In a timely development in light of next week’s STEP meeting, the Alabama Department of Environmental Management has issued a report showing that Pell City, a municipality located 35 miles east of Birmingham, is losing a significant amount of water within its delivery system. The water system averaged 39 percent unaccounted water loss over the past 12 months. Water loss is not new to the city, as the municipality has reported losses for more than a decade, due in large part to water line leaks and faulty water meters.
Pell City is not the only municipal water system losing water. Michael Webber, a professor at the University of Texas at Austin and Deputy Director of the University’s Energy Institute, reports in his recently published book Thirst for Power: Energy, Water, and Human Survival that anywhere from 10 to 40 percent of municipal water is lost between the water treatment plant and home water meters.
ECOS members and guests will discuss the nexus between energy and water at the ECOS State Environmental Protection (STEP) Meeting in Washington, DC on July 21. Click here for more information on STEP and how to register to attend.
