HARLINGEN — It’s a problem that can cost big bucks and it impacts our most valuable resource — water.
Those are two of the reasons why Harlingen Waterworks has hired a consultant to take a closer look at understanding water loss in the system.
These water audits are required regularly, but typically are done by the local water employees.
This time, instead, there will be a comprehensive study that will look at several factors that can impact water loss in the city.
Typically, water utilities have between a 10 and 30 percent loss. That comes mainly from both leaks and inaccurate meters that don’t measure the water usage properly, almost always underreporting.
In Harlingen, the numbers aren’t bad, between a 14 and 15 percent loss over the last year. However, according to HWWS General Manager Tim Skoglund, those figures have been on a slow rise before they have seemed to level off more recently.
“Reducing it (water loss) may improve our economic performance,” Skoglund said.
Based on the age of the system, pipes installed and other Valley water systems, Skoglund said the goal for Harlingen may be around 12 percent loss.
“The law of diminishing returns applies in regard to eliminating water loss below a certain point,” Skoglund said. “It is not economically justified because the cost of work and meter replacements will exceed the cost saving and revenue capture associated with reduced loss.”
But, the first step is to find out where the water loss is coming from.
In order to gain the most accurate information, specifically determining the amount of leakage, the city will perform some of the measurements during the middle of the night, when water consumption is low.
“Measuring nighttime consumption, except for lawn watering, that occurs in various districts of our service area is essential to estimating underground leakage in our water distribution system,” Skoglund said.
That’s why customers are being asked to voluntarily suspend all types of lawn watering during this brief time to help Harlingen Waterworks collect the best information possible.
“We appreciate the cooperation of our community in this effort that will ultimately help conserve water and reduce cost,” Skoglund said.
Water systems in Palm Valley, Combes, Primera, and East Rio Hondo are not part of this study.
HOW YOU CAN HELP
Harlingen Waterworks is asking for something relatively easy from its customers by suspending any nighttime watering.
For more than 3 hours, starting tonight at 11:30 p.m. and ending around 3 a.m. Wednesday morning, HWWS is asking its water customers to voluntarily suspend any lawn watering efforts, which is typically lowest at this time of the year anyway.
WHY YOU SHOULD CARE ABOUT WATER LOSS
Losses of water that cannot be accounted for can be separated into two parts.
Real loss – Can be underground leakage not noticed above the ground.
Apparent loss – Meters that have lost accuracy almost always underreport water use, theft through unauthorized connections and meter tampering.
Water loss can cost us all money through the need for additional energy and chemical use required to treat that ends up never making it to our taps or is not being measured if it does reach our homes or businesses.
By reducing the amount of water loss, the recovered water can be sold to consumers, generate revenues and meet water demands.
That is not the only issue. It’s also about conservation of one of our most precious resources. Reducing water loss achieves conservation that could be considered good stewardship of the environment.
YOU SHOULD KNOW
• The Harlingen Waterworks’ total loss for the past 12 month has averaged between 14 and 15 percent. A 10 percent loss is considered a very good level that many systems won’t be able to reach.
• Reducing real loss would drop the cost by $0.50 per 1,000 gallons. Reducing apparent loss would properly capture revenue at a rate of $1.71 per 1,000 gallons in the city and $2.54 per 1,000 gallons outside the city.
