This document summarizes sustainable water infrastructure practices promoted by the EPA, including green infrastructure, asset management, energy efficiency, water efficiency, and financing incentives. It provides information on challenges and opportunities for implementing these practices, and resources available from the EPA to support state initiatives in adopting sustainable approaches. The goal is to help regions and states navigate infrastructure replacement needs in a sustainable and cost-effective manner.

1. Sustainable Water
Infrastructure
Region 5 Report
Navigating the Infrastructure
Replacement Era
February 4, 2011
Louann Unger
U.S. EPA Region 5
Unger.louann@epa.gov

2. Setting the Stage
EPA issued a
Gap Analysis Report (2002)
$533 Billion

3. Setting the Stage
The National ASCE Report Card (2009)

4. Setting the Stage
The Illinois Section ASCE Report Card (2010)

5. A National EPA emphasis on
“Sustainable Infrastructure” emerged
Reduce the Funding Gap!
Revenue and Cost

6. Where is the opportunity?
Green Infrastructure
Asset Management
Energy Efficiency
Water Efficiency
Financing Incentives (SRF)
Full Cost Pricing
Emergency Preparedness Planning

7. How do we address these practices?
• Provide outreach/education
• Understand barriers/benefits
• Integrate into core programs

8. Green Infrastructure (1 of 7)
“a paradigm shift”

9. Green Infrastructure
Circulate Information/Reduce barriers
• Information on costs
• Data on performance, technical specifications
• Targeted training for engineers
• Local codes and ordinances
• Recognition programs
Use Clean Water Act tools
• Stormwater permits
• Combined Sewer Overflow LTCPs
• Total Maximum Daily Loads
• Antidegradation
• CWA Section 404
• Great Lakes Restoration Initiative
• CWA Section 319
State Initiatives
IL – Green Infrastructure for Clean Water Act

10. Green Infrastructure mitigates CSO
PRE-DEVELOPMENT CIRCA 1960

11. Green Infrastructure mitigates CSO

12. Energy Efficiency
Importance
Energy ~ 25% to 30% of total plant O&M cost
$4 billion spent annually for energy, nationally
Opportunity to reduce GHG emissions
EPA Region 5 is
Providing outreach on energy management
Collaborating with Regions and HQ
Learning from the Indiana energy management
pilot 2009 - 2011

13. Energy Efficiency (2 of 7)
Pilot Energy Management Practices
1st quarter Mid-course 2nd quarter
Workshop assessment Workshop assessment
Project
Project Conclusion
Kick-off
*
2010 2011
2008
2009-2011 Indiana
Energy Management Pilot

14. Energy Efficiency
Pay attention to kWh used

15. Energy Efficiency Dialogue

16. Energy Efficiency
Develop a Management System
Energy Improvement Goal #1 of 5
Activity: Pumps
Operation: Booster stations and elevated tanks / / High service pumps
Objective: Reduce energy used by pumps
Target: Reduce energy usage by 5% by October 15, 2011
Responsible Performance
Tasks Party Timeframe Measures Comments of Key Subtasks
Scotty
Develop baseline of energy usage Montgomery Completed kWh
Generate new scheduling plan Christine Chapel 30-Sep-11 Plan
Implement and assess plan
(measure improvements
continuously) Leonard McCoy 31-Aug-11 kWh
Report savings to Utility Board
and staff James Kirk 30-Sep-11 kWh Water staff prepare report

17. Water Efficiency (3 of 7)
“Make Every Drop Count”
EPA’s WaterSense product labeling and
partnership program for water conservation and
efficiency
EPA Region 5 is working to
Increase the number of promotional partners
(e.g. utilities, gov’t agencies)
Increase WaterSense brand awareness

18. Water Efficiency
Products

19. Water Efficiency
Partnerships and Activities
Over 30 new partnerships last year
(including WI DNR)
Kohler Company – Partner of the Year
Partnership advocated in NE IL Regional
Water Supply Plan

20. Financing Incentives (4 of 7)
State Revolving Fund (SRF)
Green Project Reserve (GPR)
Shift from gray infrastructure to GREEN
NEW in 2009, 20% of each State’s capitalization grant for
SRF to be used for “Green Reserve” projects: Energy
efficiency * Water efficiency * Green Infrastructure *
Innovative
A Major Impact of GPR
Awareness of Green approaches/benefits

21. Green Project Reserve, Nationally

22. Financing Incentives
GPR Impact
ARRA GPR Project Types (In Millions)
Illinois
Indiana
Michigan
Minnesota
Ohio
Wisconsin
$0 $20 $40 $60 $80
Energy Efficiency ($132 M) Water Efficiency ($71 M)
Green Infrastructure ($45 M) Innovative ($61 M)

23. Financing Incentives
GPR Project Examples
Energy Efficiency
Replacing old pumps and motors with high efficiency versions
Installation of waste heat recovery systems
Water Efficiency
Targeted drinking water pipeline replacement due to excessive
leakage
Reclamation and recycling of treated water effluent
Green Infrastructure
Use of stormwater retention ponds
Removing downspouts from a combined sewer system
Environmentally Innovative
Incorporation of LEED concepts into new drinking water or
wastewater plant design
New operation design for a drinking water system that will result
in less frequent water withdrawal from an aquifer

24. Community Based Emergency
Response Planning (5 of 7)
Build Community Recognition of
Interdependencies with the Water Sector
Facilitate a water/food processing sector
resiliency and preparedness workshop
Distribute reports from the Evanston
Emergency Water Roundtable
Host Evanston Roundtable follow-up

25. Asset Management (6 of 7)
Training
One-day asset management training
Two-day asset management workshop
Software
Check-up Program for Small Systems
(CUPSS)
http://water.epa.gov/infrastructure/drinkingwater/pws/cupss/

26. Full Cost Pricing (7 of 7)

27. EPA Sustainability Policy
Released in October 2010
Approach – promote
sustainability on three fronts
water infrastructure,
water sector systems, and
the role that both of these play in the
overall sustainability of our communities.

28. Region 5 Direction
Continued outreach on sustainability practices
Involvement by states and other stakeholders
Integrate with regulatory programs
NPDES permits, antidegradation, enforcement
Case Studies through community involvement
Energy pilot, Community outreach
Understand where pricing fit into programs
Incoporate Climate Ready Utilities Tools

29. Frame of Reference
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Connection
ICLEI STAR HUD/DOT/EPA
Community Index
EPA Urban Waters Sustainable Jersey
• Outreach
Initiative
• Understand Chicago Metropolitan
• Integrate Environmental Justice Agency for Planning
Showcase Communities GoTo 2040

31. Proactive, triple bottom line approach
The difference between treating disease, and
pursuing wellness.

32. Credits and Resources
•The Gap Report is at http://www.epa.gov/owm/gapreport.pdf
•ASCE IL
http://www.isasce.org/web/images/2010%20Infrastructure%20report/Clip
board01.jpg
•Energy management guidebook.
http://water.epa.gov/infrastructure/sustain/upload/2009_07_21_waterinfr
astructures_guidebook_si_energymanagement.pdf
•Clean Water SRF GPR funding status
http://www.epa.gov/owm/cwfinance/cwsrf/gpr_funding_status.pdf
•Effective Utility Management Primer.
http://water.epa.gov/scitech/wastetech/upload/tools_si_watereum_prime
rforeffectiveutilities.pdf
•Climate Ready Utilities Toolbox
http://www.epa.gov/safewater/watersecurity/climate/toolbox.html
•Triple bottom line image. http://www.gcbl.org/system/files/sustainability-
venn-sm.jpg
•Stoney, Nancy, EPA Office of Water (12/7/2010) “Sustainable Water
Infrastructure. Presented at the 2010 Urban Water Sustainability
Conference
•Sustainable Jersey www.sustainablejersey.com
•ICLEI http://www.icleiusa.org/

33. Bonus Slides (2)

34. Bonus Slide 1. Financing Incentives
GPR Impact – Clean Water SRF
ARRA GPR Green Projects
State
Grant ($M) Projects Funded ($M)
IL 177 25 41 (23%)
IN 94 20 22 (23%)
MI 169 14 34 (20%)
MN 72 3 18 (21%)
OH 221 79 49 (22%)
WI 106 14 53 (50%)
Region 5 839 155 217 (25%)

35. Bonus Slide 2. Financing Incentives
GPR – Drinking Water SRF
ARRA GPR Green Projects
State
Grant ($M) Projects Funded ($M)
IL 80 27 22 (28%)
IN 27 19 6 (21%)
MI 67 15 23 (35%)
MN 25 3 5 (20%)
OH 58 39 23 (40%)
WI 38 34 12 (31%)
Region 5 295 137 91 (31%)