Sustainability Resources

Sustainable Water Infrastructure

• U.S. Water Infrastructure Needs & the Funding Gap
• Water & Energy Efficiency
• Infrastructure Financing & Pricing Water Services
• Asset Management

Sustainable Water Systems

• Effective Utility Management (EUM)
• Water System Partnering

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U.S. Water Infrastructure Needs & the Funding Gap

• General Accounting Office—Water Infrastructure: Information on Financing, Capital Planning, and Privatization (August 2002) (PDF) (83 pp, 1.2MB)
• Clean Water and Drinking Water Infrastructure Gap Analysis Report, September 2002
• Full Report (PDF), EPA 816-R-02-020 (54 pp, 2MB)
• Fact Sheet (PDF), EPA 816-F-02-017 (2 pp, 105K)
• 2003 EPA Forum—Closing the Gap: Innovative Responses for Sustainable Water Infrastructure
• Summary of the Water Infrastructure Forum (PDF) (11 pp, 126K)
• Remarks by the Assistant Administrator for Water (PDF) (6 pp, 107K)

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Water & Energy Efficiency 

• National Environmental Services Center Tech Brief: Water Meters (PDF) (4 pp, 1,360K)
• National Drinking Water Clearinghouse Factsheet: Leak Detection and Water Loss Control (PDF) (4 pp, 203K)
• Small System Guide to Rate Setting (PDF) (62 pp, 341K)
• Aging Water Infrastructure Research Program: Addressing the Challenge Through INNOVATION (PDF) (6 pp, 908K)
• Case Studies of Sustainable Water and Wastewater Pricing (PDF), EPA 816-R-05-007 (25 pp, 1,117K)
• Cases in Water Conservation: How Efficiency Programs Help Water Utilities Save Water and Avoid Costs (PDF), EPA 832-B-02-003 (54 pp, 555K)
• National Drinking Water Clearinghouse Factsheet: Water Conservation Measures (PDF) (4 pp, 314K)
• Funding Water Efficiency Through the State Revolving Fund Programs (PDF), EPA 816-F-03-022 (8 pp, 1.38MB)
• Texas Water Development Board Report: Water Conservation Best Management Practices Guide (PDF) (266 pp, 1,712K)
• Texas Water Development Board Report: Water Loss Audit Manual (PDF) (60 pp, 990K)
• Guidelines for Water Reuse (PDF), EPA 625-R-04-108, September 2004 (28 pp, 212K)
• Class V Underground Injection Well Study (PDF), EPA 816-R-99-014u, September 1999 (73 pp, 339K)
• Class V UIC Study Factsheet: Aquifer Recharge Wells and Aquifer Storage and Recovery Wells (PDF) (1 pp, 146K)
• The National Academies Report in Brief: Prospects for Managed Underground Storage of Recoverable Water (PDF) (4 pp, 370K)
• Membrane Filtration Guidance Manual (PDF) (331 pp, 3.77MB) Although developed to support the EPA Cryptosporidium (LT2) Rule, this guidance may also have useful information for utilities considering membranes for desalination or water reuse purposes.
• The National Academies Report in Brief: Desalination: A National Perspective (PDF) (4 pp, 1.67MB)
• When Are Stormwater Discharges Regulated as Class V Wells? (PDF), EPA 816-F-03-001 (2 pp, 798K)
• White House National Science and Technology Council Committee on Environment and Natural Resources Report: A Federal Strategy for Federal Science and Technology to Support Water Quality and Availability in the United States (PDF) (46 pp, 3.11MB)
• Bureau of Reclamation Technical Memorandum: Reclamation, Managing Water in the West, Literature Synthesis in Climate Change Implications for Reclamation's Water Resources (PDF) (290 pp, 7,794K)
• Focus on Energy Technical Data Sheet: Understanding Your Electric Bill (PDF) (2pp, 87K)
• California Energy Commission Handbook: How to Hire an Energy Auditor (PDF) (68pp, 360K)
• California Energy Commission Handbook: Energy Accounting: A Key Tool in Managing Energy Costs (PDF) (36pp, 304K)
• Ensuring a Sustainable Future: An Energy Management Guidebook for Wastewater and Water Utilities (PDF) (113 pp, 1.2MB)
• Water and Wastewater Energy Best Practice Guidebook (PDF) (93 pp, 923K)
• Evaluation of Energy Conservation Measures for Wastewater Treatment Facilities (PDF) (222 pp, 7.08MB)
• New York State Energy Research and Development Authority: Water & Wastewater Energy Management Best Practices Handbook (PDF)  (94 pp, 1.26MB)
• Consortium for Energy Efficiency: Energy Efficiency RFQ/RFP Guidance for Water-Wastewater Projects (2 pp, 104K)
• U.S. Department of Energy's Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy: Improving Pumping System Performance, A Sourcebook for Industry (PDF) (122 pp, 3,145K)
• California Energy Commission Handbook: How to Hire an Energy Services Company (ESCO) (PDF) (112 pp, 1,282K)
• "Increasing Energy Efficiency Through ARRA Funding: New York State Wastewater Initiatives (PDF)," EPA-830-F-10-001 (4 pp, 3,176K)
• EPA's Final Energy Management Highlight Sheet (PDF) (2 pp, 164K)
• California Energy Commission Handbook: How to Finance Public Sector Energy Efficiency Projects (PDF) (60pp, 504K)
• Opportunities for and Benefits of Combined Heat and Power at Wastewater Treatment Facilities (PDF) (48 pp, 726K)
• New York State Energy Research and Development Authority: Guide to Solar Powered Water Pumping in New York State (PDF) (29 pp, 1,506K)
• EPA's Green Power Partnership: Guide to Purchasing Green Power (PDF) (50 pp, 961K)

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Infrastructure Financing & Pricing Water Services

• Tools for Financing Water Infrastructure (PDF) (55 pp, 236K)
• "Rate Options to Address Affordability Concerns for Consideration by the District of Columbia Water and Sewer Authority"(PDF) (11 pp, 156K)
• Information for States on Developing Affordability Criteria for Drinking Water, EPA 816-R-98-002, 1998
• Applicability of the Safe Drinking Water Act to Submetered Properties (PDF) (5pp, 300K)
• CSO Guidance for Financial Capability Assessment and Schedule Development (PDF) (62 pp, 2.3MB), EPA 832-B-97-004
  

Please consult the Pricing Resources page for more information on water pricing policies, tools and tips, reports and case studies.

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Asset Management

• Asset Management: A Best Practices Guide (PDF), EPA 816-F-08-014 (5 pp, 244K)
• Multisector Asset Management Case Studies (PDF) (88pp, 2.52MB)
• Building an Asset Management Team (PDF), EPA 816-F-08-016 (2 pp, 78K)
• Asset Management: A Handbook for Small Public Water Systems–STEP Guide Series (PDF) (50 pp, 976K)
• Two-day Advanced Asset Management Workshop Materials
• Exercise Tables (PDF) (2 pp, 22K)
• Pump Station Drawings (PDF) (2 pp, 48K)
• Excel Spreadsheet Tool (XLS) (135K)
• Advanced Asset Management Training Workshop Agenda (PDF) (1 p, 27K)
• Story Line (PDF) (21 pp, 114K)
• Training Slides (new slides in PDF format)
• America's Pathway To Sustainable Water and Wastewater Services (73 pp, 3.13MB)
• Fundamentals of Asset Management Session 0-Executive Overview (47 pp, 778K)
• Fundamentals of Asset Management Session 1-Develop Asset Registry (39 pp, 909K)
• Fundamentals of Asset Management Session 2-Assess Condition, Failure Modes (27 pp, 277K)
• Fundamentals of Asset Management Session 3-Determine Residual Life (60 pp, 974K)
• Fundamentals of Asset Management Session 4-Determine Life Cycle & Replacement Costs (47 pp, 853K)
• Fundamentals of Asset Management Session 5-Set Target Level of Service (19 pp, 268K)
• Fundamentals of Asset Management Session 6-Determine Business Risk ("Criticality") (60 pp, 974K)
• Fundamentals of Asset Management Session 6.5-Develop Asset Registry (35 pp, 863K)
• Fundamentals of Asset Management Session 7-Optimize (O&M) Investment (47pp, 853K)
• Fundamentals of Asset Management Session 8-Optimize Capital Investment (57pp, 680K)
• Fundamentals of Asset Management Session 9-Determine Funding Strategy (19 pp, 268K)
• Fundamentals of Asset Management Session 10-Build Asset Management Plan (19 pp, 268K)

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Effective Utility Management (EUM)

• The Effective Utility Management Collaborative Effort offers an electronic resource "toolbox"
• Effective Utility Management Primer (PDF) (52pp, 3.5MB)
• Statement of Support by the EUM partners: Effective Utility Management Committee—Statement of Support (PDF) (2 pp, 125K)
• Effective Utility Management Committee—Implementation Actions (PDF) (1 pp, 96K) Describes short- and long-term actions to build upon the Steering Committee's recommendations.
• Water Sector Collaboration on Effective Utility Management Fact Sheet (PDF) (4 pp, 192K) Identifies Ten Attributes of Effective Utilities and keys to management success in combating problems facing utilities nationwide.
• Findings and Recommendations for a Water Utility Sector Management Strategy (PDF) (35 pp, 189K) March 2007 report that contains the Effective Utility Management Steering Committee's recommendations.
• Appendices (PDF) (33 pp, 909K)
• May 2006 Statement of Intent on Effective Water Sector Utility Management (PDF) (3 pp, 83K)
• Report: Managing for Excellence: Analysis of Water and Wastewater Utility Management Systems (August 2005) (PDF) (92 pp, 615K)
• Summary: Meeting with Utility Leaders on Sustainable Management (July 2005) (PDF) (21 pp, 89K)

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Water System Partnering

• Helping Small Systems Comply with the Safe Drinking Water Act: The Role of Restructuring (PDF), EPA 812-K-92-001 (6 pp, 468K)
• EPA's Restructuring Manual (PDF), EPA 570-9-91-035 (56 pp, 2.8MB)
• System Partnership Solutions to Improve Public Health Protection Volume I (PDF) (12 pp, 784K) and Volume II (PDF) (10 pp, 204K)
  (Vol. I: EPA 816-R-02-022, September 2002; Vol. II: EPA 816-R-06-005, October 2006)
• Restructuring and Consolidation of Small Drinking Water Systems: A Compendium of State Authorities, Statutes, and Regulations (PDF), EPA 816-B-07-001 (61 pp, 1.2MB)
  
• EPA Case Study: Gaining Operational and Managerial Efficiencies Through Water System Partnerships (PDF), EPA 816-R-09-005 (28 pp, 3.9MB)
• EPA Case Study: Consolidated Water Rates: Issues and Practices in Single-Tariff Pricing (PDF) (122 pp, 388K)
• Restructuring Small Drinking Water Systems: Options and Case Studies (PDF), EPA-810-R-95-002 (48 pp, 3.2MB)

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