Rob Sowby and Kai Krieger
June 2023 | Rob Sowby, Dan Jones, and Kayson Shurtz
2022 | Kayson M. Shurtz, Emily Dicataldo, Robert B. Sowby, and Gustavious P. Williams (BYU)
To understand how landscape irrigation can be better managed, we selected two urban irrigation systems in northern Utah, USA, and analyzed relationships among water use, irrigated area, plant health (based on the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index), and water rate structures across thousands of parcels. Our approach combined remote sensing with 4-band imagery and on-site measurements from water meters. We present five key findings that can lead to more efficient irrigation practices.
Sustainability2022 | Robert B. Sowby and Daniel R. Jones
Municipal sanitary sewer systems receive unwanted inflow and infiltration (I/I) that adversely impact their sizing, economics, and operation. Here, a practical regression model of daily sewer flow is developed with discrete terms for sanitary flow, groundwater infiltration, direct inflow, and delayed inflow to help practitioners characterize I/I and improve sewer system performance.
2021 | Robert B. Sowby and Nathan T. Lunstad
The COVID-19 pandemic has affected public drinking water systems in unprecedented ways due to protracted disruptions in supply chains, customer demand patterns, staffing, and revenue. This paper lays out key questions for study the effects and making water systems and other infrastructure more resilient to these types of complex hazards.
Journal of Infrastructure Systems2021 | Robert B. Sowby
Hydraulic modeling is the backbone of water system engineering. Understanding “the 3 A’s of hydraulic modeling”—Accuracy, Applicability, and Accessibility—will help you get the most out this important tool.
The Flow Winter 2021, 15–17November 2020 | Robert B. Sowby and Daniel R. Jones
This study examines leading digits (i.e., first non-zero digits, 1–9) in hourly smart meter readings from a western U.S. water utility. The readings tend toward values that start with 1. This suggests that water use by individual customers should follow a particular pattern of leading digits and that deviation from the pattern may indicate data errors or abnormal water use.
May 2020 | Robert B. Sowby
Although COVID-19 has impacted water and wastewater utilities in new and profound ways, they must still provide their vital services despite the disruptions. In the midst of the crisis, several U.S. policies are reviewed here. Utilities should reflect on their COVID-19 experience, learn from it, and apply their newfound perspective to strengthen future emergency preparedness.
2020 | Robert B. Sowby and Steven J. Burian (Univ. Utah)
Water distribution systems can improve their sustainability by implementing the most energy-efficient scheme for water delivery, but this is difficult to determine for complex systems. A method proposed here combines facility-level energy intensity data with hydraulic simulations to map the flow of energy through the water distribution system and quantify the response of local energy intensities to proposed modifications.
Journal of Sustainable Water in the Built EnvironmentAugust 2019 | Matt Jensen (Cascade Energy), Rob Sowby, and Chellie Jensen (Idaho Power)
Municipal water systems are major energy users where savings float just below the surface. This paper summarizes an effective strategic energy management (SEM) approach—combining industrial energy efficiency, water resources engineering, and people-centered action—to capture those hidden energy savings.
ACEEE Summer Study on Energy Efficiency in IndustryMay 2019 | Robert B. Sowby, Steven C. Jones, Sam Christiansen (North Salt Lake), and Matt Jensen (Cascade Energy)
The City of North Salt Lake, Utah, reduced its water system’s energy use by 25% during a strategic energy management (SEM) program focused on no-cost opportunities. Pressures and water quality also improved as the water system staff embraced energy-efficient operations.
OpflowJune 2019 | Robert B. Sowby
This discussion responds to a study by others and highlights important assumptions and considerations for recovering energy in water distribution systems.
Journal of Water Resources Planning and Management (ASCE)February 2019 | Robert B. Sowby, Steven J. Burian, (U. Utah), Christopher M. Chini (U. Illinois), and Ashlynn S. Stillwell (U. Illinois)
Two independent, simultaneous, and remarkably similar studies highlight the need for better data management in the water–energy nexus.
Journal – American Water Works AssociationDecember 2018 | Robert B. Sowby
Water use data are essential to managing public water systems, but because most of such data in the United States are self‐reported, it is difficult to assess their accuracy. Benford’s law, which gives the expected frequency of leading digits in numerical data, could serve as one validation tool. This analysis tests whether Benford’s law applies to observations of potable water use by US public water systems. Almost all were found to conform to Benford’s law. This finding could serve as a quality check for historical water use data as well as projections.
A poster is also available.
Journal – American Water Works Association 110 (12)October 2018 | Robert B. Sowby
Going beyond wire-to-water efficiency, this paper introduces important metrics for managing your water system’s energy use. These indicators address energy efficiency at the equipment, facility, and system levels with considerations for water loss, demand charges, cost of electricity, non-hydraulic loads, and changes over time. You’re probably already collecting the data you need for these metrics; now it’s time to apply them and improve.
American Public Works Association, Utah Chapter, 2018 Fall ConferenceNovember 2018 | Robert B. Sowby
This research shows that water utilities with documented energy management policies, plans, or programs will use, on average, 30% less energy than comparable water utilities without such policies, even after considering the water system’s size, water sources, and climate setting. This finding reinforces the value of voluntary, internal policies in making water systems more sustainable.
ASCE Journal of Water Resources Planning and ManagementOctober 2018 | Robert B. Sowby
Economic theory predicts that privately owned water utilities should use less energy than their public counterparts. However, no statistically significant difference was found. This finding suggests that energy management policies and practices should regard both types similarly.
Utilities Policy2018 | Robert B. Sowby and Steven J. Burian (University of Utah)
This work introduces a statistical model to estimate a water system’s energy use as a function of its size, water source type, and climate setting. By considering such factors, the method enables more equitable comparisons of energy use among diverse water systems.
Journal of Sustainable Water in the Built Environment (ASCE)May 2018 | Robert B. Sowby
This work offers three original contributions to help water systems manage their energy use and operate more sustainably: 1) a panel survey of annual, utility-scale energy intensities for over 100 U.S. water utilities; 2) a statistical model that predicts a water system’s energy use as a function of a few accessible variables and facilitates energy benchmarking; and 3) a high-resolution method to model energy use within a water distribution network to inform energy management decisions at multiple scales.
Doctoral Dissertation, University of UtahJuly 2018 | Robert B. Sowby
This discussion estimates the energy and carbon savings that follow from a previous analysis of water management scenarios in the Los Angeles area and comments on the implications for further work.
Journal of Water Resources Planning and Management (ASCE)October 2017 | Robert B. Sowby, Steven C. Jones, Alan E. Packard (JVWCD), and Todd R. Schultz (JVWCD)
A major Utah water district reduced its energy footprint by 19% after a two-year energy management program. The district implemented both technical and organizational change in pursuing its vision to provide a more sustainable water supply.
Journal – American Water Works Association 109 (10)August 2017 | Layne McWilliams (Cascade Energy), Steve Jones, and Raenee Bugarske (Rocky Mountain Power)
Water systems present a large opportunity for efficiency programs, but efforts to date have largely missed the mark. In reality, the key to conservation lies in understanding the flow of water and energy within the entire network. This paper describes how to “unwrap the box” to expose inefficiencies.
2017 ACEEE Summer Study on Energy Efficiency in IndustryJuly 2017 | Robert B. Sowby and Steven J. Burian (University of Utah)
National studies on drinking water systems’ energy requirements are sparse, and only limited empirical data have been available. This study adds considerable spatial and temporal detail to better characterize the requirements of 109 water systems in the continental United States.
Journal – American Water Works Association 109 (7): E320–E330June 2017 | Kayson M. Shurtz, Steven C. Jones, Robert B. Sowby, Daniel 'K' Woodbury (Riverton City), and D. Scott Hill (Riverton City)
After switching from wells to surface water, Riverton, Utah, experienced elevated levels of adenosine triphosphate in its water system. Hydraulic modeling helped solve the problem.
Opflow 43 (6): 28–302016 | Gordon Miner (Saratoga Springs) and Steve Jones
In 2012, when Saratoga Springs found that residents were using more than twice as much water as the system was designed for, the city decided to install meters on every connection. Although the process had its share of issues and complications, the results have been dramatic. Even before the metered usage showed up on the bill, the water use dropped significantly. By the time a rate restructuring took place and the usage actually affected the bill, most residents were already using the right amount of water.
American Water Works Association, Intermountain Section, Annual Conference2016 | Nathan Swain (Aquaveo) and Steve Jones
The interactive and intuitive nature of web apps makes them an excellent medium for creating decision support tools that harness cutting-edge modeling techniques and promote the work of engineers. We demonstrate how Tethys Platform has been applied to develop a web app that uses EPANET to simulate, visualize, and optimize water distribution systems. We discuss the pros and cons of using web apps to support municipal water works and illustrate with lessons we have learned while developing the EPANET app.
Download original presentation and videos
American Water Works Association2016 | Robert B. Sowby
Energy management in the water sector is an untapped sustainability opportunity with financial, environmental, and social benefits. Research and case studies demonstrate that energy reductions of 10% to 30% are typical for water utilities that pursue efficiency. Such solutions are cost-effective, prompt, and synergistic.
The 1st International Electronic Conference on Water Sciences2015 | Joseph G. Hawkes
This presentation shows the benefits and constraints of dynamic storm drain modeling. Using West Jordan, Utah, as a case study, it describes model requirements, data, automated delineation with high-resolution LiDAR, model compilation, and problem solving.
American Public Works Association, Utah Chapter, Fall Conference2015 | Benjamin D. Miner
The dam is failing. Now what? Emergency planning for dam breaks requires inundation maps to show what areas will be affected. This presentation describes regulations, methods, and models for preparing inundation maps in the context of Emergency Action Plans.
American Public Works Association, Utah Chapter, Fall Conference2015 | Robert B. Sowby
Water services require significant amounts of energy, and energy is typically a water utility’s largest controllable cost. While good data exist for other states, Utah’s position is relatively unknown. A 2015 study, the first of its kind in Utah, collected and analyzed energy data from dozens of water and wastewater utilities throughout the state. This presentation summarizes the study’s results and discusses some of the data issues encountered during the study.
American Water Works Association, Intermountain Section, Annual Conference2015 | Benjamin D. Miner
Groundwater is a major source of safe and clean drinking water for most public water systems. However, many otherwise great sources are plagued with high levels of arsenic, nitrates, or other constituents regulated by primary drinking water standards. This presentation addresses sampling and treatment strategies, with discussion of the relative complexity and costs of implementation. Case studies are also discussed.
American Water Works Association, Intermountain Section, Annual Conference2015 | William S. Bigelow
Over time, water wells wear out. Sand production, biofouling, casing failures, and decreased yield are common problems. Reconditioning can restore a well to its original performance for much less than drilling a new well.
American Water Works Association, Intermountain Section, Annual Conference2015 | Steven C. Jones, Paul W. Lindhardt, and Robert B. Sowby
Logan City, Utah, optimized its water system for both water and energy efficiency. Results include 32% energy savings, 17% water use reduction, and 40% fewer mainline breaks.
Journal - American Water Works Association 107 (8): 72–752014 | Steven C. Jones and Robert B. Sowby
This article summarizes previous and recent research on the energy requirements of public water and wastewater services in the United States and briefly discusses some tools and resources for engineers working in this field. The intent is to inform industry professionals in order to better manage both water and energy resources.
Currents (Environmental & Water Resources Institute, American Society of Civil Engineers) 16 (4): 6–92014 | Benjamin D. Miner
When a homeowner wants more pressure than a public water system can provide, an individual booster pump may be an option. This presentation describes the problems, solutions, risks, and regulations surrounding individual home booster pumps.
American Water Works Association, Intermountain Section, Annual Conference2014 | David E. Hansen
The Central Utah Water Conservancy District took a unique approach to discover new water for a growing population, with better-than-expected results. This is believed to be the largest single groundwater development project undertaken in Utah.
Water OnlineJune 2014 | Steven C. Jones and Robert B. Sowby
Operational improvements identified through an optimization study can bring the system into a balance that achieves cost savings through energy efficiency, greater system performance and reliability, and improved water quality—with no capital expenses.
Journal – American Water Works Association 106 (6): 66–71May 2014 | Steven C. Jones and Robert B. Sowby
Water, wastewater, and stormwater systems are vital to keep cities functioning. The public relies on them to supply clean water, remove waste, and prevent flooding. Master planning can help system managers provide these critical services more reliably.
Water Environment & Technology 26 (5): 30–32January 2014 | Joseph G. Hawkes
This presentation describes the development of a new SWMM storm drain model for Sandy City, Utah. The project updated a previous model that overpredicted flows and didn’t accurately represent subbasins. Of note was the batch calculation of composite subbasin attributes.