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National Action Plan to Encourage Municipal Water Use Efficiency
Prepared by The CCME Water Use Efficiency Task Group
Goal
The Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment believes that improved water efficiency practices are essential to sustainable development. The goal of this action plan is to achieve more efficient use of water in Canadian municipalities in order to save money and energy, delay or reduce expansion of existing water and wastewater systems, and conserve water.
Background
Traditionally, municipal water management in Canada has focused on providing adequate supplies to meet municipal domestic and industrial demands. Increased demand has been met by adding to the water and wastewater delivery and treatment systems. However, the cost of expanding water delivery systems is rapidly escalating as more distant and expensive sources must be tapped. In addition, more stringent standards and regulations as well as increased use, have escalated the costs of improved water and wastewater treatment. Yet water pricing policies in most municipalities actually discourage efficient use of water. The price of water to consumers in many cases does not now reflect the true cost of treatment and delivery. We can no longer afford this approach.
Canadians use more water per capita that any other national population except the United States. Canadian water use is more than two times higher than that of Europeans. Canadians do not use water efficiently.
Currently, there is no consistent requirement for the use of water efficient fixtures in plumbing codes across the nation. Canada is behind other countries in providing consistent codes, guidelines, regulations and policies affecting water use efficiency.
Some municipalities have initiated programs encouraging water efficient practices, including promoting, or requiring, water efficient fixtures, such as shower heads and low volume toilets. They have demonstrated that significant savings can be achieved at little additional cost.
Water and wastewater quantity and quality are intertwined with social, economic and environmental concerns. Sustained quantity and quality of water preserves the environment, reduces energy consumption and preserves jobs.
The action plan offers direction to governments and recommends what government department and municipalities should do to achieve greater water efficiencies and decrease capital expansion and operating costs. In approving the action plan, the CCME recognizes that local conditions may affect how and when these recommendations might be implemented.
Approximately $600 million is spent annually by municipalities in Canada on expanding their water delivery and sewage treatment infrastructure. These costs can be sharply reduced, delayed or eliminated by applying water efficient technology that is already available.
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Principles
Development of this action plan was based on the following fundamental principles:
Leadership. All levels of government federal, provincial and territorial and municipal must show leadership in advancing water use efficiency, building on existing knowledge and technologies.
Partnership. Environment ministers cannot achieve the goals of this plan alone. In order to succeed, this plan requires the participation of other government departments, municipalities, and all Canadians.
Harmonization. There shall be consistent regulatory requirements relating to water use efficiency across Canada.
User pays on basis of volume. Consumers shall pay for water and wastewater services on the basis of measured actual use.
Full cost pricing. Municipalities shall move towards water and wastewater rate structures that reflect the full costs of delivery and treatment.
An informed public. The public shall be informed of the real costs of water use and the savings that can be achieved through water efficiency, and of actions they can take to reduce usage.
Expected outcomes
There are a variety of expected outcomes from this action plan, all of which are beneficial to governments and consumers. These are:
- Capital cost saving on the infrastructure to deliver water and treat wastewater
Water efficiency has the potential to delay or eliminate the public funding required for additional facilities needed to meet future demand for water and wastewater treatment, by reducing the demand. It also will reduce the cost of collecting and treating wastewater as flows are subsequently reduced (over and above reductions in inflow and infiltration).
- Environmental quality improvements
Increased water use efficiency reduces the volume of water used by consumers, and of wastewater going to treatment facilities.
- Energy conservation
Water efficiency also means being more efficient with the use of energy. Less energy is used to heat water, and to pump potable water and wastewater.
- Urban intensification
Water efficiency allows more intensive development on existing water and sewer infrastructure, as less water is required per household or business. Water conserved is generally cheaper than water provided through building a new water plant.
- Development opportunities, increased competitiveness and job creation
The move to water efficiency will trigger new economic activities for water-related manufacturing and service sectors, encouraging new business opportunities and job creation. Increased efficiency also means lower costs to business, leading to increased competitiveness.
- Water conservation
Reduced water use helps to preserve and protect surface waters for fish and wildlife habitat and our natural attractions. These are essential to the economic health of Canada's tourism and outdoor recreation industries.
The City of Winnipeg estimates that a 5% decrease in per capita water use by 1996 will defer the construction for 13 years of supplementary municipal supply facilities estimated to cost up to $350 million.
The town of Elmira, Ontario, estimates that replacement of all toilets with ultra-low flow devices would result in a 30% flow reduction, and defer construction of a $33.5 million sewage treatment plant until 1999, thereby saving up to $9.3 million over the 5-year period.
The town of Port Elgin, Ontario (pop. 6500), avoided a $5.5 million expansion of its water treatment plant by installing 2400 residential water meters in 1991 and through an intensive water conservation program, for a cost of $550 000. This reduced the summer water use by 50%, and use for all of 1993 by 25%, and dropped the waste water flow by 30%. The town also saved $12 000 in water and sewage treatment operating costs (chemicals and energy).
In a 1992 pilot program, the Regional Municipality of Waterloo and the City of Kitchener, Ontario showed that households with ultra-low flow (ULF) toilets saw water use fall between 20 and 30%. The annual saving for home with ULF toilets was between $65 and $135. Leakage was discovered in approximately 10% of homes, comprising over 10% of household water consumption.
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Plan elements
- Government leadership
- Governments shall demonstrate leadership by reducing water use in their own facilities as well as in new publicly-funded facilities.
- Environment ministers, working with other government departments, will develop water efficiency strategies for government facilities, reviewing water use and evaluating where to get the most cost effective savings.
- Ministers will initiate retrofits to government facilities where cost-effective, targeted at the most inefficient uses.
- Ministers will organize demonstration projects with high public visibility showcasing economic benefits of water use efficiency measures and benefits.
- Ministers will initiate action to share information, efficiency models and prescriptions to avoid redundant research and implementation delays.
- Ministers will act to implement water efficient specifications for new government-owned and funded facilities and public housing by January 1, 1995.
Examples of Water and Cost Savings from Audits on Federal Buildings
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Health Canada - Banting Bldg. |
84 553 | 78 735* | 7 971 | 10 000 | 15 |
Dept. of Nat. Def. (HQ) - Pearkes Bldg. |
165 402 | 86 000 | 62 000 | 190 000 | 37 |
Correctional Serv. - Warkworth Institution |
320 500 | 280 200 | 14 000 | 16 500 | 14 |
* | Average annual water use based on FY 91/92, 92/93 and 93/94 meter records. |
| This is the net saving after subtracting the $46 800 cost of chilled water for air-conditioning from the overall water saving of $108 800. |
- Governments shall adopt consistent policies, regulations and codes concerning water efficiency.
- Environment ministers shall work with appropriate ministers to amend plumbing codes to be consistent with water efficiency provisions elsewhere in North America.
- Ministers shall encourage development of a water fixture efficiency labelling regulation, equivalent to the current labelling regulation for energy-using appliances.
- Environment ministers, in cooperation with other appropriate ministries, will review provincial programs, policies, regulations and codes, to identify and remove impediments to water
efficiency.
For example, Ontario's revised plumbing code requires that new water fixtures have the following capacities:
Effective January 1, 1993
Faucets shall use 8.4 litres/minute or less
Showerheads shall use 9.8 litres/minute or less
Effective August 1, 1993
Toilets shall use 13.2 litres/flush or less
Effective January 1, 1996
Toilets shall use 6 litres/flush or less
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- Governments shall ensure full public awareness and understanding of the economic, and social and environmental benefits of more efficient use of water.
- CCME shall coordinate development of a generic public education and awareness strategy on water use efficiency.
- Environment departments in each jurisdiction shall develop and implement their own public education programs on water efficiency.
- Environment departments will promote public events and conferences in support of water use efficiency.
- Governments shall encourage and foster the acceptance and use of existing water efficient
products and the development of new water efficient products.
- Ministers shall consider reallocating funds for research and development relating to water use efficiency.
- Ministers will encourage development and promotion of Canadian-made water efficient products and technologies for domestic and international markets.
- Appropriate departments will organize and exploit opportunities to showcase and market Canadian water efficient products and technologies.
- Encouraging municipal water efficiency
- Provincial, federal and territorial governments shall assist municipal actions which increase
water efficiency at the municipal level.
- Governments shall integrate municipal water use efficiency criteria into infrastructure assistance programs.
- Governments shall incorporate water efficiency initiatives in their policy and regulatory structures.
- Governments shall develop a generic water efficiency plan outline to be available for use by municipalities as a guide for developing their own plans.
- Governments shall promote the following actions to be taken at municipal levels:
- Identifying and reducing unaccounted for water through system audits and leakage control programs.
- Introducing mandatory metering on all new construction, and moving towards universal metering.
- Initiating public, stakeholder and school information and education programs in support of water efficiency.
- Undertaking audit and retrofit programs for commercial, industrial, institutional and residential facilities.
- Moving towards full cost pricing.
- Charging users on the basis of the water they use and the wastewater they generate.
- Reviewing administrative arrangements for achieving efficiencies in managing water delivery and sewage treatment systems.
- Using utility bills to show consumers actual charges for the various components of their water delivery system, how charges are determined and savings that would be achieved with water efficient devices.
- A leak detection/correction program is Sillery, Quebec in 1977 uncovered daily losses of 3.8 million litres of treated potable water 35% of their treatment plant's total production.
- Calgary initiated a leak detection and repair program in 1980. Since then, watermain leakage has been reduced from 30% of annual production to 12%, and the average daily per capita comsumption has decreased by a third. It was estimated that the program has saved $4.1 million in operating costs.
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Implementation
Upon approval of this action plan by CCME, an implementation phase can begin. An initial action will be to establish a multistakeholder task group that would coordinate and guide the implementation of this action plan. The task group will be required to track the progress being made, and will report to CCME at regular intervals.
It is recognized that implementing this plan will occur at different rates across the country, and that flexibility in approach can be expected. Within this general context, the following tables outline specific recommendations for implementation, with suggested lead agents and timing for each:
Detailed implementation plan
- Demonstrate Leadership
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Demonstrate water efficiency in selected government buildings |
- Select buildings
- Conduct audits
- Retrofit
- Monitor and showcase
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Environment Depts. Legislative Buildings |
Begin immediately |
Develop strategies with other departments for all government buildings |
- Establish link with "landlord" agency
- Develop a schedule for water use review and cost savings assessment
- Develop water efficiency plan for building
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Environment Depts. "Landlord" agencies |
Fall 1995 |
Retrofit where cost effective |
- Establish program for retrofitting across government
- Start with faucet aerators; move to toilets/showers
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Environment Depts. "Landlord" agency |
Immediate Complete in 2 years |
Share information |
- Compile inventory of existing technical information
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Environment Canada Ontario MOEE |
Summer 1994
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- Establish electronic bulletin board
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Environment Canada |
Fall 1994 |
Implement water efficiency in government-funded facilities |
- Compile necessary specifications
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CCME |
Fall 1994
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Governments |
Winter 1995 |
- Adopt consistent policies
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Amend plumbing codes (include labelling of plumbing fixtures) |
- Identify department responsible for plumbing code
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Env. ministers |
Immediate
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- Review of proposed model code
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All government stakeholders |
Sept. 1, 1994 |
- Draft new provincial code
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Department responsible |
Oct. 1, 1994 |
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Department responsible |
Jan. 1, 1995 |
- Code to legislative committee
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Department responsible |
Mar. 1, 1995 |
- Proclaim code for use January 1996
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Department responsible |
Apr. 1, 1995 |
Water efficiency labelling regulations (for appliances) |
- Form CCME Technical Committee
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Ontario MOEE |
Summer 1994
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- Committee and appliance manufacturers meet
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Committee |
Sept. 1994 |
- Committee recommends necessary regulations
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Committee |
Jan 1995 |
Remove barriers to water use efficiency |
- Form multi-stakeholder group/tie in with existing committees
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CCME |
June 1994
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- Review of high priority regulations
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Multi-stakeholder group |
June 1994 |
- Develop list of preferred legislation (e.g., grey water, cisterns)
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Multi-stakeholder group |
June 1994 |
- Provincial review/removal of impediments
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Identified departments |
June 1995 |
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Governments |
Jan.-June 1995 |
- Consultation with stakeholders
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Governments |
Jan.-June 1995 |
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Governments |
Jan. 1, 1996 |
- Public education and awareness
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Coordinate development of generic public education and awareness strategy |
- Identify key messages, target audiences and media/materials
- Identify key partners
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CCME
communications/ education specialists |
Oct. 1994
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Environment Departments draft water efficiency public education programs |
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Environment education and communcations specialists |
March 1995 |
- Adopt/use generic materials
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May 1995 |
Organize events and conferences |
- Explain/present action plans
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CCME and other organizations |
May-June 1994, after adoption by Council early 1996
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- Second National Water Efficiency Conference
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CCME |
Early 1996
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Make water efficiency part of 1995 Environment Week |
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Environment Canada |
June 1995
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- Research and development and technology transfer
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Priority funding for water efficiency R&D |
- Prepare briefing document on R&D needs
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Environment Canada |
Dec. 1994
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- Circulate document to researchers, research-funding agencies, and manufacturing associations
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Environment Canada |
Feb. 1995 |
Promote development of water efficiency products and technologies for domestic and international markets |
- Establish grants to encourage manufacturers and investors, in cooperation with CEIA
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Applicable Fed./Prov. agencies |
Apr. 1995
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- Grants to municipalities for field testing new technologies
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Applicable Fed./Prov. agencies |
Apr. 1995 |
Sponsor and encourage trade shows to showcase Canadian water efficient products and technologies |
- Industry could, and Environment Canada shall, lead all appropriate initiatives in support of existing national and regional exhibits
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Environment Canada |
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- Second national water efficiency conference
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CCME |
Early 1996 |
- Committee to assess dissemination of ideas
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CCME/liaise with CEIA |
Informal/ as needed |
- Encouraging municipal actions
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Integrate water efficiency criteria into infrastructure assistance programs, including incentives for water efficiency planning |
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CCME and partners |
Jan. 1995
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- Assess implementation means and recommend
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CCME and partners |
June 1995 |
Incorporate water efficiency initiatives into government policy and regulatory structures |
- Require water efficiency in new government construction
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Governments |
Jan. 1995
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Governments |
- Adjust assistance programs
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Governments |
Develop a generic water efficiency plan outline as a guide for municipalities |
- Examine existing plans and processes
- Compile elements into an outline
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FCM, CWWA, in cooperation with CCME |
Jan. 1995
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Develop municipal water efficiency plans |
- Identify and reduce water losses and infiltration into sewers
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Municipalities |
Begin formation of basic plans immediately*
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- Undertake public, stakeholder and school education programs
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Municipalities |
- Undertake audits, fixture and fittings replacements and retrofits for residential, commercial, industrial and instituational users
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Municipalities |
- Move to full cost pricing
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Municipalities |
*Many municipalities have water efficiency plans/ programs already in place. The incentive for others to undertake water efficiency programs will be through the government steps noted above. |
- Implement user pay principle based on volume used and wastewater produced
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Municipalities |
- Review administrative arrangements
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Municipalities |
- Modify billing procedures to identify water use
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Municipalities/ Utilities |
Approved by the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment, May 31, 1994.
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