Come to this webinar if you would like to see how leakage reduction can be turned into Carbon Credits and become a revenue source.  The Leakage Emissions Initiative emphasizes the need to align water conservation and carbon reduction efforts in the water utility industry. By quantifying the carbon emissions associated with leakage and creating financial incentives through Carbon Leakage Credits, this initiative will not only inspire action to improve infrastructure and promote environmental sustainability, but will open up new funding sources for water utilities to invest in leakage reduction.

This presentation will include the methodology established, freely available models for quantifying leakage-based carbon emission reductions, and case studies where these new tools have already been deployed.  Updates and a look ahead on the establishment of certifiable Carbon Leakage Credits in North America will also be presented. Top of Form

As the world grapples with the imperative to combat climate change, reducing carbon emissions has become a global priority. While much attention has been given to greener energy production, it is essential to recognize the carbon cost associated with providing essential services like drinking water.

The Leakage Emissions Initiative seeks to quantify the impact of unmanaged leakage on avoidable carbon emissions and is a collaborative effort including subject-matter experts from the AWWA Water Loss Control Committee and the IWA Water Loss Specialists Group, over 60 professionals representing 22 nations. Through this initiative, freely available white papers, calculators and other resources are being developed to allow carbon emissions from distribution system leakage to be analyzed and quantified.  These resources are targeted to educate those inside and outside the water industry on the long-term global importance of managing distribution system leakage, otherwise known as Real Loss.

Real Loss in water distribution systems has historically received attention (or been ignored) based on its direct economic impact to operations; however, the carbon footprint of Real Loss remains under-considered and underestimated in the water industry. Every unit of water lost to leakage contributes to greenhouse gas emissions. The Leakage Emissions Initiative proposes a framework to incentivize utilities to reduce leakage, generating carbon credits that can be sold to organizations striving for carbon neutrality.

Understanding a utility's carbon footprint requires knowledge of the Water Balance, a term describing the complete input and end use of drinking water. The Standard Water Balance, now used globally, is crucial for quantifying a utility's Carbon Balance, which assesses carbon emissions associated with water sources, uses, and losses, including leakage. From this the reduction in carbon emissions associated with reduction in leakage can be directly quantified.

Moderator

Ryan Shea, Deputy Director – Construction, Boston Water and Sewer Commission

[email protected]

Ryan has both a Bachelor of Science (BS) and a Master of Science (MS) in Civil Engineering from Northeastern University. An interesting highlight from his undergraduate years includes traveling to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to work on a project involving surveying, designing, estimating, and procuring a solar-powered water treatment and distribution system for the Sisters of Notre Dame Power of the Sun Project.

In 2014 as a undergraduate, he began working on a capstone project which evolved into an MS Thesis related to Non-Revenue Water. ACE was held in his hometown of Boston that year where he attended the M36 Water Loss Control committee. He then presented his MS Thesis work at AWWA's ACE in Las Vegas in 2018.

Ryan is currently serving as the Acting Director of Engineering - Construction at the Boston Water and Sewer Commission. He began his career at the Commission in 2019 as a Project Engineer. 

Presenters

Steve Cavanaugh, President and CEO of Cavanaugh & Associates

[email protected]

As President and CEO of Cavanaugh & Associates, Steve Cavanaugh is a creative visionary with an unshakable dedication to environmental stewardship and preservation, which has led him to work with public and private sectors, both nationally and internationally for over three decades developing innovative solutions to some of today’s most challenging issues. Steve has dedicated his career to advancing water efficiency practices and harnessing renewable energy. His next frontier is illuminating the carbon associated with utility leakage and helping chart the course to effective reduction. He serves as the Chair of the International Water Association – Water Loss Specialist Group - Leakage Emissions Initiative. Steve has a BS in Civil Engineering from NC State University and is a licensed Professional Engineer.