Need and Conservation

Fiction: There is no need for a new long-term water supply.

Fact: The 2010 census counts the number of residents in the County at almost 312,000, a near 9% increase since 2000. A rising population that, according to the Rockland County Planning Department, could exceed 344,000 by 2035 will continue to drive further demand for water. By 2016, the daily average water demand is expected to increase from 33.13 million gallons per day to 34.5 million gallons per day, while the peak demand is expected to increase from 51.3 million gallons per day to 53.5 million gallons per day. A new, long-term supply will provide up to an additional 7.5 million gallons of water a day for County residents, businesses, and firefighting needs.

 

Fiction: United Water has acted alone in suggesting the need for a long-term water supply.

Fact: On December 14, 2006, a New York State Public Service Commission (PSC) order adopted a three-year rate plan for United Water New York. The Joint Proposal (parties to the Joint Proposal include United Water New York, PSC Staff, the Town of Ramapo, the County of Rockland, the Rockland County Fire Chiefs, then Rockland County Legislator and now New York State Assembly Member Ellen Jaffee, and others.) that was signed and adopted as part of the order and reaffirmed by the PSC in 2010, requires United Water to, among other things, develop an additional, sustainable water supply to meet the growing needs for water in Rockland County over the next 20 years. These projections in water demand were developed in cooperation with the Rockland County Department of Health.

The PSC and the parties to the Joint Proposal found that it is in the best interest of United Water’s customers and for the company to develop new sources of water supply for Rockland’s growing population.

 

Fiction: Increased conservation will eliminate the need for a long-term water supply.

Fact: Rockland residents should be proud of their efforts to use water wisely. At 66.4 gallons per day per person, Rockland stands well below the national average daily water consumption rate of 90-100 gallons per person. This is particularly impressive when compared with model communities, like Cary, North Carolina, that have a consumption rate of about 62 gallons per day or New York City that exceeds 100.

Conservation is a worthy endeavor and United Water will continue to promote the wise use of water. However, this will not be enough to ensure that demands for drinking water and fire protection are adequately met in the future.

 

Fiction: United Water does little to promote conservation.

Fact: Beginning in the1980s, United Water implemented Public Service Commission-approved measures to encourage conservation by its customers, including the implementation of summer–winter rates, whereby higher water rates are charged from May 1 to September 30 to encourage conservation during the peak demand period; the distribution of conservation kits with low-flow devices for fixtures and a water conservation guide to all single-family customers in the service area in the 1980s (a continued offering of kits today at deeply discounted prices); and a lawn watering program designed to educate customers on good lawn watering techniques.

Today, United Water’s conservation program consists of an ongoing water device distribution program, lawn watering education, and extensive outreach and communication regarding conservation (including an annual water conservation guide, website, public events and presentation, presentations in schools, customer water usage surveys, and demonstration Xeriscape gardening). In addition, in periods of high demand, United Water distributes conservation messages via local media and its website requesting that customers conserve water, and particularly that they cut back on outdoor water usage.

 

Fiction: Fixing leaks in the distribution system will give Rockland enough water for the future.

Fact: The American Waterworks Association (AWWA) has established standard methods for calculating a system’s unavoidable annual real losses, which is the theoretical minimum system leakage that could be achieved if all leak reduction methods were in place. At 2.29 in 2009, United Water New York has a solid Infrastructure Leakage Index for like systems. (A ratio of 1.0 would represent a system operating perfectly, with absolutely no unavoidable loss.) Nonetheless, United Water intends to use its ongoing non-revenue water reduction initiative to reduce the portion of average daily water demand that is due to real losses. However, further reduction of real losses to the system would not eliminate the need for a long-term water supply project.