AWWA ACE54507

The objective of this study was to develop, monitor, analyze, and report on an integrated resource-conservation program highlighting efficient residential appliances and fixtures. The sites of study were 50 homes in two water-constrained communities located in Oregon. The program was designed to maximize water savings to these communities and to serve as a model for other communities seeking an integrated approach to energy and water resource efficiency. The program included the installation and in-place evaluation of energy- and water-efficient devices including the following: horizontal axis clothes washers (and the matching clothes dryers), resource-efficient dishwashers, an innovative dual flush low-flow toilet, low-flow showerheads, and faucet aerators. Each of the 50 homes was retrofit with these resource-efficient appliances and fixtures after a detailed end-use baseline profile was established. The evaluation approach used three levels of energy- and water-use metering intervention. The first level included end-use metering of energy and water at the clothes washers and dryers. Also included in this level was whole-house hot water energy metering at the hot water heater. The second level used the existing utility water meter in combination with an innovative data logger and software package to capture end-use water data. This data logger collects and stores data at 10-second intervals after which the data is downloaded and processed into individual end-use events. This method allows for appliance and fixture water use/savings values to be generated without having to individually meter each appliance or fixture. Finally, the third level focused on metering at the water and wastewater system treatment points within the communities. Each of the three metering levels was designed to fold into the level above, with the third level serving as an aggregated total of the previous two. Additionally, through its subcontractor, George Mason University, a computer model is being developed that will allow users to estimate the potential water and sewer system capital savings from installing this equipment on a wide scale. The model will also estimate energy savings expected to result in water treatment and sewage plants. The significance of this activity lies in its integrated approach and unique metering evaluation of individual end-use, aggregated residential total use, and system-wide energy and water benefits. Includes 3 references, tables, figures.