Encouraging Sustainability: Use of LEED to Enhance Focus on Sustainability

Daniel F. Haddock, P.E.
Senior Project Manager
Wittman Hydro, a Division of Layne

2009 © American Water Works Association 2009 Utility Managemnt Conference Proceedings All Rights Reserved
1

Got Sustainability?
“…development that fulfills
the needs of the present Graphic – broad concept
Environmental
generation without efficient resource use
compromising the abilities of adaptation to climate change
minimization of waste
future generations to meet preservation of biodiversity
their own needs.”(1)
Focus on long‐term
performance Social Economic
public health full‐cost pricing of water
Environmental, Social and reliability & level of reinvestment in
infrastructure
Economic performance – service
ability to attract capital
employees
Triple Bottom Line (2) community goals & affordability of service
priorities economic development

2

Sustainability and the Water Industry
The water industry is naturally
concerned with sustainability
public health
protection of natural
resources
long asset lives requiring long
term view
EPA Four Pillars (3)
Utility Management “Sustainable water resource systems
Full Cost Pricing are those designed and managed to
fully contribute to the objectives of
Efficient Water Use society, now and in the future, while
Watershed Approaches to maintaining their ecological,
Source Protection environmental, and hydrological
integrity” (4)

3

What Does Sustainability Mean
to People?
In a practical sense ‐ is it
immediately clear to people
how sustainability relates to
their own work?
How many different perspectives are there in your utility
organization?
Operations, Engineering, Water Quality, Finance, Human
Resources…….
What does it mean to different stakeholders?
Customers, Employees, Regulators, Investors, Taxpayers, NGO’s,
Other Users of Water Resources…….
4

Leadership in Energy & Environmental
Design (LEED)
Leading measure of
sustainability in construction
Water
Efficiency Developed and administered by
5
Energy & US Green Building Council (5)
Atmosphere
17 Adopted by 31 states, 12 fed
agencies, 172 localities (6)
Sustainable
Sites
14 Materials &
LEED‐NC for new construction
Resources
13 LEED‐NC designed primarily
for office buildings, but applied
Indoor
Environmental to manufacturing, schools
Quality

Innovation &
15 Multiple levels ‐ Certified,
Design Process
5
Silver, Gold, Platinum


Bringing Sustainability Into Focus
American Water – A Case Study
In late 2005, American Water embarked on an
initiative to pursue LEED certification for four new
water treatment facilities to be built in Illinois and
Indiana.
Structured framework and goals of LEED provided
playing field for wrestling with concepts of
sustainability
Sustainability into Focus
Connection of sustainability to their jobs
Existing sustainable practices were “discovered”
Search for new opportunities began
6

Initiating the Initiative
Recognized that many existing practices already
contributing to sustainability
Water loss reduction through leak detection and obsolete
main replacement
Meter replacement
Preventative maintenance
Full‐cost water rates, re‐investment in infrastructure
LEED Certification appeared feasible without changes to
budget or schedule of project

7

Good fit with American Water expertise and
processes
Design‐Build project delivery model facilitates
collaborative design and construction effort necessary
for achieving goal
Life cycle cost analysis standard approach for evaluating
alternatives
Expertise in full life cycle of facilities ‐ planning,
engineering, construction, operation enables thorough
evaluation of constructability, cost, and operability

8

Achieving Commitment
Benefits
demonstrate environmental
leadership
motivating development
opportunity for employees
Risks to be Mitigated
Public utility commission support
Schedule & Cost
Implementation Plan
Pilot projects
Clear expectations and constraints
Evaluation

9

LEED and the Water Utility
Moving Forward with Appropriate
Constraints
Maintain focus on function, cost‐effectiveness,
value to rate paying customers.
Decision making unchanged – alternatives
appropriately subjected to life cycle cost analysis
Minimize risk by targeting lowest certification
level
Budget & schedule trump certification
Communicate externally after feasibility assured

10

Implementation
LEED certification goal was identified in Requests for
Qualifications and Proposals for design build services
Plans for achieving LEED certification were integral to the
proposals received from prospective design‐build teams
Internal presentations at management and functional
group meetings
Project team orientation – intent, concepts, goals,
constraints
Project delivery unchanged

11

Initial Challenges
Skepticism of real value, viewed as an “extra” thing, a distraction
Common assumption that it would increase costs, could present risk to
recovery of investment in rates
Required stretching beyond familiar designs
LEED‐NC was not designed for water treatment facilities, many
measures are not practical
Challenges overcome when:
It was clear that decision making would not be distorted by
certification goal
It was appreciated that sustainability goals are well aligned with
fundamental priorities and not a change of direction
Enthusiasm of project team members made stretching beyond
familiar approaches fun
12

“Green” Water Treatment Facilities

Design‐build project teams have completed
the collaborative design process
Facilities under construction

13

Champaign County Operations, Illinois
Champaign County Water Treatment Facility
Lime softening and filtration plant,
seven wells and transmission mains
15 million gallons per day (mgd),
expandable to 20 mgd
$51 million
Operational December 2008

14

Sustainable Sites
reduce storm water runoff, pervious pavement
maintain & restore vegetation
dark‐sky lighting
reduce heat island – reflective roofing and pavement
Water Efficiency
water efficient fixtures
eliminate potable water for irrigation ‐ native landscaping
Energy & Atmosphere
geothermal heating & cooling – raw groundwater supply utilized for energy
optimize building energy performance
Materials & Resources
75% construction waste diverted from landfill
20% recycled content, 20% regional materials
15

Indoor Environmental Quality
low‐VOC paint and adhesives
90% day‐lighting, lighting and climate controls
Innovation & Design Process (and other features)
Agricultural reuse of lime residuals – 237,500 cubic feet of residual solids
diverted annually from landfills
Recycling of process water ‐ 95 million gallons of water per year recycled,
reducing groundwater withdrawals
Establish native prairie and pheasant habitat
On‐site generation of chlorine, eliminating risk of handling chlorine gas
Variable speed pump drives to optimize operational control and energy use
Exceeded requirements for modeling of regional effects of groundwater
withdrawals. Proactive mitigation of residential well impacts.
Anticipated LEED Certification level – Certified, possible Silver
16

West Lafayette, Indiana
Happy Hollow and Davis Ferry WTF’s
Happy Hollow Water Treatment
Facility (WTF) – iron &
manganese filtration plant
3 mgd

Davis Ferry WTF – 4 wells, iron &
manganese filtration plant,
transmission mains.
9 mgd, expandable to 12 mgd

$35 million, Operational June 2009

Sustainable Sites
dark‐sky lighting
Water Efficiency
eliminate potable water for irrigation ‐ native landscaping
Energy & Atmosphere

18

lighting and climate controls, 75% day lighting
recycling of process water, reducing load to sanitary sewer and groundwater
withdrawals
establish native prairie habitat, accessible to nature trail
on‐site generation of chlorine, eliminating risk of handling chlorine gas
variable speed pump drives to optimize operational control and energy use
adaptation to climate change uncertainty ‐ well platforms constructed
above the 500‐year flood level
proactive mitigation of residential well impacts
19

Johnson County Operations, Indiana
London Road Water Treatment Facility
Iron & Manganese
Filtration Plant, five
wells, transmission
mains
3 mgd, expandable
to 6 mgd
$14.5 million
Operational June
2009

20

Sustainable Sites
dark‐sky lighting
Water Efficiency
eliminate potable water for irrigation, native landscaping
Energy & Atmosphere

21

lighting and climate controls, 75% day lighting
establish native prairie habitat
on‐site generation of chlorine, eliminating risk of handling chlorine gas
variable speed pump drives to optimize operational control and energy use
adaptation to climate change uncertainty ‐ well platforms constructed
above the 500‐year flood level
proactive mitigation of residential well impacts
provides interconnection of two water systems, increasing reliability of
supply

22

What was learned about LEED?
Design‐build project delivery
method is well suited to LEED
No significant additional capital
cost at lower levels of LEED
certification
Employees enthusiastic,
communities positive
Established, structured program
helpful
recognition of LEED “brand”
process for project team to follow

23

What was learned about LEED?
Process “discovered” good
existing practices, new approach
stretched team to implement
others
Practices broadly applicable to all
construction
variable speed drives to optimize
pumping
native vegetation
energy efficient building materials
site selection
concrete specification – fly ash & slag
recycle construction waste

24

And about sustainability?
Learned that sustainability encompasses:
Planning in a wider context and with a
long view
Minimizing the environmental impact of
our activities
Efficient management of water resources
– source water protection, treatment &
delivery, conservation, reuse
Maintenance and upkeep of
infrastructure to maximize efficiency of
our assets & limited capital

25

And about sustainability?
Learned that sustainability encompasses:
Financial viability: full‐cost pricing of
water, rates that will sustain our
operations and support necessary
investment in infrastructure
Development and retention of
qualified, motivated staff
Climate change – prepare for drought
and flood, manage risks
Communication with customers and
stakeholders about water issues

26

Sustainability is
integral to the core Operations

business of the Maintenance Water Quality

utility and involves
everyone Utility
Management Engineering

Human Rates &
Resources Finance

27

Conclusion ‐ Benefits of
Implementing LEED
Structured program is useful for
building awareness of issues of
sustainability affecting the business
Demonstrate the environmental
leadership that our customers
expect
Independent Recognition &
Publicity
Energy efficiency and reduction in
greenhouse gas (GHG) intensity

28

Additional Initiatives
Total Water Management – Water Conservation, Reuse
Optimization of Systems – Pumping Energy & Water
Withdrawals
USEPA – WaterSense (7), Sustainable Infrastructure, Climate
Leaders (8)
Triple Bottom Line

29

Bibliography
1. WCED. 1987. The Brundtland Report. World Commission for Environment
and Development.
2. AwwaRF. 2007. Triple Bottom Line Reporting of Sustainable Water Utility
Performance. American Water Works Association Research Foundation.
3. http://www.epa.gov/waterinfrastructure/
4. ASCE. 1998. Sustainability Criteria for Water Resources Systems. American
Society of Civil Engineers, UNESCO/PHI IV Project M‐4.3, Reston, Virginia,
253 p.
5. www.usgbc.org
6. http://www.usgbc.org/DisplayPage.aspx?CMSPageID=1852
7. http://www.epa.gov/WaterSense/
8. http://www.epa.gov/climateleaders/

30

Contact: Dan Haddock, P.E. *
Senior Project Manager
Wittman Hydro, a Division of Layne
317-696-6980
dan@wittmanhydro.com
* Prior to July 2008 – Engineering Manager, American Water –
Central Region

Dave Elmer, P.E. Brent O’Neill, P.E.
Engineering Manager – Project Delivery Engineering Manager – Project Delivery
Indiana American Water Illinois American Water
david.elmer@amwater.com brent.oneill@amwater.com

31

Encouraging Sustainability: Use of LEED to Enhance Focus on Sustainability

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