Integrating Sustainability Integrating Sustainability Into Your Water Program:Into Your Water Program:Do the Right Thing – Do the Right Thing – RIGHT NOW!RIGHT NOW!

Integrating Sustainability Integrating Sustainability Into Your Water Program:Into Your Water Program:Do the Right Thing – Do the Right Thing – RIGHT NOW!RIGHT NOW!

Dawn Lesley, P.E.May 2, 2008

▼ References to sustainability nearly every day on TV, newspapers, radio, magazines

▼ If you Google “sustainability” 22,000,000 hits!

▼ Topic of conversation at all levels - Presidential debates, corporate boardrooms, legislatures, county commissions, city councils & individuals

Sustainability is a Hot Topic!Sustainability is a Hot Topic!

Sustainability is Becoming Sustainability is Becoming Mainstream in Business!Mainstream in Business!

▼ Corporate America’s Sustainability Initiatives: Wal-Mart DuPont GE United Technologies Goldman Sachs Intel Bank of America UPS 2008 Super Bowl

What is Sustainability?What is Sustainability?

According to the Brundtland Commission of the United Nations:

“Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.”

What Sustainability Actions have What Sustainability Actions have Big Business Taken?Big Business Taken?

▼ Wal-Mart: committed to reduce its electricity usage by 30%, increase its truck fleet efficiency by 35% in 3 years and double it in 10 years

▼ DuPont: reduced their GHG to 72% below Kyoto targets and saved $3 Billion while expanding their business 30%

▼ UTC (in the DOW 30): reduced their energy use by 19%, their water use by 49%, their air emissions by 44%, while doubling their sales from $24 Billion to $48 Billion

Sustainability is Being Pursued by Sustainability is Being Pursued by Governmental AgenciesGovernmental Agencies

811 U.S. Mayors have signed on to the U.S. Mayors Climate Protection Agreement representing over 78 million people

Sonoma County Water Agency has committed to “carbon free water” by 2015

Seattle City Light became the first major electric utility to achieve zero net greenhouse gases

Poseidon Resources committed to make their Carlsbad desal plant carbon neutral

What are they All Doing?What are they All Doing?

▼ Investing in energy efficiency & optimizing processes

▼ Using renewable resources such as wind, solar, biomass, geothermal and hydro

▼ Conducting a GHG Inventory and Climate Action Plan to reduce carbon emissions

▼ Selling former “waste streams” for profit▼ Deploying new technology such as video

conferencing or document scanning & storage▼ Using sustainable or green construction materials & techniques

What are the Benefits of What are the Benefits of Doing All This?Doing All This?

▼ Improve operational efficiency and reduce operating cost

▼ Increase profitability and revenue ▼ Help increase political and regulatory certainty

and reduce risk▼ Improve their public image and brand value▼ Meet public and political expectations▼ Increase employee recruitment, retention,

productivity and morale

World Population Growth Through World Population Growth Through HistoryHistory

Capacity vs. Demand:Capacity vs. Demand:“Ecological Footprint”“Ecological Footprint”

Ref: Mathis Wackernagel, et. al., “Tracking the ecological overshoot of the human economy,” Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2002 Jul 9;99(14):9266-71

Drivers for SustainabilityDrivers for Sustainability

▼ Regulatory – e.g., CA AB 32, Green Building ordinances

▼ Financial – e.g., unstable energy costs

▼ Public Relations – rising public concern

▼ Conscience (“Legacy Thinking”) – Baby Boomers getting ready to retire

Triple Bottom LineTriple Bottom Line

▼ Economic▼ Environmental▼ Social

Why Strategize?Why Strategize?

It is better to ride the wave than to plan to be swamped!

Talking about Talking about SustainabilitySustainability

▼ Do not fear labels; this term is coming at everyone from multiple directions

▼ Questions to ask: What does Sustainability mean to you / the

agency? Are we under pressure to “do” Sustainability?

▼ No one has all the answers; offer a partnership

What can you do without a Project What can you do without a Project Number?Number?

Building MomentumBuilding Momentum

▼ Small, successful steps are effective▼ If you don’t measure it, it doesn’t

exist – baseline ASAP▼ Track what you do, find multiple ways

to measure success▼ Education/awareness

tell your employees tell your boss tell City Council tell your customers tell the world

Saving…Saving…

▼ Money▼ Water▼ Chemicals▼ Energy▼ Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions▼ Face

Where Do You Have Influence?Where Do You Have Influence?

▼ Buildings▼ Fleet / Heavy Equipment▼ Chemicals / Operations▼ Office Practices / Admin▼ Contracting

Got Buildings?Got Buildings?

U.S. Building Impacts:

12%Water Use

30%GreenhouseGas Emissions

65%WasteOutput

70%ElectricityConsumption

BuildingsBuildings

▼ Electricity reduction – motion sensors, vending machine timers, compact fluorescent lights (CFLs)

▼ Energy reduction = GHG reductionCFLs save 75% of the electricity and ALSO

save300 lb CO2/yr-bulb

▼ Recycling – Building-wide recycling programs reduce landfilled material. State of Ohio agencies recycled 3,012 tons of material in FY’03, saving the State $361,000 in disposal fees.

Fleets & Heavy EquipmentFleets & Heavy Equipment

▼ Switch to E10, E85, Biodiesel blends – Portland Water Bureau

▼ New vehicle purchases: hybrid electric cars – King County, WA

King County, WAKing County, WAHybrid Vehicle CalculationHybrid Vehicle Calculation

 2003 Chevy

Malibu2003 Toyota

Prius Difference

Initial Purchase Price $17,434 $21,280 ($3,846)

Projected Residual Value ($2,477) ($4,111) $1,634

Net Purchase Price $14,957 $17,169 ($2,212)

Fuel Miles Per Gallon 24 44 20

Est. Fuel Cost $5,854 $3,211 $2,643

Est. Maint., & Repair Cost $4,695 $2,466 $2,229

Total Cost of Ownership $25,506 $22,846 $2,660

Plant OperationsPlant Operations

▼ Energy audit▼ Scheduling energy-intensive operations (e.g., filter

backwashes) to off-peak hours▼ Switching to premium-efficiency motors▼ Pump maintenance▼ Utility bill analysis▼ Water conservation in ops & maintenance

Administrative ChangesAdministrative Changes

▼ Reduce car and airplane trips Use NetMeeting to “bring people together” virtually

▼ Reduce paper use Default settings: Computers, Printers, Copiers Electronic communication can save paper . . . IF

you go the additional step of encouraging people to NOT print their emails

▼ Replace cleaning supplies with non-toxic or less-toxic alternatives City of Santa Monica

Saving Paper = Saving MoneySaving Paper = Saving Money

▼ There are many hidden costs to paper. Citigroup has estimated that $2 per ream paper

costs as much as $62 per ream when you consider the costs of paper storage, printing, copying, recycling, disposal, and postage.

Public Service Electric and Gas Company saved 100 tons of paper and $320,000 through the use of electronic communications.

Penn State University has documented a savings of $123,000 per year just by changing default printer margins to 0.75 inches

In Upcoming ContractsIn Upcoming Contracts

▼ Require electronic submittals Public Service Electric & Gas Co.

▼ Require recyclable proposals, limit proposal length, prohibit “standard” marketing brochures

▼ Require responsible salvage/reuse/recycling of demolition & construction materials City of Oakland, CA

Building MomentumBuilding Momentum

▼ Small, successful steps are effective▼ If you don’t measure it, it doesn’t

exist – baseline ASAP▼ Track what you do, find multiple ways

to measure success▼ Education/awareness

tell your employees tell your boss tell City Council tell your customers tell the world

Interesting things can happen just by Interesting things can happen just by being at the right place at the right time!being at the right place at the right time!

“Unwittingly, Harold stepped out of the jungle and into headhunter folklore forever.”

““We have the responsibility, We have the responsibility, the tools and the will, and the tools and the will, and there will never be a better there will never be a better time than now.”time than now.”

K/J Sustainability Policy, adopted July 2006

Questions?Questions?