Water Audit Basics

1. Water Audit Basics WaterFirst Training 2016

2. Why are we doing this? • Georgia Water Stewardship Act requires annual water system audits (calendar year) • As of 2013 all systems serving a population of 3,300 or greater are required to submit • Audits submitted to EPD to be posted online

3. Water Supply Efficiency Rule • Passed June 2015 • Follow up to Water Stewardship Act • Requires annual water loss audits to be examined by a Qualified Water Loss Auditor (QWLA) • Training classes were held in January • Testing • Develop a water loss control program by July 2016

4. QWLA Training Program Overview • QWLA Eligibility • The training is available to anyone (Should be very familiar with audit before taking class) • There are no restrictions on a QWLA reviewing and certifying an audit which they themselves prepared. • Structure of the QWLA Training Circuit • 2 day class, • Marietta and Barnesville • Held in January 2017 • Examination to acquire QWLA status • Must pass to be certified • Listing of certified QWLA’s available

5. Next Steps Auditing • Audit needs to be reviewed before submittal • Two choices: • Have someone at your utility complete the training • Have it reviewed by someone who has completed the training. • Utilities can review and sign off their own and for other utilities • This needs to be complete before March 2017 submissions • Figure out how your utility will handle this

6. Submit your Audit by March 1 • Send the entire excel file to EPD • Must include the certification statement signed by a QWLA • Need to use software version 5.0 • Lebone.Moeti@dnr.state.ga.us (This may change Lebone is out indefinitely) • (404) 232-7834

7. Non-Revenue Water (NRW) • Is the difference between the volume of water produced and the volume of water billed to customers • It consists of three elements with different values in $/gallon: • Real Losses • Apparent Losses • Unbilled authorized consumption • Use this term instead of “unaccounted-for-water”

8. Total System Input ( allow for known errors ) Own Sources Water Imported IWA/AWWA Standard Water Balance Water Exported Authorized Consumption Billed Authorized Consumption Revenue Water Billed Water Exported Billed Metered Consumption Water Supplied Billed Unmetered Consumption Unbilled Authorized Consumption Non- Revenue Water Unbilled Metered Consumption Unbilled Unmetered Consumption Water Losses Apparent Losses Unauthorized Consumption Customer Metering Inaccuracies Systematic Data Handling Errors Leakage on Mains Real Losses Leakage on Service Lines Leakage & Overflows at Storage

9. Real Losses • Also called Physical Losses – water that enters the distribution system, but never reaches a user • Includes: • Leakage on transmission and distribution mains • Storage tank overflows • Service Line leakage up to customer meter • Reducing real losses extends the resource which reduces operating costs and can be used to defer capital expenditure

10. Apparent Losses • Also called Paper or Economic Losses – water that reaches a user, but is not properly measured or paid for • Includes: • Theft • Customer metering inaccuracies • Data handling errors • Reducing Apparent losses increases revenue by ensuring you are collecting appropriate revenue for water delivered

11. Real or Apparent? • Leak on transmission main • Straight pipe • Wrong multiplier • Storage tank overflow • Slow meters • Active accounts marked inactive

12. AWWA M36 Manual and Free Water Audit Software

13. GA Water Loss Control Manual • EPD Guidance Manual version 2 • Updated in 2016 • New requirements included • Added water loss program component • Free download from www.gawp.org or

14. Big Clues to Potential Errors • Check to see if you have a validity score • Failure to complete the audit grading scale fully will result in no calculated score • An ILI of < 1 (This is theoretically not possible) • An ILI of > 12 • Very High Validity Score (>85) coupled with Very Low ILI (<2) after first audit

15. Water Audit Filtering CriteriaMakes use of System Attributes and Performance Indicators *for produced water. If purchased water, VPC would generally be higher.

16. A Few Tips • Reconcile period of water supplied with water authorized consumption • Billing period may be offset • Caution of negative ILI’s (more water consumed than supplied) • “Leaks and Breaks” do not go in unbilled unmetered – they are real losses • Cost of real losses is usually less than cost of apparent losses • Volume of real losses is usually more than volume of apparent losses • Apparent loss valued at retail cost for Real Loss valued at variable production cost

17. What do Validity scores mean? • Each data input has a “Data Grade” that is used to calculate your overall audit “Data Validity” • For each input, there are criteria defining each Grade • Think of it as checklist – must meet ALL listed criteria to receive that grade • If you meet and exceed all criteria in a score, check the requirements for the next grade • If you don’t meet ALL of the criteria for a grade, even if you exceed in many of the criteria, check the next lower grade to see if you meet ALL the criteria • If unsure about meeting all criteria, then move down

18. Where to Get the Software www.awwa.org/waterlosscontrol

19. ResourcesEPDGAWWA/GAWP Water Loss Control CommitteeSample CalculationsGrading MatrixGeorgia Water Audit and Water Loss Control Manual Version 1.2AWWA M36 Manual