Introduction
The AWE Water Conservation Tracking Tool is an Excel-based planning model that water suppliers can use to evaluate the water savings, costs, and benefits of conservation programs. Using information entered into the Tracking Tool from a utility’s system, it provides a standardized methodology for water savings and benefit-cost accounting, and includes a library of pre-defined conservation activities from which users can build conservation programs.
The Tracking Tool is widely used. Many utilities in California rely on it for conservation planning. The number of California users is expected to grow significantly with the merger between the Alliance for Water Efficiency and the California Water Efficiency Partnership. One of the benefits of the merger is that members of the California Water Efficiency Partnership will gain full access to the Tracking Tool software.
Different versions of the Tracking Tool have been developed for unique state regulatory environments. For example, one version is specific to the plumbing codes, appliance standards, and landscape requirements in California. However, California is currently in the process of making significant changes to these regulations. To continue providing effective water conservation planning support to California urban water suppliers, the California version of the Tracking Tool will need to be updated.
This proposal describes the pending changes to California urban water conservation regulations and proposes modifications to the Tracking Tool to help California urban water suppliers plan their water conservation programs to comply with the new state requirements.
