City West Water is undertaking a strategic plan to increase its energy efficiency over the next 5 years. The plan includes a number of changes such as improving pump efficiency. City West has calculated their pump stations consume 16% of their total power use.
The plan fits with City West Water’s strategic goal to protect the environment and minimise the impact of their services on the environment.
City West Water has identified that they use energy in the transportation and treatment of water and sewage, production of alternative water, and office administration. The Utility manages their energy use to reduce costs to customers and impacts to the environment.
Reviewing their 2011-12 activities, they identified the following breakdown of energy use:
- City West Water Fleet (4.5%)
- Altona Intermittent Decant Plant(Electricity and Fugitive Emissions)(37.2%)
- ATP Ultra Filtration/Reverse Osmosis Plant (Electricity) (18%)
- Head Office (Gas and Electricity)(14.2%)
- Pump Stations Electricity (16.6%)
- Other (9.5%)
Their Energy Strategic Plan considers current and future energy requirements and follows the Environment Protection Authority’s Carbon Management Hierarchy
The specific Energy Management Actions and Programs undertaken by City West Water are;
- Renewable energy incorporated as a component of Integrated Water Management initiative
- Continue to assist customers with energy efficiency through relevant partnerships
- Continuously review out efficiency opportunities (using the cost of carbon abatement tool)
- Improve management of energy through active controls by installing a new SCADA system
- Improve pumping efficiency through real time water demand forecasting (MABAL)
- Move to an office building that will halve our energy use
