Awards - Water Saver Utility Award Nominations - Illinois Section American Water Works Association

Illinois Section AWWA (ISAWWA) Water Efficiency
Water Saver Utility Award

Past Winners:
2017: DuPage Water Commission - Water Conservation & Protection
2016: City Water Light & Power - Leak Detection
2015: City of Chicago - Meter Save
2014: City of Evanston

(Application Deadline: January 1, 2018)

ISAWWA Water Efficiency Committee is looking for the best and brightest innovations, programs and ideas to conserve and protect our most precious resource – water.

Each year, the ISAWWA Water Efficiency Committee will honor ISAWWA member affiliated utilities that are making significant contributions to water efficiency within the water industry.

This award will recognize outstanding achievements in any of the following:

Water efficiency master plans
Renewable water policies and practices
Watershed protection
Environmental stewardship
Community outreach programs
Water loss reduction
Retrofit programs
Rate measures
Process optimization
Employee education
Conservation
Public education

Projects or programs started in 2017 and 2018 will be considered for award. Projects must be from a utility located in Illinois.

Submission Criteria - please be sure to reference this criteria in your description.

Innovation and creativity
Clearly defined goals, objectives and timelines
Quantified water savings and financial results
Public or staff education benefits
Efficiency merits
Transferability for other utilities
Quality of submission

Additional supporting materials: It is suggested, but not required to submit additional supporting materials. Suggested additional items could include: summary program documentation, reports about the project, website screen captures, links to the website, or newspaper clippings. Please reference specific areas of supporting materials that further support the application for review. These materials can be submitted via the form below. Please combine all supporting materials into one word document and submit in word or pdf format.

Best Practice Examples of Water Efficiency in IL.

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The Water Efficiency Committee annually awards a Water Saver Utility Award. This award recognizes outstanding achievements in any of the following:

• Water efficiency master plans
• Renewable water policies and practices
• Watershed protection
• Environmental stewardship
• Community outreach/education programs
• Water loss reduction initiatives
• Retrofit programs
• Rate measures
• Process optimization
• Water/Energy efficiency
• Employee education
• Conservation

Nominations are archived in this library for use by members for tips on starting your own Water Saver projects.

Item Name	Posted By	Date Posted
WINNER - 2014 - Evanston PDF (240.87 KB) [ more ] [ hide ]	Administration	8/19/2014
The City’s Water Conservation and Efficiency Plan includes a detailed water consumption profile and analysis of non-revenue water, water loss, the City's water rate structure and water treatment process, and state of major infrastructure such as pipes, pumping systems, and water meters. An analysis of the water-energy nexus also highlights how water conservation can reduce energy use and greenhouse gas emissions. The planning process followed guidelines from AWWA Manual M52 and USEPA, and was led by the City’s Office of Sustainability and the Utility Department. Evanston solicited input from the public through the use of online surveys and a public meeting prior to completing the draft Plan. The City also posted the draft plan online and requested citizen comment prior to finalization.
2014 - Algonquin PDF (351.88 KB) [ more ] [ hide ]	Administration	8/19/2014
Building upon the success of the 2003 water conservation program, the village’s next step was to update the Comprehensive Water System Master Plan to evaluate the potential of further water conservation efforts to meet the long-term water demands of the Village. Although growth has slowed in the past few years, the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (CMAP) estimates that the population of the Village of Algonquin will exceed 51,000 people by 2040, which is more than a 58% increase from the 2010 population. Population growth places upward pressure on water demand, so it is important to assess water conservation efforts and ensure that the water system will be able to meet future demand.
2014 - Batavia PDF (141.67 KB) [ more ] [ hide ]	Administration	8/19/2014
In fiscal year 2010, the City of Batavia began budgeting $2,000 for a high efficiency toilet (HET) replacement rebate program. When a homeowner replaces an old toilet with an HET, a $50.00 rebate check is sent to the homeowner. The toilet must be on the EPA WaterSense approved list and must be installed by a Batavia plumber or be purchased at a Batavia business. The city started its Rain Barrel Program in 2010 in partnership with the Conservation Foundation. They encourage residents to utilize rain barrels to reduce water bills while decreasing the amount of polluted runoff that enters streams. The city sells 60-gallon rain barrels to residents for $75.00 apiece. Residents may purchase the barrels online or in person.
2014 - Chicago PDF (229.82 KB) [ more ] [ hide ]	Administration	8/19/2014
The City of Chicago Department of Water Management MeterSave program appeals to both customers looking to save money on their water bills, and customers seeking to conserve water. The 2009 MeterSave ordinance enabled the City to recruit homeowner volunteers to receive a free water meter and installation, with a 7-year guarantee that the combined water/sewer bill would not be higher than the un-metered rates. To further incentivize customers, the City offered a choice of a free indoor water conservation kit, outdoor water conservation kit, or rain barrel. In order to qualify, volunteers must be current on their water bills, and the total number of volunteers is limited to 20,000 per year. Customer service was an important part of fostering positive word-of-mouth among customers about the MeterSave Program. The MeterSave website (www.metersave.org) was created to house program information, program testimonials, as well as additional water conservation tips and resources. In addition to
2014 - CWLP City Water Light and Power - Springfld PDF (304.95 KB) [ more ] [ hide ]	Administration	8/19/2014
The contest coincided with the 2013 National Drinking Water Week. The Water Services office produced and distributed outreach materials and information to 30 schools in January, targeting first, second and third grade students. The outreach packet included CWLP’s “Every Drop Counts” poster, program guidelines, a parental consent form, and water-conservation themed activity sheets. Materials were also posted on the CWLP website. The deadline for poster entries was early March. The first 100 students completing the contest received a free “SAVE WATER, SAVE ENERGY” drawstring book bag. The contest entries were judged by representatives from local media organizations and the Springfield Art organization. First-place entries received a pizza party for their class attended by CWLP representatives and City officials to present certifications.
2014 - CWLP Poster PDF (1.33 MB) [ more ] [ hide ]	Administration	8/19/2014
Poster that accompanies the 2014 CWLP Water Saver Award documentation.
2014 - Highland Park PDF (179.83 KB) [ more ] [ hide ]	Administration	8/19/2014
The main component of this initiative, the 3-tier conservation water pricing plan, presented a number of challenges. The City’s charge was to devise a revenue neutral pricing structure which would also result in conservation of water through reduction in lawn irrigation. While there is a wealth of information available on conservation rate implementation, there is little in the way of models to predict the consumer response. Review of the literature indicated that response is widely variable, influenced considerably by regional and demographic factors. This introduces an element of uncertainty into the development of the rate plan. It was agreed that annual reviews would be necessary to assess the program’s influence on conservation behavior and on revenue and make necessary adjustments to the rate structure.
2014 - LaGrange PDF (212.78 KB) [ more ] [ hide ]	Administration	8/19/2014
First, water accountability improved by replacing worn out meters with new meters that are more accurate and read low flows down to 0.03 gallons per minute. Second, the Village utilized the hourly water meter readings collected from each water meter to automatically calculate usage for the Village's distribution system on a daily basis. This information is then compared to the incoming water meter at the Village's pump station to calculate water accountability. Traditionally, calculating water accountability was difficult as water meter readings occurred on a bi-monthly basis, and comparison to the volume of water going into the distribution was not exact. Third, the new AMI technology automatically identifies leaks in homes as well as high water consumption through the analysis of hourly water readings. The Village has used this information to alert customers of leaks in their system, thus saving water.

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Best Practice Examples of Water Efficiency in IL.