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This paper documents the methodology and results of a comprehensive evaluation ofregional conservation potential conducted under the direction of the San Francisco PublicUtilities Commission (SFPUC) for its wholesale customer service area. The study wasconducted with participation, feedback, and concurrence from the 28 SFPUC wholesalecustomers and coordination assistance from the Bay Area Water Supply and ConservationAgency (BAWSCA).The SFPUC is currently implementing a capital improvement program (CIP) to improve thereliability of the SFPUC regional water system and reduce its risk of failure. Understandingthe future regional water demand, including demand management potential through waterconservation programs, is an important aspect in planning for system reliabilityimprovements. This study, undertaken for SFPUC long-term regional planning purposes,evaluated water demand management for the wholesale customer service area by workingwith the 28 wholesale customers and BAWSCA to define a reasonable range of conservationpotential for each individual wholesale customer service area.The SFPUC planning study involved two phases of work: water demand forecasting andevaluation of future water conservation potential. The evaluations were conducted in seriesusing an end-use water demand model, the Demand Side Management Least-Cost PlanningDecision Support System (DSS) model developed by Maddaus Water Management. The DSSmodel was applied to each wholesale customer service area individually, and calibrated to theservice area conditions to first project total water demand by end use through the year 2030,and then evaluate conservation potential for those same service areas. The relative cost-effectiveness of investing more money in conservation as opposed to purchasing additionalwater from the SFPUC was reviewed with each customer, along with the results of a benefit-costanalysis of the individual measures and programs.Based on compiling the results from the individual customer DSS models, it was found thatthe current plumbing and appliance codes would reduce SFPUC wholesale customer servicearea 2030 total water demand (estimated at 324 mgd) by about 7.8 percent. Further, the DSSmodeling showed that additional water conservation measures could reduce total waterdemands an additional 2-6 percent, depending upon the level of conservation implemented bythe wholesale customers within the concurrence range. Includes 4 references, tables, figures.

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Edition: Vol. - No. Published: 06/17/2005 Number of Pages: 16 File Size: 1 file , 1.4 MB