AWWA SOURCES59200

AWWA SOURCES59200 Delivering Significant Savings with the Low-Income Housing Sector
Conference Proceeding by American Water Works Association, 01/11/2004

Broustis, David; Quinn, Joanne; Fisher, Billie

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A plumbing fixture replacement program in low-income (LI) housing has producedsignificant water savings for Seattle Public Utilities (SPU), and considerable dollarsavings for program participants. The program has focused on the local public housingauthorities, as well as non-profit low-income housing providers. The program hasprovided cost-effective water savings for the utility, and has provided the housingproviders with extremely attractive paybacks on their investments.The low-income water conservation program has concentrated on the replacement oftoilets, showerheads, bathroom faucet aerators and clothes washers. 9,753 toilets,showerheads, and bathroom aerators have been replaced, in addition to 529 clotheswashers. Combined, these efforts have resulted in over 368,000 gallons per day of watersavings. For the participants who have completed projects, this totals over $1,100,000 inannual water and sewer utility savings. Factoring in the rebate, most housing providershave recovered their portion of the project costs in less than one year.Working with the low-income housing providers has provided water savings that exceedthose of local single-family and market-rate multifamily housing programs. Reasons forthis may include the LI program emphasis on multifamily buildings, the age of thebuildings receiving conservation services, and the fact that few of the tenants pay directlyfor water costs. The program also offers an opportunity to educate both the tenants andbuilding owners about appropriate water costs and use.Seattle Public Utilities has used a number of readily-available tools to evaluate thesavings potential of the LI buildings prior to any conservation work being completed.These tools include billing analysis to compare actual use to optimal (efficient) use, andtime-of-use metering devices to analyze water flow and identify leaks. Such tools havehelped to provide information to housing providers in order for them to make decisions toproceed with projects. Includes tables.