Cost And Complexity Continue To Constrain Sustainability And Resiliency Efforts: Survey
By Christian Bonawandt
Water utilities around the world are facing increasing challenges due to the finite nature of water resources and the growing global population. As urbanization and extreme weather events such as droughts and floods become more frequent, the need for sustainable and resilient water management strategies becomes critical. According to Black & Veatch's 2023 Water Report, sustainability is considered a critical strategic focus by the majority of water utility stakeholders. The report surveys roughly 450 water industry stakeholders on topics ranging from climate change to regulations to federal funding programs. Similar to the 2022 report, this year’s survey shows that sustainability remains both a challenge and an opportunity.
No Single Path To Sustainability
Two-thirds of respondents (66%) representing water systems serving fewer than 500,000 customers agreed that sustainability is important, with larger utilities placing even greater emphasis (74%) on this aspect. However, there is a disconnect between water utilities and local municipalities when it comes to sustainability planning. Only 41% of respondents reported alignment between utility and municipal sustainability plans, indicating missed opportunities for cost savings and process optimization.
The survey identified affordability as the biggest obstacle (67%) for water utilities in achieving sustainability strategies. While most utilities believe they have public support and are willing to take advantage of funding programs, they find the administrative burden associated with accessing these funds to be challenging (47%). Additionally, there is no one-size-fits-all approach to sustainability, as organizations must consider regional differences, regulatory requirements, and financial constraints. Operational efficiency, asset management programs, energy efficiency initiatives, proactive infrastructure replacement, and water conservation were identified as the top sustainability efforts implemented by utilities.
To address the complex challenges in water resource management, an integrated approach involving government, utilities, and the private sector is necessary, according to the report. Utilities can collaborate with private sector players to share costs, find efficiencies, and collectively achieve sustainability goals. How exactly they achieve that will depend on the specific utility, its stakeholders, and its resources.
Ensuring Resilient Water Supplies
Resilience of water supplies is also facing a wide range of challenges that utilities are tackling to varying degrees of success. Factors such as urbanization, demographic changes, and business growth are increasing demand for water. Climate change, including persistent droughts and concerns about the environment, along with the growth of water-intensive industries and competition for resources, are exacerbating these challenges. Many regions also face their own unique water stressors, including groundwater overuse, decreased surface water levels, and declining water quality.
The survey reveals only 42% of water industry stakeholders rated themselves as "very confident" about the resilience of their water supplies, while 44% considered themselves "somewhat confident." However, these numbers do not necessarily reflect the current state of water supply resilience.
The survey results indicate that respondents are aware of the vulnerabilities and are planning investments to improve water supply reliability. Nearly 60% of respondents have conducted vulnerability studies, with eight in 10 considering their water supplies in those assessments. Water reliability and supply resilience are top priorities for major investments in the next decade. Aging infrastructure is cited as the most challenging issue, followed by asset rehabilitation/renewal. Cybersecurity was the third-highest area where respondents expect to invest in the near future. Regulatory compliance is a concern for more than half of those surveyed, particularly in the wake of new federal rules regarding per- and polyfluorinated substances (PFAS). Stormwater management is also identified as an area for improved resiliency. Actions being taken or considered include water conservation (43%), increasing water storage (38%), developing groundwater supplies (38%), infrastructure hardening (26%), as well as both non-potable (25%) and potable (19%) water reuse.
However, the survey also reveals that the industry lacks integrated planning. Only 18% of respondents have developed a comprehensive "One Water" plan or an integrated water management plan. This suggests that solutions are often fragmented and not holistic, leading to missed opportunities for greater synergies and more efficient outcomes.
To achieve true confidence in the resilience of water supplies, the report states that industry leaders need to embrace integrated water solutions tailored to its unique challenges. This requires thoughtful planning, flexibility, and innovation. By adopting a comprehensive approach and breaking down operational silos, water utilities and municipalities can enhance resource quality, efficiency, and productivity.
Ultimately, the path to sustainability and resilience is unique for each water utility, and it requires evaluating various aspects of the organization, including capital planning, operations, construction, supply chain, disaster response, climate adaptation, and community engagement. Despite the challenges, any progress, even in small increments, is a step in the right direction.
Christian Bonawandt is an industrial content writer for Water Online. He has been writing about B2B technology and industrial processes for 23 years.