Water Demand Management in the City of the Future

1. Water Demand Management in the City of the Future Water Demand Management in Zaragoza

2. Multi-stakeholder Water Commission Zaragoza, Spain

3. Zaragoza City Water Supply • Water supply is managed by the Municipality (Infrastructure Dept), not a separate utility • Severe drought of 1991-5 in Spain: water rationing • Fundación Ecología y Desarrollo (FED), a local environmental NGO initiated a partnership to trigger changes in water conservation practices • Successful campaigns since 1995 on reducing water consumption by households, businesses and institutions • Hosted EXPO2008 on Water and Sustainable Development • SWITCH City – Demonstration on water demand mgt

4. Zaragoza water consumption and population growth, 1980 - 2006

5. Phase 1 “Zaragoza, the water-saving city” Project (1997 – 1999) - objectives (i) change of attitude towards water use > behavioural change; (ii) provision of information, education & advisory services, which assist interested consumers to reduce water use; (iii) replacement of old equipment with new water-saving devices; (iv) acquisition of new water-saving sanitary fittings (e.g. flushing toilets, taps, showers) and household appliances (e.g. washing machines, dish washers); (v) the introduction of individual household hot water meters; and (vi) other actions that would save water, such as timely repair of leaks in the premises, and recycling of domestic water.

6. Results of Phase 1 (1997 – 1999) • The number of people aware of the importance of water-saving measures improved from 40% to 72%. • Increase in water saving habits and use of water-saving devices in the households, leading to • an overall saving of 1.2 billion litres of water, • equivalent to 5.6% of annual domestic consumption. • The water saved was more as a result of behavioural change than adoption of water saving technology

7. Phase 2: 50 good practices” (1999-2003) • Aim to develop 50 best practices for efficient water use • In buildings for public use, 30 good practices achieved, eg • a shopping mall saved 92% water by change in floor cleaning methods; • a car-washing company saved 75% through water re-use . • In parks/gardens sub-sector, 13 good examples established • mainly through careful consideration of the design of the lawns, selection of the plant species, and water methods. • In industries, huge savings made in at least 9 enterprises • through modification of the production and cooling processes, including water recycling and reverse osmosis. • Practical guidelines for hotels, offices, hospitals, educational institutions, dry-land gardening , industries (Edo & Soler 2004)

8. 50 good practices - Examples • a shopping mall saved 92% water by change in floor cleaning methods; • a car-washing company saved 75% thro water re-use . • design of lawns, selection of plant species, and water methods in parks and gardens. • modification of industrial production and cooling processes, including water recycling and reverse osmosis. • Practical guidelines for hotels, offices, hospitals, educational institutions, dry-land gardening , industries (Edo & Soler 2004)

9. “Zaragoza water-saving city” Project – Achievements • Strong participation • Many participating households, • >150 organisations, • 90% of media organisations, • 140 wholesalers & retailers of fittings/fixtures, • 83 schools • Overall 14% water savings (1996-2004) • despite a 6.3% increase in population growth

10. Phase 3 (2003-2005) • FED worked closely with the City Council to institutionalise the water saving measures • Municipal Order to Save Water (Ordanza municipal ahorrar agua) drawn up to be part of the Municipal building Code • Practical guidelines for increasing water efficiency in hotels, offices, hospitals, educational institutions, dry-land gardening, industries • Infrastructure Dept reduced water losses in the distribution network, mainly by replacing aged pipes

11. Phase 4 (2006 – ongoing) • Attention being switched back to the local community • The ‘100,000 commitments’ project phase aimed at soliciting for commitments from individual consumers (domestic & others) • Certificates of recognition provided • Recognised during the EXPO2008 on Water and Sustainable Development • Individual consumers facilitated to track progress in the water saving initiative

12. Towards Economic Water Pricing in Zaragoza • A study carried out by University of Zaragoza (1996-1998) found: • Household basic requirement ~ 3.5 m3/month • Personal requirement ~ 2.5 m3/month per capita • New tariff designed to fit these findings • Based on a household size of 6 • Larger families to apply for special rates

13. Zaragoza Domestic Tariff (from end 2005)

14. Discounts on Domestic Bills for reducing year-on-year consumption

15. Conclusion • This is an important case study on demand management and water conservation, in which: • FED, a non-state organisation successfully spearheaded and mobilised partnerships of various actors to enhance a water-saving culture • The City Council of Zaragoza provided an enabling environment • A phased project approach with a range of water demand management activities ensured specific, achievable & time-bound targets which provided sustained motivation for the various partners