Study of The Principles of Water Conservation Part 2 - Final

Study of the General
Principles of Energy and

Water Conservation
Policies
Part II – Water Conservation
Productivity and Demand Side Management

Department
UAE Ministry of Energy
June 2016
MINISTRY OF ENERGY 2016
Abstract
Among the 22 Arab League nations, eight have the lowest water availability per capita in the
world including the UAE, which is among the highest water consuming countries with a typical
UAE resident consuming much more than the average international water consumption per
person. Water consumption in the UAE is in a continuous increase due to several factors such as
its desert climate and rapid population growth, therefore, policies, new technologies, and
initiatives in water conservation and management are progressively being implemented to
address the current situation.
Water conservation encloses the policies, strategies, and activities or habits made to manage
freshwater as a sustainable resource to meet the current human demand, to secure water for the
future generations and to meet and to protect the water environment.
In this report, the best water management and practices have been studied for countries that
include the United States and Australia, in which the main policies for conserving water have
been set. The report also gathers the water initiatives already implemented in the UAE, so that
they can be further updated and to innovate new strategies. A list of initiatives was created
summarizing the main initiatives that constitute as best practices and can be implemented in the
UAE.
The UAE is already making great effort in water conservation and efficiency in order to preserve
its natural water resources and there is still a lot of potential that can be reached with more
progress and increased efforts.
Table of Contents
Introduction ............................................................................................................................. 1
UAE Water Consumption ....................................................................................................... 3
Best Practices in Water Conservation and Efficiency ............................................................ 5
United States of America ................................................................................................. 5
Water Management Planning .................................................................................... 6
Information and Education Programs ....................................................................... 6
Distribution System Audits, Leak Detection, and Repair ......................................... 7
Agriculture Applications ........................................................................................... 8
Residential Applications ........................................................................................... 8
Heating and Cooling Applications ............................................................................ 9
Commercial Kitchen Equipment............................................................................. 10
Laboratory And Medical Equipment ...................................................................... 10
Other Water-Intensive Processes ............................................................................ 11
Alternative Water Solutions ................................................................................ 11
Australia ......................................................................................................................... 12
Water Efficiency Programs ..................................................................................... 13
Leak Management Programs .................................................................................. 14
Water Recycling...................................................................................................... 14
UAE Initiatives ..................................................................................................................... 16
Conclusion ............................................................................................................................ 20
References ............................................................................................................................. 21
Introduction
Water scarcity has always been and is increasingly becoming one of the major concerns for
countries worldwide. Continuous growth in population, lifestyle changes and rainfall pattern
variations have all contributed to the increased scarcity of water. This has resulted in clean water
production becoming increasingly expensive leading to increased focus and efforts in water
efficiency and management actions, with the majority of countries continuously developing and
implementing water conservation policies and measures.
Countries worldwide have been increasingly relying on desalination of seawater to produce clean
and drinkable water. Despite being very costly and energy consuming, it is a necessary process
that is being relied on more and more. This is because less than 3 per cent of the world’s water is
fresh while the rest is undrinkable seawater (WBCSD, 2005). More than 2.5% of this 3% is
frozen water located in Antartica and the Arctic making it unattainable and therefore only 0.5%
of the globe’s water is fresh and drinkable (WBCSD, 2005). This 0.5% of fresh water comes up
to a total of around 10.2 million cubic km (WBCSD, 2005). Despite this being a large amount of
water, the issue is that this water is not distributed evenly around the globe and therefore is not
always available when and where it is needed. Many factors also have an impact on the amount
of fresh water available that include climate, natural seasonal variations as well as droughts
leading to extreme water scarcity.
The figure below shows the amount of annual renewable freshwater worldwide, showing that
freshwater is unevenly distributed around the globe with the majority of the renewable water
located in fewer than ten countries. It can also be seen in the map that the UAE is one of the
countries with less than 500 m3/person/year of renewable water, hence, the major reliance on
water desalination in the country.
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Figure 1: Annual Renewable Water (m3/person/year). (WBCSD, 2005)
Despite having very little water resources, the UAE is amongst the highest water consuming
countries. The average UAE resident uses around 550 liters of water per day, whereas the
international average of water consumption per person per day ranges between 170 to 300 liters
(Khaleej Times, 2014).
This has called for increased effort in ‘water conservation’, involving reducing the amount of
applied water use, and ‘water use efficiency’, which covers the use of water more efficiently to
reduce water demand.
This report will study the best practices of water efficiency and conservation around the world,
analyzing the UAE’s current status and initiatives in order to come up with recommended actions
to increase the country’s water security.
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UAE Water Consumption
Due to the hot climate of the United Arab Emirates, the high standards of living and the rapid
increase in population in the past 2 decades, water consumption in the UAE is extremely high
compared to other countries.
Average Water Use Per Country

400
350
300
Litres/person/day
250
200
150
100
50
0
Figure 2: Water use by the domestic sector (litre/person/day) for household and commercial, *except the United States,
only household (MOEW, 2015).
Figure 3 below sourced from the Annual Water Consumption (2013) report by the ministry of
Climate Change and Environment, showing the sources of water used to supply the demand in
the UAE. It can be seen that the major water resource is groundwater, which is mainly used for
agriculture, forestry and landscape, and this is exhausting the UAE’s natural resources. The
second major source is desalinated water, which is a concern due to being an energy intensive
process also contributing to CO2 emissions of the UAE. Treated wastewater is continuously
being recognized as an efficient source of water that can be used for landscape irrigation among
other applications.
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Sources of Water Supply
Desalinated
Groundwater
water
44.0%
41.7%
Treated
wastewater Surface water
13.9% 0.4%
Figure 3:Sources of water supply in the UAE (MOEW, 2013).
Figure 4: Water stress by 2040 based on business-as-usual (WRI, 2015).
The map above shows the countries endangered of water stress by 2040 assuming a business-as-
usual forecast. The UAE is ranked as a country with ‘extremely high’ (>80%) renewable water
stress by 2040 if no action is being taken towards water efficiency and conservation.
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Best Practices in Water Conservation and Efficiency
Most countries around the world are constantly developing and implementing initiatives to
increase the water efficiency and reduce consumption. This section of the report will cover such
water conservation and efficiency initiatives discussing policies implemented and what impact
such initiatives had.
The countries that will be covered in the report are USA and Australia, which are some countries
among many that have intensified efforts in water conservation.
United States of America
The United States has a large resource of freshwater supply and had been supplying its
population with an abundant amount in the past. However, recent events including the ongoing
California drought has alerted the government to the need to reduce the demand on this finite
resource.
In the USA, the states are primarily responsible for the management of their freshwater sources
but federal agencies have some influence on the states’ water management decisions (GAO,
2014). The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) has published a report stating that
key issues regarding freshwater availability and use include rapid population growth straining
water supplies and the issue of climate change and extreme weather events, such as droughts and
floods, which are increasingly gaining importance as their effect on water resources are
aggregating (GAO, 2014). It is stated that 40 out of 50 state water managers expect water
shortages in some portion of their states in the next 10 years (GAO, 2014).
Following that, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) worked with the Federal
Energy Management Program (FEMP) to develop 14 initiatives in water efficiency as best
management practices to help federal agencies increase their water efficiency (DOE, 2016).
These best practices will be reviewed below, discussing an overview of each of the initiatives as
well as results of applying the initiative where possible.
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Water Management Planning
The first step towards a successful water management program is to develop a comprehensive
strategic plan (DOE, 2016). This strategic plan will include consumption data, defining potential
water efficiency improvements and concludes with water conservation activities and reduction
targets. This gives a solid baseline for water efficiency projects and initiatives which helps
establish priorities and helps in allocating a fund for such initiatives.
The best management practices defines the following steps to create a water management plan
(DOE, 2016):
a. Setting water use reduction targets.

b. Analyzing current water use consumption and costs
c. Developing a water balance to clearly see where water is being consumed.
d. Defining water efficiency improvement opportunities and investment costs and payback.
e. Developing an action plan.
f. Measuring progress to achieve targets.
g. Planning for emergencies and having minimum water needs drought or other water
shortage situation.
Information and Education Programs
Educating the water-users is one of the essential keys to water conservation and efficient water-
use. Installing the latest water-saving technologies is not sufficient to have a water-conservative
country; the appropriate public education must be added to complete the initiative. Informing the
community about the approaches of the government to have a better water economy would lead
to the awareness required and a faster rate to accomplish this goal.
The following options are some of the approaches to help with the appropriate education
programs (DOE, 2016):
a. Establishing a user-friendly communication system to facilitate and encourage the

contribution of the public to report water leaks or other water issues.
b. Keeping the public aware and informed about the strategies, ongoing improvement
efforts and updates on the progress.
c. Keeping the employees aware of how much water is being used at the facility.
d. Placing instructive signs about the latest water-facilities and equipment installed.
e. Initiating a suggestion and incentive system to encourage water conservation while
keeping track of the water reduction progress.
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f. Conducting training workshops for the implementation of the best water management
practices.
Distribution System Audits, Leak Detection, and Repair
A distribution system audit, or a leak detection and repair program helps the government identify
and reduce water losses. A distribution system audit helps to measure system losses to target leak
detection. Regular and accurate distribution system leak detection lead to the following benefits
(DOE, 2016):
a. Reduced water losses.

b. Reduced operating costs.
c. Increased knowledge of the distribution system.
d. Reduced property damage.
e. Improved justification for water management.
For the distribution system audit, a prescreening system audit must first be complete. A
prescreening audit is an initial estimate of losses in the system calculated by quantifying
verifiable uses in a system compared to the total supply coming into installation. This helps
determine the need for a full-scale audit by (DOE, 2016):
1. Determining the total water supply over a given timeframe.

2. Quantifying all submetered uses, such as buildings and family housing, during the same
timeframe.
3. Estimating unmetered uses, such as irrigation, construction, and street cleaning, during
the timeframe.
4. Adding both uses in steps two and three, then dividing it by the total supply to the
system.
5. If the quantity obtained is less than 0.9, a full-scale distribution system audit is required.
Another method could be implemented by following the steps below:
1. Monitoring minimum system flow during unoccupied periods when the flow level is
lowest.
2. If a noteworthy increase to the minimum system flow over time is found, it could be
related to a leak in the system and a full-scale distribution system audit is needed.
Ashland, Oregon applied this initiative, along with showerhead and toilet replacement, which
resulted in water savings of approximately 395,000 gallons per day as well as a reduction in
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wastewater volume (EPA, 2002). This initiative has been executed as well in Pennsylvania
which resulted in 87% drop in unaccounted-for water (EPA, 2002).
Agriculture Applications
3.1.4.1. Water-Efficient Landscaping
Depending on the region and climate, landscape irrigation may compromise a significant portion
of the facility’s water use. Consequently, the incorporation of a water-efficient landscaping is
vital. A water-efficient landscape using native plants may reduce irrigation water use to
withstand drought and reduce the drought loss, which requires less time and money to maintain.
Water-efficient landscaping includes techniques that create a landscape that demands less water.
3.1.4.2. Water-Efficient Irrigation
To ensure optimal performance, water efficiency must be studied from the first stages of the
irrigation system’s design phase. Regular management and maintenance are essential to ensure
the maximum efficiency of the system.
Residential Applications
3.1.5.1. Toilets and Urinals
Since toilets and urinals account for approximately one-third of a building’s water consumption,
poorly maintained toilet fixtures could be a major source of water waste. Regular maintenance
by plumbers must be taken to ensure that no water losses exist.
This initiative has been studied in Cary, North Carolina and executed by replacing the toilet
flappers with early closure flappers that can save up to 1.3 gallons per flush (EPA, 2002).
3.1.5.2. Faucets and Showerheads
According to the federal standards in the United States, faucets must use no more than 2.2
gallons per minute. In addition, metering faucets, which once activated by the user, dispenses a
preset amount of water, are required to discharge no more than 0.25 gallons per cycle. On the
other hands, showerheads must use no more than 2.5 gallons per minute, which are referred to as
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low flow. However, this is contradictory since these fixture ratings are the maximum flow rate
allowed. WaterSense, which is a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency program designed to
encourage water efficiency in the United States, released a specification for showerheads to
require no more than 2 gallons per minute flow rate that meets the minimum spray force
requirement.
Heating and Cooling Applications
3.1.6.1. Steam Boiler Systems
Steam boiler systems are widely used in institutions where large heating systems are required or
any large amount of steam is needed. To obtain a water-efficient boiler system, the actions below
must be taken (DOE, 2016):
a. Implement a routine maintenance program to report for any leaks to be replaces.

b. Develop a boiler-tuning program.
c. Provide the proper insulation of the return piping as well as the storage tank.
d. Having a periodic boiler blowdown to get rid of the accumulated dissolved solids.
e. Consider summer shutdown.
3.1.6.2. Single-Pass Cooling Equipment
In a single-pass cooling system, water is being circulated only once through a piece of equipment
then disposed down the drain. Some of the devices that use this technique are: CAT scanners,
degreasers, hydraulic equipment, condensers, air compressors, and air-conditioners. To remove
the same heat load, single-pass systems required forty times more water than a cooling tower.
Hence, single-pass cooling equipment should be improved to recirculate water or to use an
alternative method.
3.1.6.3. Cooling Tower Management
Cooling towers require a vast amount of water since they dissipate heat from recirculating water
used in air conditioners or cool chillers in which heat is rejected to the environment from cooling
towers through evaporation. Water from other equipment could be recycled by using it for the
cooling tower including (DOE, 2016):
a. Water used once through a cooling system.
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b. Air handler condensate.

c. Municipal wastewater effluent.
d. Pretreated effluent.
Commercial Kitchen Equipment
Water efficiency for kitchen equipment, in non-residential areas, is important because high-
volume applications require hot water. Ensuring that the kitchen equipment is using water
efficiently doesn’t only conserves water, but also energy. Some of the commercial kitchen
equipment and how to use them efficiently includes (DOE, 2016):
a. Icemakers.
 Change the single-pass cooling to a more efficient method, if in use.
 Clean the coils to obtain an efficient heat exchange process.
 Regular leak checkups.
b. Dishwashers.
 Use only at full capacity, after hand scraping the food, before the dish loading.
 Operate the dishwasher at minimum flow rate.
 Install dishwashers with rack sensors to allow water flow only in the presence of
the dishes.
c. Steam Cookers.
 Filling the steamer’s capacity.
 Regular maintenance checkups.
d. Pre-rinse spray valves.
 Ensure the hose height is suitable for the user to eliminate the usage of alternate
faucets.
 Manually soak and scrape as much food as possible prior to the pre-rinse spray
usage.
Laboratory And Medical Equipment
Equipment in hospitals and laboratories can tend to use a vast amount of water if the water
conservation techniques are neglected. Some of the water-consuming equipment in the medical
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field includes: water purification systems, sterilization systems, x-ray equipment, and glassware
washers.
Other Water-Intensive Processes
Some of the water-intensive processes are beyond the Federal Energy Management Program’s
best management practice. This initiative provides tips on water saving operational and
maintenance actions (DOE, 2016).
1. Laundry Equipment.
 Wash at full-load only.
 Set the water level only as much as needed, if possible.
 Separating laundry by the number of cycles needed.
2. Vehicle Wash.
 Make sure the nozzles are aligned properly.
 Ensure the appropriate minimum flow rates.
3. Evaporative Coolers: work on the same principle as cooling towers.
 Inspect the recirculation pump and reservoir level controls during warm months
once the system is active.
4. Water Softeners: used to remove minerals from water.
 Ensure the appropriate flow rates.
 Set the controls to start softening only when needed.
Alternative Water Solutions
Some facilities may have water uses that don’t require potable water. In this case, alternative
water sources, which are sustainable, could be used. Alternative water could be used for
landscape irrigation, fountain filling, cooling towers and toilet flushing.
Examples of the alternative water sources include:
 Accumulated rainwater from rooftops.

 Stormwater.
 Reclaimed wastewater.
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This has been successfully implemented in Cary, North Carolina in which they built a water
reclamation facility that produces approximately 1.58 million gallons of reclaimed water per day,
to be used for irrigation, free of charge for the citizens (EPA, 2002).
Australia
Australia faced severe drought between the years 1997 to 2009, stated as the worst in the
country’s recorded history (Patterson, 2015). This drove cities in Australia to develop and
implement a number of policies and programs that aim to reduce water consumption per capita.
Through these programs, Australia managed to reduce its water consumption significantly with
cities such as Melbourne reducing their water demand per capita by 50% (Patterson, 2015). This
has made Australia a benchmark for other countries on reducing water consumption and
surviving droughts.
Sydney Water, which is the largest water utility in Australia covering 12,700 km 2 including
Sydney, the Illawarra and the Blue Mountains regions, has implemented some of the largest
water efficiency programs in the world (SydneyWater, 2016a). The target set by Sydney Water
was to reach 329 litres per person per day (LPD), and after implementation of the water
efficiency programs and initiatives the target has been exceeded reaching 309 LPD
(SydneyWater, 2010).
Sydney Water’s Water Conservation Strategy included the following:
 Residential water efficiency programs

 Business sector water efficiency programs
 School and council water efficiency programs
 Leak management programs
 Recycled water projects
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Water Efficiency Programs
3.2.1.1. Residential Water Efficiency Programs
One of the main residential programs is the inclusion of subsidies for water efficient shower
heads, toilets and washing machines as well as providing advice on outdoor garden watering and
rebates for rainwater tanks (SydneyWater, 2010).
WaterFix is a program implemented that provides the installation of water efficient star rated
showerheads, tap flow regulators, toilet cistern flush arrestors and the repairing of minor leaks to
residences. Around 30% of households participated in this program saving in energy
consumption and cost (SydneyWater, 2010). DIY kits were also provided as an alternative to the
WaterFix program.
Another program is the Toilet Replacement Service, which offers the replacement of single flush
toilets with water-efficient 4-star models (SydneyWater, 2010). Such program’s services include
supply and installation easing such retrofits to the consumer.
Total savings from residential programs have reached 3,000 ML per year in savings between the
years 2006 and 2009, after which savings leveled off (SydneyWater, 2010).
3.2.1.2. Business, School and Council Water Efficiency Programs
The utility worked closely with businesses, schools and councils in order to identify possible
methods of water efficiency increase.
For major industrial, commercial and institutional customers that consume more than 50 ML of
water a day, one-to-one partnership are offered in helping them achieve water and cost savings
through industry best practices and continuously improving their day-to-day operations
(SydneyWater, 2010). Large consumers are also involved in monitoring for leaks through the
Top 100 monitoring program (SydneyWater, 2010). This program monitors the top 100 largest
water users in businesses online in order to understand consumption trends and be able to
identify possible reductions and efficiency improvements. Smaller water users have other
programs offered to them including BizFix or Smart Rinse, which provide flow regulators and
water efficient hardware suitable for installing in business amenities (SydneyWater, 2010).
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Similarly to the residential programs, these programs also achieved 3,000 ML of water savings
per year between 2006 and 2009 (SydneyWater, 2010).
Leak Management Programs
Implementing a leak management program in 1999 resulted in the reduction of annual water
leakage from the utility’s supply network by over 24 gallons of water per year reaching a
minimal leakage level (SydneyWater, 2010).
There are four main key elements that the Leak Management Program consists of (SydneyWater,
2010):
a. Active leak detection and repair

b. Pressure management to reduce unnecessarily high pressure areas in the system
c. Improved response time to main breaks and leaks, and
d. Improved flow metering
Another important program that falls under leak management is the Water Mains Renewal
Program. This program involves the continuous maintenance on all major water pipes and the
fixing and renewal of any old or damage pipes, valves and hydrants (SydneyWater, 2016b). This
reduces leaks and breaks and helps to maintain good quality potable water and a water system
that is reliable.
Pressure management in unnecessary areas of the water system reduces the overall pressure in
the system, which in turn reduces main breaks and leaks in the utility’s and customers’ pipes
(SydneyWater, 2010). This is achieved by installing pressure reducing valves in high-pressure
areas (SydneyWater, 2010).
Moreover, response times to any main water breaks and leaks are specified in Sydney Water’s
Operating license, and meeting those response times continues to save the utility over 730 ML of
water per year (SydneyWater, 2010).
Water Recycling
Water recycling involves the treatment and reuse of wastewater, greywater and stormwater for
use in residential households, industries, irrigation and agriculture (MetroWater, 2010).
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The main aim of using recycled water in Australia’s Metropolitan Water Plan was to reduce
demand for drinking water by using recycled water for non-drinking purposes (MetroWater,
2010). This makes the water supply more efficient reducing the requirement to invest in new
water supply infrastructure.
When recycling and treating sewage water different levels of treatment are required depending
on purpose that the water will be used for. Some industries require treating sewage to a standard
that requires technology similar to that which is used in desalination, and which is similarly
energy intensive (MetroWater, 2010). As a general rule, the higher the quality required for the
recycled water, the more treatment, cost and energy will be involved in the treatment process.
In mid-2010, the use of recycled water in New South Wales in Australia saved around 33 billion
litres of water every year that would have otherwise come from drinking supplies (MetroWater,
2010).
The many different projects implemented for use of recycled water included applications such as
outdoor water use for irrigation in parks and golf courses, residential household use for toilet
flushing and backyard use, use in industries as cooling water, as well as using recycled water for
replacement flow projects in rivers to maintain river downstream (MetroWater, 2010).
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UAE Initiatives
As the importance of water security is being highlighted more and more, and increased focus is
being put on water conservation and efficiency several programs were developed in the UAE to
target reducing water demand.
Among the programs targeting water efficiency and conservation in the UAE currently, is
Dubai’s demand side management (DSM) program. The DSM program is part of the Dubai
Integrated Energy Strategy, which aims to achieve over 40% of water consumption savings by
2030 (DSCE, 2014). The implementation mechanisms consist of public awareness, information
systems, policies and regulations, institutional setting and capability building, governing by
example, technologies and studies, measurement and verification, and financing mechanisms
(DSCE, 2014).
The program established 8 main strategies for cost-effective electricity and water demand
savings, 7 of which are applicable to water conservation, which are:
1. Building Regulations
 Implementing green building codes.
 The green building codes are mandatory for all new buildings issued by the public sector
(DCCE, 2014).
2. Building Retrofits
 Implementing a retrofit program for existing buildings to target a set of goals including
water consumption.
 The aim is to retrofit approximately 30,000 buildings by 2030 (DSCE, 2014).
3. District Cooling
 District cooling uses chilled water via underground-insulated pipelines to cool certain
buildings within a district. According to DEWA, district cooling now accounts for over
17% of the total load cooling in Dubai (DEWA, 2016).
 Emirates Central Cooling Systems Corporation (EMPOWER) has been awarded, by the
‘District Energy Association’, the first ‘Annual Innovation Award for effectively using
treated sewage effluent with a reverse osmosis process to optimize the efficiency of their
district water plants. (DCCE, 2014).
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 Dubai Municipality is applying measures to increase the use of treated sewage effluent
for district cooling (DEWA, 2016).
4. Standards and Labels

 Setting minimum energy efficiency standards for equipment that include water heaters
and water fixtures.
 The Emirates Authority for Standardization and Metrology (ESMA) has already
implemented some standards and labels over a range of products in the UAE (DEWA,
2016)
5. Water Reuse and Efficient Irrigation

 Reducing the use of desalinated water for irrigation by promoting efficient landscaping
practices and maximizing the use of treated sewage effluent.
6. Change of Tariffs Rates

 Adjusting the tariff rates to promote energy conservation and economic efficiency of
consumption decisions.
7. Demand Response
 Adjusting the tariff rates depending on the demand of the customers. At peak hours, the
tariff rate is more expensive than other times of the day.
Another program targeting water efficiency is Masdar’s Advanced Energy-Efficient Desalination

Pilot Project, which aims to develop new desalination technologies to be powered by renewable
energy. Four different companies were given contracts to build and operate desalination plants,
for 18 months in Ghantoot that lies in Abu Dhabi. The four plants included reverse and forward
osmosis, which are more energy-efficient than the currently used thermal process. While this
project is active, the test plants will provide about 1,500m3 of potable water per day to Abu
Dhabi’s infrastructure to meet the needs of around 500 homes (MOEW, 2014). The new
technologies are expected to be implemented on larger-scale seawater desalination plants to be
implemented locally and internationally (MOEW, 2014).
Another reverse osmosis desalination plant is aiming to set a new standard for energy efficiency
at Al Qidfa in Fujairah. The plant’s goal is to target energy consumption of 2.7 KWh per cubic
meter of water produced (MOEW, 2014).
As part of an awareness initiative in Abu Dhabi, the Regulation and Supervision Bureau (RSB),
along with ADDC and AADC introduced a new initiative for water and electricity bills in which
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customers receive a bill indicating the water consumed as well as the part of the cost that the
government paid for. The bill also comes with an indication of having a green check or a red
exclamation mark, to let the customer know if they are in the ideal range of consumption or
above it (Waterwise, 2012).
A Water Consumption and Return-to-Sewer Study has also been conducted by Abu Dhabi RSB
as an initiative to calculate and analyze return-to-sewer rates to help aid in the development of
water resources strategies in the UAE (Waterwise, 2010). The Residential End Use of Water
Project was also conducted and involved collecting accurate statistics of residential water use in
Abu Dhabi to understand how water is being used in a household (Waterwise, 2013). This was
followed by the In-home Water Use Audit Project which was initiated to study the reasons that
drive high water consumption in larger villas (Waterwise, 2014).
Dubai Silicon Oasis Authority (DSOA) has also been developing several initiatives regarding
reducing water demand in its area. An example of such initiatives is the Smart Weather Pole.
This involved implementing a smart weather pole to be placed around the park and integrated
with the sub-surface irrigation system. It functions by measuring the temperature and humidity to
supply the area with the accurate amount of water needed. This initiative helped in the reduction
of approximately 55% of the irrigation water used. By the end of 2016, five additional poles will
be installed (DSOA, 2016).
Also focusing on recycling water and the use of treated sewage water, DSOA is currently
generating more than three billion gallons of treated water from the sewage treatment plant,
which helped in reducing operational costs by 70% (DSOA, 2016).
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The following table summarizes the main categories of initiatives that should be covered to reach
the maximum potential of water conservation and efficiency in the UAE.
Table 1: Table summarizing main categories of initiatives that must be focused on.
Category Initiative
1a. Water Management Planning
1b. Building Regulations & Codes
1c. Building Retrofits
1. Building
1d.Water Reuse for District Cooling
1e. Leak Management Programs
1f. Efficient Boilers and Cooling Units
2a. Water Reuse and Recycling
2. Agriculture 2b. Water-Efficient Landscaping

2c. Water-Efficient Irrigation
3a. Education Programs

3b. Standards and Labels
3. Behavioral Changes
3c. Change of Tariff Rates
3d. Demand Response
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Conclusion
Due to the rapid economic development that the UAE is undergoing, resulting in increased
standards of living as well as bigger population there has been a significant increase in demand
of energy and water. Since the country’s natural water sources are limited to groundwater,
sustainable desalination methods should be implemented to meet the appropriate requirements of
the demand.
Best practices in water conservation and efficiency have been studied for the United States and
Australia, which have some policies set and initiatives implemented successfully. First, the US
policies have been discussed which covered several sections in successful water management
including planning, education programs, agriculture and residential applications among others.
Australia’s water management has also been studied and narrowed down into water efficiency
programs, leak management programs, and water recycling. Each of the aforementioned titles
has been further discussed in details. It could be well distinguished that the initiatives for both
countries are very much alike, if not the same in terms of educational and awareness programs,
water recycling, leak detection and water efficiency programs. For example, the US implemented
a program titled WaterSense, which encourages water efficiency through using special labels on
several products. The same program could also be found in Australia but under the name of
WaterFix.
The UAE’s initiatives have been studied which follow the demand side management program
strategies that are: building regulations and retrofits, district cooling, standards and labels, water
reuse and efficient irrigation among other initiatives that aim to reduce exhaustion of water
resources. By looking at current initiatives in different emirates in the UAE and best practices in
different countries, a list of recommended initiatives was made to be implemented in the UAE.
To conclude, the water demand is in a constant increase due to the population growth and dry
climate. Even though UAE’s strategies share the same principles as worldwide first-world
countries; there is still great room for improvement and progress in water conservation. The
country has great potential in securing water for the coming generations as observed from the
continuous implementation of new technologies, given that efforts and progress continue
increasing.
20
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23

Study of The Principles of Water Conservation Part 2 - Final

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Study of the General

Principles of Energy and

Productivity and Demand Side Management

UAE Water Consumption ....................................................................................................... 3

Best Practices in Water Conservation and Efficiency ............................................................ 5

United States of America ................................................................................................. 5

Water Management Planning .................................................................................... 6

Information and Education Programs ....................................................................... 6

Distribution System Audits, Leak Detection, and Repair ......................................... 7

Agriculture Applications ........................................................................................... 8

Residential Applications ........................................................................................... 8

Heating and Cooling Applications ............................................................................ 9

Commercial Kitchen Equipment............................................................................. 10

Laboratory And Medical Equipment ...................................................................... 10

Other Water-Intensive Processes ............................................................................ 11

Alternative Water Solutions ................................................................................ 11

Water Efficiency Programs ..................................................................................... 13

Leak Management Programs .................................................................................. 14

UAE Initiatives ..................................................................................................................... 16

Figure 1: Annual Renewable Water (m3/person/year). (WBCSD, 2005)

UAE Water Consumption

Average Water Use Per Country

Sources of Water Supply

Figure 3:Sources of water supply in the UAE (MOEW, 2013).

Figure 4: Water stress by 2040 based on business-as-usual (WRI, 2015).

Best Practices in Water Conservation and Efficiency

United States of America

Water Management Planning

a. Setting water use reduction targets.

Information and Education Programs

a. Establishing a user-friendly communication system to facilitate and encourage the

Distribution System Audits, Leak Detection, and Repair

a. Reduced water losses.

1. Determining the total water supply over a given timeframe.

Another method could be implemented by following the steps below:

3.1.4.1. Water-Efficient Landscaping

3.1.4.2. Water-Efficient Irrigation

3.1.5.1. Toilets and Urinals

3.1.5.2. Faucets and Showerheads

Heating and Cooling Applications

3.1.6.1. Steam Boiler Systems

a. Implement a routine maintenance program to report for any leaks to be replaces.

3.1.6.2. Single-Pass Cooling Equipment

3.1.6.3. Cooling Tower Management

a. Water used once through a cooling system.

b. Air handler condensate.

Commercial Kitchen Equipment

Laboratory And Medical Equipment

Other Water-Intensive Processes

Alternative Water Solutions

 Accumulated rainwater from rooftops.

Sydney Water’s Water Conservation Strategy included the following:

 Residential water efficiency programs

Water Efficiency Programs

3.2.1.1. Residential Water Efficiency Programs

3.2.1.2. Business, School and Council Water Efficiency Programs

Leak Management Programs

a. Active leak detection and repair

4. Standards and Labels

5. Water Reuse and Efficient Irrigation

6. Change of Tariffs Rates

Another program targeting water efficiency is Masdar’s Advanced Energy-Efficient Desalination