Municipal Utility Research Articles

Evaluation of the Key Physical Factors Effect on the Corrosion Monitoring Device Performance

Municipal systems that provide optimal living conditions for the population are designed for decades of trouble-free operation. The majority of accidents on pipelines of municipal networks appear as a result of corrosion and mechanical damages of the pipeline material, determination of the place, time and nature of which is difficult to predict and is associated with significant material costs. The basis of measures to prevent and eliminate emergencies caused by accidents at public utilities, as well as to reduce possible losses and damage from them put preventive measures of scientific, engineering and technological nature. These measures include improving the operational reliability of systems, the creation and use of effective control systems, technical diagnostics, forecasting, localization and emergency response. Using the device monitor internal corrosion of pipelines changes in operating conditions allows to estimate the depth of corrosion changes in the thickness of the tubing, to predict the time of achievement of corrosive changes in marginal values pre-crash and thus preventing the occurrence of an emergency situation. The article is devoted to evaluating the accuracy of measuring the corrosion depth of pipeline systems for gas supply, water supply and sewerage of municipal utilities under the influence of external factors.

Returns on investment in watershed conservation: Application of a best practices analytical framework to the Rio Camboriú Water Producer program, Santa Catarina, Brazil

Watershed management may have widespread potential to cost-effectively deliver hydrologic services. Mobilizing the needed investments requires credible assessments of how watershed conservation compares to conventional solutions on cost and effectiveness, utilizing an integrated analytical framework that links the bio-, litho-, hydro- and economic spheres and uses counterfactuals.We apply such a framework to a payment for watershed services (PWS) program in Camboriú, Santa Catarina State, Brazil. Using 1 m resolution satellite imagery, we assess recent land use and land cover (LULC) change and apply the Land Change Modeler tool to predict future LULC without the PWS program. We use current and predicted counterfactual LULC, site costs and a Soil and Water Assessment Tool model calibrated to the watershed to both target watershed interventions for sediment reduction and predict program impact on total suspended solids (TSS) concentrations at the municipal water intake—the principal program objective. Using local water treatment and PWS program costs, we estimate the return on investment (ROI; benefit/costs) of the program.Program ROI exceeds 1 for the municipal water utility in year 44, well within common drinking water infrastructure planning horizons. Because some program costs are borne by third parties, over that same period, for overall (social) program ROI to exceed 1 requires delivery of very modest flood and supply risk reduction and biodiversity co-benefits, making co-benefits crucial for social program justification. Transaction costs account for half of total program costs, a result of large investments in efficient targeting and program sustainability. Co-benefits justify increased cost sharing with other beneficiaries, which would increase ROI for the utility, demonstrating the sensitivity of the business case for watershed conservation to its broader social-economic case and the ability to forge institutional arrangements to internalize third-party benefits.

Sustainable Water Development : Between Urban and Rural

This paper aims to explain the circumstances of water development in urban and rural areas in terms of the municipal water utilities (MWUs) as primary water supply providers that upholds distributing water to achieve sustainable safe water access. To provide a fundamental analysis, a case study was conducted in 10 cities in Indonesia including Bandung, Surabaya, Palembang, Makassar, and Balikpapan as a representation of urban areas; and Ngawi, Garut, Gunung Mas, North Minahasa, and Ende as a representation of rural areas. The discussion focuses on the aspects of the population served, non-revenue water (NRW), and pricing policies. As a result, so far, MWUs have only been able to cover 61.76 percent of the total population with a high imbalance between the urban, 81.60 percent, and the rural, 41.92 percent. The high rate of NRW is still a problem for MWUs both in the urban and rural areas with a rate of 36.67 percent. And the last, the pricing policy by some local governments still set below the full cost recovery (FCR) caused MWUs run in losses which consequently made to local governments invested more money to cover the operational costs. A sustainable water development requires policy support that helps MWUs to operate independently so that it can fulfill its function as a provider of water services that can cover the entire population.

Heat pump system assessment for a groundwater‐source municipal drinking water utility

Compared to a typical heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system, a groundwater source heat pump (GSHP) system should have lower operating costs and greenhouse gas emissions, providing economic and environmental advantages for a ground water‐based municipal water utility. This article describes a test of that hypothesis, involving simulations and evaluations of the economic performance of the above two systems for a model office building in five major U.S. climate zones. The cost–benefit analysis suggests that a GSHP system in climate zone 5 (Chicago‐region) has the best return on investment, whereas climate zone 2 (Phoenix‐region) is not economically promising. Relative to a reference HVAC system, the GSHP system has lower carbon emissions in each of the five climate zones, with the greatest reduction of carbon emissions occurring in climate zone 5 (Chicago‐region). Significance: When faced with decisions about hot water supply and space heating and cooling, relative to drinking water utilities that rely on surface waters, groundwater‐based utilities have ready access to groundwater source heat pumps (GSHPs) that should offer better energy efficiency and lower greenhouse gas emissions. These advantages, however, will depend on regional climate conditions and the course of electrical energy. A better understanding of GSHP performance in different climate zones will provide the information needed to make these decisions. © 2018 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Environ Prog, 38:e13047, 2019

New Trends and Developments in Electric‐Utility Rates

Successful integration of renewable and distributed energy, as well as the reduction of the capital costs created by adding these new generation sources, is driving municipal utilities to look to new ways to structure their rates to continue to provide both competitive service and flexible resources.

Charges for Water and Access: What Explains the Differences Among West Virginian Municipalities?

Examining both spatial and non-spatial econometric analyses with a dataset of 125 municipal water utilities, we investigate utility cost and community factors that explain variation in residential user charges and monthly access charges for water. The results of water charges model are consistent with the theory of water cost determination as water source, debt, and economies of size plus scale influence residential consumer charges for water. Both models (water charges and minimum monthly access) displayed positive spillover effects, although the only variable in either model with a significant indirect effect is water charges on minimum monthly access charges. Based upon model results, ground water use by utilities lowers water charges and is estimated to save residential customers in West Virginia over $3.6 million annually. West Virginia households typically pay far below the OECD standard of 3 to 5% of household income for municipal water, which may explain why socioeconomic factors do not influence minimum monthly charges for access.

Capacity, sustainability, and the community benefits of municipal utility ownership in the United States

ABSTRACT Most literature on utility sustainability focuses on internal operations; this misses the role that utilities could play within a community. This study measures the impact of municipal ownership of water and electric utilities on the sustainability policymaking of local governments. I find that municipalities with government-owned water utilities adopt more sustainability measures than those with investor-owned service. Similarly, municipally-owned electric utilities have higher levels of energy sustainability in the community, but not in government operations. The utilities provide fiscal and technical capacity to municipalities. Interdepartmental coordination also strongly predicts sustainability policymaking. This study brings potential community benefits to the discussion of private investment in public service delivery.

New Technologies in the System of Decentralized Supply and Exhaust Ventilation of Residential Premises

One of the urgent problems of modern housing construction is the saving of fuel and energy resources. Its solution is impossible without improving and developing new energy-saving technological processes and development. Such equipment is heat exchangers based on heat pipes for the utilization of low-potential waste heat of municipal utilities or decentralized supply and exhaust ventilation systems. This paper describes results of the research and development of scientific and technical basis for designing, manufacturing technology and tests of the new high-tech commercial products: heat pipes based on two-phase working coolants of high purity with drop shaped flocculate core, heat-conducting aluminum and aluminum-copper radiator, computer ventilators as basic elements of the energy-saving decentralized supply and exhaust ventilation system (DSEVS) with optimal design and performance characteristics.

Growth performance and health of dairy calves given water treated with a reverse osmosis system compared with municipal city water

Our objective was to determine effects of drinking reverse osmosis water (RW) versus municipal city water (MW) on growth, nutrient utilization, and health scores of calves. Twenty-four Holstein calves (14 females, 10 males; 2 d old; 44.6 ± 6.10 kg of body weight), housed in individual hutches, were used in a 10-wk randomized complete block design study. Calves were blocked by birthdate and sex. Treatments were RW (Culligan Water Filtration System, Brookings, SD) versus MW (Brookings Municipal Utilities, Brookings, SD) that contained 13 and 387 mg/L of total dissolved solids, respectively. Milk replacer (28% crude protein; 18% fat) was fed twice daily during wk 1 through 5 and then once daily during wk 6. At each feeding, 0.45 kg of dry milk replacer was mixed with 2.83 L of the respective water type according to treatment. Calves were fed water, respective to treatment, and calf starter pellets ad libitum throughout the study. All intakes were recorded daily. Daily total respiratory scores (healthy ≤3, sick ≥5) were calculated from the sum of scores for rectal temperature, cough, and ocular and nasal discharges. Fecal consistency scores (0 = firm, 3 = watery) were also recorded daily. Body weights and frame growth were measured 2 d every 2 wk and jugular blood samples were collected 1 d every 2 wk at 3 h after the morning feeding. Fecal grab samples were collected 5 times per day for 3 d during wk 10 for analysis of apparent total-tract digestibility of nutrients. We found treatment by week interactions for dry matter intake and gain-to-feed ratio, and total dry matter intake increased more during the study for RW than MW. Gain-to-feed ratio was greater during the first few weeks of the feeding period for RW compared with MW and then comparable during the rest of study. Water intake was less in RW than MW, potentially indicating more efficient water use by calves. Frame growth, body weight, average daily gain, serum glucose, plasma urea nitrogen, β-hydroxybutyrate, total-tract digestibility of dry matter, and crude protein were similar. Fecal scores tended to be lower (firmer) in calves on RW, with an interaction by time. Respiratory scores decreased during the weaning period when calves drank RW. Results demonstrated calves drinking RW had similar growth and improved health scores with treatment by time interactions compared with MW.

Benchmarking Intangible Assets in the Water Sector: an Evidence from Indonesia

This article aims to provide an empirical evidence of the value of intellectual capital, as a proxy of intangible assets, in the water sector. It is very interesting considering there are only a few researches that explore the value of the intellectual capital in this sector and is expected to fill the gap of the literature review. This study presumed that the value of intellectual capital in the water sector is low in view of the fact that it is a capital-intensive sector. It adopted the value added intellectual coefficient (VAICTM) as the instrument to measure the value of intellectual capital. The data were collected during the year of 2013-2015 from 253 municipal water utilities (MWUs) in Indonesia consisting of 83 MWUs in 2013, 79 MWUs in 2014, and 91 MWUs in 2015. It was found that the average VAICTM value was 2.082 and the range values were between 1.157 and 4.298. This wide range indicates a gap between MWUs. Even another result performs that half of the MWUs have sustainable criteria. Finally, this research recommends MWUs management to re-evaluate human capital policies due to the low value of intellectual capital, so that the bigger amount of investment in human capital would not be wasted.

Towards integrated multi-modal municipal energy systems: An actor-oriented optimization approach

Against the backdrop of a changing political, economic and ecological environment, energy utilities are facing several challenges in many countries. Due to an increasing decentralization of energy systems, the conventional business could be undermined. Yet the reliable integration of small-scale renewable technologies and associated system transformations could represent an opportunity as well. Municipal energy utilities might play a decisive role regarding successful transition. For better decision-making, they need to investigate under which conditions certain novel business cases can become a sustainable part of their future strategy. The development of the strategy is a challenging task which needs to consider different conditions as business portfolio, the customer base, the regulatory framework as well as the market environment. Integrated Multi-Modal Energy System (IMMES) models are able to capture necessary interactions. This research introduces a model-driven decision support system called Integrated Resource Planning and Optimization (IRPopt). Major aim is to provide managerial guidance by simulating the impact of business models considering various market actors. The mixed-integer linear programming approach exhibits a novel formal interface between supply and demand side which merges technical and commercial aspects. This is achieved by explicit modeling of municipal market actors on one layer and state-of-the-art technology components on another layer as well as resource flow relations and service agreements mechanism among and between the different layers. While this optimization framework provides a dynamic and flexible policy-oriented, technology-based and actor-related assessment of multi-sectoral business cases, the encapsulation in a generic software system supports the facilitation. Based on the actor-oriented dispatch strategy, flexibility potential of community energy storage systems is provided to demonstrate a real application.

Costs Dive with Tailored Planning: Shared and Unique Content in Aviation Protection Plans Provide Economic Efficiency

From 2002 to 2003, the Colorado Rural Electric Association (CREA ) led the development of avian protection plans (APPs) with avian risk assessments (ARA s) for 21 cooperatives, two municipal utilities, and the Public Service Company of Colorado (now known as Xcel Energy). Making use of the best mapping and data collection tools of the day, these documents offered guidance on avian management and mitigation to improve avian safety and system reliability. These tailored APPs leveraged shared and utilityspecific content to meet the unique needs of each utility, while remaining affordable to small providers. The CREA project leveraged available efficiencies to deliver 24 utilityspecific APPs at a far lower cost than would have been possible had each APP been developed separately. Due to this large-scale, visionary effort, the vast majority of Colorado's power lines are covered by an APP. To our knowledge, no group of independent utilities had developed tailored APPs for more than a decade after the CREA project.

Saving Energy From Urban Water Demand Management

AbstractWater use directly causes a significant amount of energy use in cities. In this paper we assessed energy and carbon dioxide emissions related to each part of the urban water cycle and the consequences of some water demand management policies in terms of water, energy, and CO2 emissions in urban water users, water and energy utilities, and the environment. First, we developed an hourly model of urban water uses by customer category, including water‐related energy consumption. Next, using real data from the East Bay Municipal Utility District in California, we calibrated a model of the energy used in water supply, treatment, pumping, and wastewater treatment by the utility, obtaining also energy costs. Then, using data from the California Independent System Operator, we obtained hourly costs of energy generation and transport to the point of use for the energy utility. Finally, using average emission factors reported by energy utilities, we estimated greenhouse gas emissions for the entire urban water cycle. Results for East Bay Municipal Utility District show that water end uses account for almost 95% of all water‐related energy use; however, the remaining 5% of energy used by the utility still costs over USD12 million annually. The carbon footprint of the urban water cycle is 372 kg CO2/person/year, representing approximately 4% of the total per capita emissions in California. Several simulations analyze the consequences of different water demand management policies, resulting in significant economic impacts for water and energy utilities and environmental benefits by reducing CO2 emissions.

Provoking Residential Demand Response Through Variable Electricity Tariffs - A Model-Based Assessment for Municipal Energy Utilities

With the suitable infrastructure of information and communication technologies in place, customers are able to perform demand response (DR), meaning that they can decrease or increase their electricity consumption in response to changes in their electricity tariff. In this research, different variable electricity tariffs are designed taking both customer and utility preferences into account. Subsequently, a model-based analysis on the basis of optimization model IRPopt (Integrated Resource Planning and Optimization) is carried out. Electricity customers are exposed to the designed tariffs in order to find out whether variable electricity tariffs are a suitable instrument for municipal energy utilities to exploit the potential laying in residential DR. Loads considered for DR in this work are those of selected electric household appliances and the loads of electric heat pumps. One major contribution of this work is that the assessment differentiates between different types of energy utilities, whose specific generation profiles are taken into account in the design of the variable tariffs. The results show that variable electricity tariffs have a small economic potential. However, customers only benefit if the design of the business model includes a proper compensation mechanism. In this context, successful business models require the direct cooperation of different municipal energy market actors. Furthermore, taking the specific generation profiles of municipal energy utilities into account in the design of variable electricity tariffs helps to increase the energy autonomy of municipalities.

Legal Framework of Decentralized Energy Business Models in Germany: Challenges and Opportunities for Municipal Utilities

Feasible and profitable business models to better integrate and harness decentrally generated renewable energy are expected to constitute a key element for the energy transition in Germany. Until now, generated electricity of decentralized systems is to the largest extent only used by the property owner directly or fed into the public grid. To make better use of the generated electricity, it is necessary to find business models that provide an opportunity for different market actors, such as municipal utilities and residential prosumers. Due to the importance, yet low-anticipated monetary potential of such solutions, the legislator encourages their implementation by exemption of statutory fees, levies and taxes as well as by offering public remunerations, premiums and compensations in some cases. Capitalizing on these benefits, however, is only feasible under compliance with the legal requirements. In the light of the considerations above, this work states and analyzes the legal and regulatory framework of different business models within the German energy landscape. The major aim is to identify opportunities and challenges for the implementation of the business models self consumption, direct consumption, direct marketing, demand response, community electricity storage and net metering at the municipal level. The findings show that the profitability of various decentralized on-site business models depends primarily on the current statutory cost exemptions and compensations. At the same time, the regulation is characterized by unsystematic specific exemptions which leads to uncertainty regarding long-term planning. Additionally, although not directly privileged by the existing legal framework, municipal utilities are better suited to handle the legal burdens due to their experience and their administrative infrastructure.

Early detection of occupational skin diseases in sewer workers

Skin diseases affect 30-70% of the world population, and globally, skin cancer rates are continuously increasing. In this respect, prevention programs and early detection of skin diseases are of particular importance. To screen sewer workers for skin diseases with regard to their work-related risk. Employees of the municipal utilities in Munich (Münchner Stadtentwässerung) underwent awhole-body examination of the skin, conducted by two dermatologists. In addition, all employees completed apaper-based questionnaire on risk behavior and preventive measures. We examined 81employees (79men, 2women, mean age 45.7 ± 9.5years). Skin lesions in need of treatment were found in 30.9% (n = 25): the most frequent diagnosis was mycosis pedis (16.1%). In addition, one employee was diagnosed with basal cell carcinoma and two with actinic keratoses. According to the questionnaire, 43.5% of the employees had undergone aphysician-led skin cancer screening in the past, whereas sun-protection practices were rarely applied. According to our findings, employee skin cancer screening seems to be beneficial for the detection of work-related skin diseases and is associated with a high participation rate. Furthermore, the study suggests that sewer workers have ahigh rate of mycosis pedis, possibly awork-related effect.

Predictors for adoption of local solar approval processes and impact on residential solar installations in California cities

Local governments and policies hold an important role in stimulating the growth of solar photovoltaic (PV) installations. By improving local solar permitting processes, city governments can potentially reduce the “soft” costs of solar PV installations and facilitate the deployment of solar PV systems at the local level. Drawing data from California's annual statewide planning surveys, this paper examines the determinants for the adoption of solar approval processes and the policy impact on residential solar PV installations in California cities. The results demonstrate that cities with large population size, municipal utilities, and high proportions of pro-environment, educated constituents are more likely to adopt solar approval processes. Additionally, the presence of local solar approval processes is found to increase both total capacity and the number of small-scale residential solar PV installations in a city, holding all else equal. The empirical evidence presented in this research confirms the important role of local governments in the deployment of solar PV systems.

Leadership and safety: the role of goal commitment

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to investigate safety goal commitment as a potential mediator of the relationship between safety-specific transformational leadership and safety performance.Design/methodology/approachA field study was conducted in a sample of municipal utilities workers. All workers were asked to take a survey during work time.FindingsThe results suggest that safety-specific transformational leadership is positively related to safety performance and safety goal commitment, safety goal commitment is positively related to safety performance, and goal commitment is a significant mediator of the relationship between transformational leadership and safety performance.Practical implicationsGoal-setting theory and subsequent research has suggested a variety of strategies that can be employed to enhance the goal commitment of employees, and this study suggests that some of these strategies could be explored in the occupational safety realm. Future research could explore what transformational behaviors might be taught which would aid in setting safety goals with employees and motivating them to commit to those goals.Originality/valueThese findings add to existing research which supports connections between transformational leadership and job behaviors. Furthermore, they add to the limited research which has explored possible explanatory mechanisms and underscores the importance of safety goal commitment as the focus of future research and/or organizational interventions.

Vacuum sewerage systems – a solution for fast growing cities in developing countries?

Abstract Developed more than a century ago, the potential of vacuum sewerage systems remains underexploited. At the same time, the rapid urbanization in Asia brings about major challenges for municipal utilities. In this context, the GIZ (Deutsche Gesellschaft fuer Internationale Zusammenarbeit) project ‘Integrated Resource Management in Asian Cities: the Urban Nexus’ gives technical advice to stakeholders in the partner cities. Fraunhofer IGB, having operated a vacuum sewer system for more than ten years in the context of a research project, carried out a survey regarding current experiences with vacuum sewer systems and the transferability to countries of the Global South. In an environment with existing infrastructure, it is often not economically reasonable to install an additional sewer system. Nevertheless, with aging infrastructure and an increasing importance of circular economy concepts including water reuse, nutrient recovery and biogas generation, vacuum sewers can pose a viable alternative for refurbishments or new developments in semi-decentralized sanitation approaches involving local treatment and resource recovery.

Study of Iron Pipe Corrosion in Municipal Water Distribution System and Its Effect

Deterioration could lead to destruction of materials with chemical or electrochemical reaction as corrosion. Corrosion is one of the most complicated and costly problems facing in municipal drinking water utilities. A large number of parameters affected pipe corrosion, including water quality and composition, flow conditions, biological iron activity, and corrosion inhibitors. Corrosion scales play an important role in modifying water quality in drinking water distribution systems. The corrosion scales from old water pipe lines were analyzed for their structure and composition. This paper mainly studied the deposits found in water distribution system of Municipal and protection of corrosion methods as well as to preventive measurements of the iron pipe corrosion. The corrosion scales had a shell-like, enveloping layer, covering porous deposits of iron oxide phases. Catastrophic failures are obtained in water distribution systems, so major layer will be occurred. The ground water samples were drawn from the area and subjected to physical and chemical analysis and the analysis results were used to evaluate in laboratory works.