Smart Water Management for Ensuring Safety and Efficiency in Building Water Systems

Transcription

1 Smart Water Management for Ensuring Safety and Efficiency in Building Water Systems October 21, 2014 Smart Water Management 1

2 Welcome to the Webinar Webinar will be 60 minutes in length with time for questions. Audio is through your telephone or computer microphone & speakers. The webinar phone line will be muted during the presentation because we are recording. Questions can be typed in throughout the webinar and will be answered at the end by the speakers. Webinar Speakers Mary Ann Dickinson, President and CEO Alliance for Water Efficiency Dr. William McCoy, Chief Technology Officer and Co Founder Phigenics, LLC Denise Hickey, Public Relations & Water Conservation Manager North Texas Municipal Water District Smart Water Management 2

3 Purpose of the Webinar To address the emerging issue of water aging and disinfection loss/pathogen growth in water utility systems and buildings to help water conservation practitioners understand what is occurring. To give an basic introduction to best practices for ensuring safety and efficiency in building systems. To give an example of a disinfection problem at a water utility. To provide guidance on how to manage messages about this issue to your customers. From the Water Supplier to the End User Water is generally of a very high quality. Variability can be due to: Age and condition of utility distribution centers Seasonality Periodic events Water aging is a documented phenomenon. End users are starting to monitor water quality in real time: Veterans Health Administration (VHA) Directive 1061 Facilities required to manage the quality of water coming into the building If a building manager chooses to add chlorine, they are subject to the Safe Drinking Water Act and become a regulated public water system Facility managers are engaging more with municipalities. Smart Water Management 3

4 LEED Gold Building Example: The Issue LEED point collecting technologies (reclaimed water, low flow urinals and faucets) and processes combined with reduced tenant use (50% capacity) is resulting in stagnated water. City provides 0.5 ppm of free residual oxidant (chlorine) which is quickly used up due to stagnant water, which breeds bacteria and consumes the oxidant. Increased microbiological hazards and human health and safety risks specifically due to the presence of Legionella bacteria. LEED Gold Building Example: The Solution IMPLEMENTED HAZARD CONTROLS Weekly tap flushes (1 3K additional gallons of water). Uses primarily bottled water for their analyses, handwashing, and drinking. Two hyper chlorinations. Installation of a secondary disinfection unit. Employees are not allowed to use the showers, so they do not feel comfortable riding bikes to work (LEED points). Smart Water Management 4

5 Conditions Common in Outbreaks Lack of familiarity with how water is processed in complex building water systems. Lack of effective microbiological controls. Lack of coordinated prevention efforts. Used with permission from: Claressa Lucas, PhD Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Atlanta, GA Division of Bacterial Diseases Environmental Legionella Isolation and Techniques Evaluation (ELITE) Certification Program Coordinator Microbiologist involved in most US legionellosis outbreak investigations (June 2013) Causes of Disease from Building Water Systems Legionella Growth Cycle Other Diseases Caused By: Pseudomonas, Stenotrophomonas, Acinetobacter, Elizabethkingia, Mycobacterium, Alcaligenes & Aspergillus Smart Water Management 5

6 By the Numbers 4,000 Annual deaths in the U.S. from Legionnaires disease caused by Legionella in building water. $34,000 Hospitalization costs per case in the US and the annual direct healthcare cost of legionellosis is hundreds of million dollars. $12 Indirect cost incurred due to lost productivity, absenteeism and disability for every direct healthcare dollar spent. $193 million Largest dollar jury award for gross negligence and other failures in a case of legionellosis that resulted in longterm disability and severe debilitation. The case was not fatal. CDC Recommendation to Facility Managers Involved in Legionellosis Outbreaks HACCP based Water Management Programs should be developed for ongoing hazard analysis and control to prevent further disease cases. Since 2000, the CDC has advised facility managers involved in legionellosis outbreaks to apply HACCP principles. Since 2000, there has not been a reoccurrence in any facility that has followed this recommendation. Used with permission from: Claressa Lucas, PhD Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Atlanta, GA Division of Bacterial Diseases Environmental Legionella Isolation and Techniques Evaluation (ELITE) Certification Program Coordinator Microbiologist involved in most US legionellosis outbreak investigations June 2013 Smart Water Management 6

7 Defensible Water Management Program Prevention of Disease and Injury Associated with Building Water Systems A defensible water management plan requires facility managers/owners to establish a cross functional team with assigned responsibilities and accountabilities. 1. Hazard Analysis NSF International: HACCP in an Ongoing Process 2. Identification of Critical Control Points 3. Establishment of critical limits 4. Establishment of monitoring plan 5. Establishment of corrective actions 6. Procedures to document 7. Validation, verification, reassessment New in 2014: NSF International Education Course HACCP for Building Water Systems HACCP Building Water Standard in Process Smart Water Management 7

8 Empowering Defensible Decisions Outcome: The Mayo Clinic s HACCP based comprehensive water program for its multicampus healthcare facilities saved them from unilaterally removing electronic automatic faucets through ensuring optimized management of hazard control in the potable distribution system. Direct Correlation between Efficient Operational Performance and Safety Smart Water Management 8

9 Bridging the Gap There are 3 separate communities working on this: 1. WATER SAFETY e.g. CDC, World Health Organization, NSF International 2. WATER CONSERVATION e.g. AWE, USGBC, EDF, NRDC 3. CODES e.g. ASHRAE has multiple standards being developed Standard 188P: Legionellosis: Risk Management for Building Water Systems Standard 189 and 191P: Standards for the Efficient Use of Water in Building, Site, and Mechanical Systems We must all work together to optimize building water efficiency! Retail Building Water Sustainability: Case Study in Leadership Healthcare Building Water Safety: Case Studies in Leadership Don A. Moseley, P.E. Senior Manager of Multilevel Facilities & Increasingly Sustainable Facilities, Walmart David Cord Deputy Director, VA Pittsburgh Health System Terry Fair Corporate Director of Life Safety, Novant Health Al Kubly Section Head of Facilities Operations, Mayo Clinic Smart Water Management 9

10 Remember If it is not SAFE.. Then it is not SUSTAINABLE! NORTH TEXAS MUNICIPAL WATER DISTRICT Maintaining Chlorine Residuals During Drought Smart Water Management 10

11 Major North Texas Water Providers NTMWD Raw Water Supply Sources year drought 2010?? 2 year drought 2011?? Smart Water Management 11

12 Drought Plan Stage Effective Date Outdoor Watering % Reduction Stage 1 April 19, 2011 Voluntary reductions in water use 2% Stage 2 August 1, 2011 Twice per week 5% Stage 3 November 1, 2011 Once every two weeks (Nov Mar) 10% TIME TRAVEL FROM Stage 3 Seasonal Watering Continuation Stage 3 Seasonal Watering Continuation Stage 3 Seasonal Watering Continuation April 1, 2014 Once every two weeks 10% May 1, 2014 Once every two weeks 10% June 1, 2014 Once every two weeks (Jun Oct) 10% + Stage 3 September 1, 2014 Once per week (for water quality) Stage 3 Seasonal Watering November 1, 2014 Once every two weeks (Nov Mar) 10%+ 10% + Free Chlorine Maintenance NTMWD conducts Free Chlorine Maintenance during January to February. Implemented as a water conservation measure to assist in reducing the amount of water during HOT summer months. NTMWD does consult with Member Cities on their input and preference on whether to conduct. Notification is provided to media and public. Not a strong understanding of the benefits by media and public. Smart Water Management 12

13 Summer Flushing Flushing of lines a standard practice to maintain chlorine residuals for water quality. Not a strong understanding of the benefits by media and public. Typically only a concern when in water restrictions are in place: Backlash from customers Comments from citizens on wasting water: Can t they do anything else with that water? Why is this something we haven't heard about? z Smart Water Management 13

14 Alliance for Water Efficiency 10/21/2014 Water Use Data Smart Water Management 14

15 Steps taken by the NTMWD Free chlorine maintenance. Increased chlorine residual leaving plant. Hired consultant: Evaluate treatment process Evaluate distribution system Determination by cities served if they desire to add chlorine within their distribution system. Lessons Learned NTMWD and Cities served should increase communications for: Free chlorine maintenance practice and benefit Summer flushing practice and benefit Work more closely with media to ensure that the story correctly reflects water quality protection and not a Water Holiday Smart Water Management 15

16 Lessons Learned NTMWD and Cities served should increase communications for: Free chlorine maintenance practice and benefit Summer flushing practice and benefit Work more closely with media to ensure that the story correctly reflects water quality protection and not a Water Holiday In Closing Got any questions? Type them in! A PDF of the presentation as well as the recorded webinar will be posted online at We will provide more detailed information on HACCP in a subsequent webinar. Next AWE Webinar on Tuesday, November 18 at 11 a.m. CT entitled, Merging Technology and Science to Instill a Water Ethic: Innovative Customer Education Strategies for Water Managers Smart Water Management 16

17 Thank You for Attending the Webinar! Smart Water Management 17