ACWD Awarded $2 Million For Tri-City Water Conservation Efforts by Alameda County Water District Apr 21, 2021 Member Submitted News Alameda County Water District has received a $2 million grant from the Bureau of Reclamation for its Advanced Metering Infrastructure project. The grant will help fund ACWD’s investment in new technology supporting water conservation, improved water supply reliability, customer cost savings and operational efficiency. The award, part of the Bureau’s WaterSMART Water and Energy Efficiency Grants, is one of 55 issued throughout 13 states this year, totaling $42.4 million for projects that improve water reliability through cost-effective use of water and power. ACWD applied for and received the highly competitive WaterSMART grant to build on efforts to increase water use efficiency throughout the Tri-City service area using AMI technology. Launched in March, AMI will enable remote reading of water meters for faster leak detection, an increase in customers’ ability to monitor, analyze and compare consumption data from a user-friendly web portal and create an overall improved customer experience. A multi-beneficial project, AMI advances ACWD’s effort on water efficiency and long-range planning to ensure a reliable supply of water in drought-prone California. The AMI device also reduces ACWD’s carbon footprint with fewer trucks on the road since water meters will be read remotely instead of manually once every two months. “The Bureau’s grant supports our commitment to provide top-notch customer service, achieve water conservation goals and improve water supply reliability,” said ACWD Board President Aziz Akbari, ACWD. “We expect AMI to generate an annual water savings of 1,913 acre-feet, reducing overall water demand and adding to the tremendous conservation efforts our customers continue to make,” added Akbari. The District’s AMI project received funding from the Bureau based on its application detailing expected water management benefits and non-Federal cost-sharing percentages. Selection criteria emphasized the support of water conservation and water use efficiency; increased production of hydropower; mitigating conflict risk in areas at a high risk of future water conflict; and other benefits that contribute to water supply reliability in the western United States. Through the WaterSMART Water and Energy Efficiency Grants, the Bureau provides 50/50 cost-share funding to irrigation and water districts, tribes, states and other entities with water or power delivery authority. These grants support President Biden’s new Executive Order on Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad. They will help increase resilience to the impacts of climate change and conserve water. Visit www.usbr.gov/watersmart to learn more about the Bureau’s WaterSMART program. To learn more about ACWD’s AMI project, visit www.acwd.org/ami.
