Closing the Gap in Water and Energy Conservation Nexus Utilizing Grant Funding To Create Efficiency in Communities and Infrastructure

Environmentalism and sustainable living efforts have increased throughout history. However, water agencies limit grant programs to water use efficiency. Seeing the gap between energy and water conservation and the opportunities in innovative research, Central Basin implemented a grant (funded by the United States Department of Energy) that aims at reducing water and energy use regionally.To achieve water and energy savings, Central Basin divided the project into two elements. The Recycled Water element includes: A Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition System, Integrated Asset Management Program and Peak Demand Management Project. The potable water and the recycled water. Each element has multiple projects; the potable water includes: Conservation Retrofit Project, Conservation Awareness Program, and the Demonstration Gardens and Drought Tolerant Landscape Workshop. This paper will discuss a historical context of environmentalism, a description of the grant project followed by the water/energy savings data and options for future research.