A Water Conservation Scenario for the Residential and Industrial Sectors in California: Potential Savings of Water and Related Energy

Water Efficiency

Peter Benenson, Henry Ruderman and Lauren Vincent

Contact: Peter Benenson, pbenenson@aol.com

Role in the Energy-Water Nexus

This work quantifies the link between water conservation and related energy saving in the residential and industrial sectors by calculating the savings of both resources from specific end-use water conservation measures.

Research Objectives

The objectives of the project were to determine the impact of existing and potential water conservation efforts for reducing water consumption and attendant energy use, to pinpoint the water conservation strategies likely to have the largest impacts on energy and water use, and to highlight some of the complementarities between the two resources. Related objectives were to estimate water consumption by end-use for the residential sector and by industry for the industrial sector, all disaggregated by Hydrologic Study Area.

Approach

The first step was to determine existing water use in the major geographic regions of California by residential end-use and by industrial sector, and to trace the energy use associated with this water use, from its extraction to wastewater treatment. The sector and end use disaggregation are used to determine the potential for energy and water savings from specific water conservations measures. The geographic disaggregation helps to capture the variability across the State in energy requirements for water delivery and use. Once the water and associated energy use were determined, the next steps were to ascertain how water could be saved in each end-use and industrial sector, and to quantify the potential savings. Finally, this information was combined to construct a scenario of water and attendant energy use before and after water conservation.

Accomplishments

Quantitative estimates were made of water and attendant energy use by residential end-use and industrial sector, each disaggregated by Hydrologic Study Area. Current and potential savings of water and energy from specific water conservation measures were estimated. Policy implications for water supply planning also were discussed.

Significance of Findings

Residential water consumption could be reduced by 44% of average use by fully implementing the measures identified in the project. Electricity and natural gas consumption associated with this water use could be reduced by approximately the same percentage. The highest per capita electricity consumption associated with water use occurs in the South Coastal Hydrologic Study Area where almost sixty percent of the State’s population resided. In the industrial sector, water consumption and the associated energy requirements for delivery and distribution could be reduced by 19% and 23%, respectively. The savings potential from water conservation has significant implications for water supply planning, as the potential savings can be considered an alternate source of supply.

Related Publications

Benenson, P., Ruderman, H., and Vincent, L., A Water Conservation Scenario for the Residential and Industrial Sectors in California: Potential Savings of Water and Related Energy, LBL-6817, U.S. Energy Research and Development Administration, August 1977.

Benenson, P., Green, B., Kahn, E. Krieg, B., Lassiter, I., Ritchard. R., Ruderman, H., Sathaye, J., Siri, W., and Vincent, L. Effects of the Drought on California Electricity Supply and Demand, LBL-6356, U.S. Energy Research and Development Administration, June,1977.

Sathaye, J., Ruderman, H., Sextro, R., Benenson, P., Kunin, L., Chan, P., Kooser, J., Ben Dov, Y., Greene, B., Clear, R., Analysis of the California Energy Industry, LBL-5928, U.S. Energy Research and Development Administration, January 1977.

Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the U.S. Energy Research and Development Administration under Contract W-7405-ENG-48.