The article below, by Zengchao Hao, published on 16 February 2018, discusses the challenges that still exist in terms of drought forecasting despite the many advancements in the field.
Tag: challenges
Conducting Water Audits and Calculating Payback Periods – 2 for 1 Webinar
Through Forester University’s 2 for 1 On-Demand Webcasts, persons may enroll in two online courses at the reduced cost of 99.00 (US Dollars). Please see the following information below for course description, presenter information and
Course 1 – How to Conduct a Water Audit and Avoid the Pitfalls
Avoid the water auditing pitfalls! Join Troy Aichele, LEED AP (O+M) of Aichele and Associates LLC for How to Conduct a Water Audit and Avoid the Pitfalls (for the second module in our Water Auditing Masters Series) to learn the step-by-step process of performing a water audit; the key information, tools, equipment, rebates, and typical pitfalls in performing successful audits; and learn how to use a custom plumbing fixture water audit spreadsheet. Learn how to successfully conduct your own water audit and avoid common water auditing pitfalls to ensure your audit goes smoothly.
“When the well’s dry, we know the worth of water” – Benjamin Franklin
According to the United Nations, water use has grown at more than twice the rate of population increase in the last century. By 2025, an estimated 1.8 billion people will live in areas plagued by water scarcity, with two-thirds of the world’s population living in water-stressed regions as a result of use, growth, and climate change. We have a water problem. Water auditing can help.
Join Aichele for a discussion of the step-by-step process of successfully performing your own water audit, including: the key information necessary to perform water audits; the building fixtures, equipment, and systems to examine in a water audit; and the tools needed to successfully complete the water audit. Within this discussion, Aichele discusses the common pitfalls in water auditing and how to avoid these. Additionally, this webinar addresses how and where to find rebates in your area, and how to use a custom plumbing fixture water audit spreadsheet.
Learning Objectives & Key Takeaways
Goal:
- To learn how to successfully conduct your own water audit and avoid common water auditing pitfalls to ensure your first audit goes smoothly
Key Takeaways:
- Learn the step-by-step process of performing your own Water Audit
- Learn key information necessary prior to performing a Water Audit
- Learn what tools are necessary to perform a Water Audit
- Learn how to use a custom plumbing fixture Water Audit spreadsheet
- Learn how and where to find rebates in your area
- Learn what building fixtures, equipment and systems to look for during a Water Audit
- Learn about key things to avoid when performing a Water Audit and Water Audit work
Course 2 – How to Calculate Water Audit Payback Periods and Write Water Audit Reports
Maximize your payback! Join Troy Aichele, LEED AP (O+M) of Aichele and Associates LLC for How to Calculate Water Audit Payback Periods and Write Audit Reports (the third module in our Water Auditing Masters Series), addressing the most essential skill in water auditing: how to calculate payback period and incorporate it effectively in your water audit report. Within this discussion, Aichele explores how to calculate water audit improvement periods using a custom-built payback spreadsheet calculator; how to calculate use rates; how to incorporate savings, rebates and utility increases into your payback calculations; and how to write a water audit report letter incorporating water audit results and payback periods.
According to USAID, one-third of the population of the earth estimated to face severe or chronic water shortages by the year 2025. And if the old adage is true – “water flows uphill toward money” (Annonymous, American West) – we all have a water problem. Water auditing can help.
Join Aichele for a discussion of how to calculate water audit payback periods, including: improvement payback periods (using a custom-built payback spreadsheet calculator) and calculated use rates for fixtures, equipment, and systems. Additionally, Aichele discusses how to incorporate your hot water fuel savings, maintenance avoidance, rebates, and utility cost increases, as well as your water and sewer savings, into your payback calculations. Finally, we discuss step-by-step how to write a water audit report, and incorporate your water audit findings and payback periods.
Learning Objectives & Key Takeaways
Goal:
- Learn the most essential skill in water auditing: how to calculate the payback period and incorporate it effectively into a Water Audit report.
Key Takeaways:
- How to calculate Water Audit improvement Payback Periods using a one-of-a-kind custom built payback spreadsheet calculator
- How to calculate use rates for plumbing fixtures, equipment and systems
- How to incorporate hot water fuel savings, maintenance avoidance, rebates and utility cost increases into your payback calculations (in addition to water and sewer savings)
- How to write a Water Audit Report letter incorporating Water Audit findings and payback periods
One can enroll for this special 2 for 1 course here.
Notes
* Presentations are scheduled for approximately one hour with a 15–20 minute question and answer session to follow. Presentation may exceed scheduled time.
* Each state and certification agency has different requirements; it is your responsibility to know what they are. Note that 1 PDH = 0.1 CEU.
* Purchase of this special allows you access to the presentations for 6 months from the order date.
About Presenter
Troy Aichele
LEED AP (O+M)
President
Aichele and Associates, LLC
Water Security and Climate Change Conference 2017
FREE Webinar: Effective Utility Management: Your Utility’s Road to Sustainability
This webinar, provided by the American Water Works Association, highlights utility management’s value and importance, based on the Attributes of Effectively Managed Utilities (EUM) and Keys to Management Success, which AWWA, the US Environmental Protection Agency, and several leading water-sector associations endorse.
The webinar’s focus is to familiarize the audience with the steps needed to implement EUM according to the recently updated EUM Primer, released January 2017. In the United States, EUM is now the most widely recognized water utility management program, helping utilities address challenges they face today and preparing them to meet challenges of the future. Participants will gain understanding of the basic structure of EUM and, especially, how to get started in implementing the EUM approach in their operations through the 3 basic steps described in the Primer:
- Assessing current utility operations based on the Attributes
- Adopting best management practices based on the Assessment
- Selecting performance metrics to gauge performance improvements
To learn more about this webinar, which is scheduled for July 26, 2017, as well as, to register follow this link.
Persons wishing to view the full list of webinars, including those available at a cost (remember AWWA members get access at a discounted price), follow this link.
Capacity Development to Support National Drought Management Policies – UNW-DPC
Noting the development of climate change and such resulting changes such as drought, the UN- Water Decade Programme on Capacity Development (UNW-DPC) and its partners have produced a document which provides a synthesis on National Drought Management Policies.
This document presents the major objectives of the “Capacity Development to Support National Drought Management Policy (NDMP)” initiative, the rationale behind national drought management policies, key pillars and the 10-step process for developing national drought policies and drought preparedness plans, as well as, lessons learnt from series of regional workshops.
One may also find details on challenges and key steps for countries wishing to develop and implement national drought policies.
Expected readers of this document include government policymakers and relevant stakeholders charged with assisting them in building drought resilient communities.
Persons wishing to view this document can email me or visit me at my desk. 🙂
Proceedings on Water Education and Capacity Building – UNESCO
Through the development of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and other water sector initiatives, one would hope that the importance of water has begun to sink in.Yet, regardless of this, there is still need for improvement, in order for persons to have access to a reliable water supply, proper sanitation, as well as, to ensure that such water needs are safeguarded against negative impacts for as long as its needed.
As a result of this, continuous dialogue and the dissemination of relevant information is required to ensure that persons are properly informed in terms of water education and capacity building.
The document “Proceedings on Water Education and Capacity Building” published by the UN-Water Decade Programme on Capacity Development (UNW-DPC), provides a summary of “discussions held in Korea around these topics and provides an excellent starting point for deepening the discussion on the role of water education and capacity development for sustainable development, to motivate further research and to stimulate the development of projects and initiatives on this important issue for the achievement of water and water-related targets in the upcoming Sustainable Development Goals (SDG ) framework” (UNESCO, 2015).
Since UNESCO offers this document through open access persons now have access to such discussions and main conclusions.
So persons wishing to view this document can email me or visit me at my desk. 🙂
