64% Composite Error Adjustment 1.53% OVER REGISTRATION 30" Mag Flow Range Flow (MGD) Test Time Results % of Normal Flow Weighting Low 1 0:30 17.01% OVER REGISTRATION 9% 1.45% Avg. 3 1:00 8.99% OVER REGISTRATION 88% 7.92% High 4 0:30 9.29% OVER REGISTRATION 3% 0.31% Composite Error Adjustment 9.69% OVER REGISTRATION 24" Mag Flow Range Flow (MGD) Test Time Results % of Normal Flow Weighting Low 2 1:00-9.27% UNDER REGISTRATION 73% -6.73% Avg. 2.5 1:00-12.27% UNDER REGISTRATION 18% -2.27% High 3 1:00-16.32% UNDER REGISTRATION 9% -1.45% Composite Error Adjustment -10.45% UNDER REGISTRATION Water Balance Impacts Water Produced Volume MG/Yr MMEA % of Total Flow Weighting 42" Mag 2,676.345 1.53% 67.84% 1.04% 30" Mag 802.331 9.69% 20.34% 1.97% 24" Mag 466.552-10.45% 11.83% -1.24% Composite Error Adjustment 1.77% OVER REGISTRATION
Step 6 Billed Metered Volume Validation 100% Customers Metered Wholesale meter change out approximately 10 years ago Volumes used in audit were from internally programmed custom report Water Sold by Customer Classification Validation on account level detail Results New summary report Billed vs. Read Several suspect accounts, but no material change in volume
Step 7 Interconnections Research Six identified emergency connections with neighboring utility WaterOne Back feed at wholesale interconnections? WaterOne reported approximately 3.6 MG/year at one interconnection not enough Field investigations valve exercising/leak detection WaterOne Meter Station
Step 8 Ongoing & New Initiatives Ongoing Monthly Water Loss Team meetings Monthly trailing 12-month tracking Large Meter Testing Optimization Small Meter Testing/Optimum Replacement Leak Detection Optimization New Initiatives Hired Water Management Analyst
ALWAYS A TEAM EFFORT..
Better Than Perfect When your ILI is too good. Alan Shorthouse City of Olathe, Kansas Tory Wagoner Cavanaugh