EXERCISE 1: WATER SUPPLY SCHEME

Every water facility has different energy requirements (and consequently different operating
costs), but most water utilities dont know what they are. How much does it cost to run Well 1
versus Well 2 versus the treatment plant?

An energy map ranks water facilities according to their energy intensity so we can prioritize the
most efficient ones. Energy intensity is a measure of how much energy it takes a given facility to
process a volume of water. The units are energy per volume, usually kilowatt-hours per million
gallons (kWh/MG). Normalizing by volume allows comparison among facilities solely in terms of
energy.

The observed energy intensity of a water source (or other facility) is the ratio of observed
energy use to observed water volume for the same time period:

obs =

where EIobs = observed energy intensity (kWh/MG)
E = total energy consumed (kWh)
V = total water volume processed (MG)

This is what an energy map looks like:

3,000 2,765 2,844

2,488
Energy Intensity (kWh/MG)

2,000 1,692
1,618

1,000

0
Plant Well 1 Well 5 Well 3 Well 2

All other things being equal (water quality, water rights, etc.), the utility would prioritize the
Plant and Well 1 before dispatching the other sources. The concept is that one should select the
lowest-intensity source (or combination of sources) that meets the demand. In the following
exercise we will use an energy map to formulate an efficient water supply scheme.
Exercise 1
The following table describes energy and water data for the fictional Red Valley water system:

2016 2016
2016 Water Energy 2016 Energy
Capacity Production Use Utilization Intensity
Water Source (MG/yr) (MG) (kWh) (%) (kWh/MG) Rank
Big Creek WTP 650 630 264,600
Jones Well 230 220 484,000
Ute Well 350 150 187,500
American Spring 400 200 0
Total 1,630 1,200 936,100 N/A N/A

1. Compute the utilization of each source (how much of the capacity was used).
2. Complete the energy intensity calculations.
3. In the last column, rank the water sources by energy intensity (1 = lowest, 4 = highest).
4. Evaluate the 2016 water supply scheme relative to your rankings. Was this the best scheme?
Why or why not?

5. Supposing next years water use will be similar to 2016, propose a water supply scheme that
minimizes the overall energy requirements while still meeting demand. Complete the new table:

2018
Water 2018 Energy 2018 2018 Energy
Capacity Production Use Utilization Intensity
Water Source (MG/yr) (MG) (kWh) (%) (kWh/MG) Rank

Total 1,630 1,200 N/A N/A

6. Calculate the energy savings (kWh) associated with your new scheme (2018) compared to the
2016 scheme. What percentage of the historical use does this represent?

7. Assuming electricity costs $0.10/kWh, calculate the cost savings of your new scheme compared
to the 2016 scheme.
EXERCISE 2: ANALYTICAL AUDIT
The expected energy intensity of a pump is calculated by modifying the pump power equation,
with inputs for head and efficiency:

3.14
exp =

where EIexp = expected energy intensity (kWh/MG)

h = total dynamic head (feet)
= overall pump efficiency (decimal)

This is the energy intensity we expect for the amount of work being done.

As described in Exercise 1, the observed energy intensity is the ratio of observed energy use to
observed water volume for the same time period:

obs =

where EIobs = observed energy intensity (kWh/MG)
E = total energy consumed (kWh)
V = total water volume processed (MG)

This equation is valid at any scale: pump, plant, or system.

An analytical audit compares the expected versus observed energy intensity. Differences are
almost certain since actual conditions differ from theoretical ones. If the observed value
significantly exceeds the expected value, there is likely a problem that deserves further
attention. This type of audit allows us to evaluate water facilities energy performance and
identify problems. We will explore this concept in the following exercise.
Exercise 2
1. A deep well is designed to pump with a total dynamic head of 575 feet at 77% efficiency. What
is the expected energy intensity?

2. Over a one-year period, the same well produced 173 MG and consumed 550,000 kWh. What is
the observed energy intensity?

3. Is the well performing as expected? If not, provide some possible explanations.