Owner as Operator

Abstract

Water utilities must effectively communicate the various needs of their systems to customers and stakeholders. Many customers put water systems out of mind since they are mostly out of sight, but this same challenge presents an opportunity to connect with one particular group: homeowners, who have their own (very small) water system.

In the United States, public water systems provide water to at least 15 service connections or serve an average of at least 25 people for at least 60 days a year. For homeowners and their premise plumbing systems, typically they have either one service connection (if they have municipal water service) or none (if they have their own wells). But while they operate on vastly different scales, both public and premise systems share many common challenges.

Both systems own and operate assets that are often unseen and difficult to access. Pipes buried underground resemble pipes under sinks or connections behind toilets. Both have valves that should be checked and exercised regularly to make sure they are operational. Leaks must be fixed, and old assets must be replaced. Both public and premise systems want to boost indoor water efficiency projects that support water conservation, lower energy costs, and improve the overall sustainability of water resources.

Lead service line replacement is a critical issue for both public and premise systems, and since they face other common contaminants, they also can use the same treatment processes, including reverse osmosis, ultraviolet disinfection, and ion exchange. Homeowners with water softeners may appreciate the similarity most, because when they batch up the regeneration brine with heavy bags of salt, they get a true sense of the physical aspect of treatment plant operations.

Public systems are regulated and must monitor their water quality to show they’re in compliance, but they must also respond to aesthetic issues and other customer concerns. Premise systems, at least households, must respond to those same issues in a more local way—i.e., complaints from family—and in response to bad quality, homeowners must ensure alternative short-term delivery of acceptable products like bottled water.

Public and premise systems face similar financial challenges as well, and long-term sustainability planning is essential for both. Besides keeping up with the regular water bills, do you budget more for warm weather or less if it's rainy? Do you maintain insurance in case a service line breaks? Are you on top of needed maintenance and replacements? If you maintain an emergency reserve, how much should you save, and where will you keep it?

Owning a home means managing a miniature water system—one that has a lot in common with public systems. Understanding these connections can foster a better understanding of the work utilities do in ways that homeowners can appreciate. To submit articles on further challenges facing the water industry as well as potential solutions, contact me at [email protected].