If you were to set foot inside a winery’s cellar during this time of year, you would see barrels stacked to the ceiling. Each barrel would contain 60 gallons of aging wine. Its wooden exterior might be marked with chalk circles to identify leaks in need of repair once the barrel is emptied of its contents.
Though these markings may look like splotchy sidewalk doodles, they serve a valuable purpose. For as one winemaker recently told me, “The only way to avoid loss is to locate the leaks.”
Similarly, water audits provide valuable data that can outline potential outflows. They allow water management programs to eliminate unnecessary losses of both water and revenue, plan ahead for system improvements, and forecast implementation costs.
This week the California State Water Resources Control Board approved the use of approximately $3.2 million dollars to create a 23-month program to combat water loss.
Of the $3.2 million dollars, $400,000 is allocated directly to audit reports for urban retail water suppliers. About $2.8 million, however, will support the Water Loss Control Collaborative, a program that will support facilities managers as they complete validated AWWA M36 Water Audits and work to comply with new legislative requirements. Besides technical review and assistance, the program aims to include extensive educational opportunities for operations managers.
We’re curious about the perceived value of these educational programs. Will facilities managers be interested in participating in them?
How open are you to audit assistance and where do you think that the chalk circles in your facility will be?