CFE agenda 081417 - Laserfiche WebLink

Browse Search

-te r Energy used in processing drinking water and cleaning water before discharging it back into streams accounts for roughly half of the electricity and one -third of the natural gas used by the City. In 2011, the Water Management Department created Energy Management Plans for the City's two water reclamation facilities, committing to energy saving processes and equipment investments that reduce the amount of energy used to provide us with clean, healthy water. The Water Management Department captures methane produced during the wastewater treatment process and burns it to run boilers for aerobic digestion, resulting in energy savings and reducing emissions of methane. Residents are invited to tour the City's two water reclamation facilities to learn about how our wastewater is treated to remove pollutants and solids before returning to our local creeks. To request a tour foryour student or civic group, visit: durhamnc_gov/t065_ or ca 11919 -560 -4381. Streetlights iii "'rii e ° m Ill,,, iii Ill t Residents tour the Williams Water Treatment Plant Streetlights and traffic lights make up approximately 22% of the City's electricity use. To reduce the impact of this necessary lighting, the City and the NC Department of Transportation have converted all of the traffic lights to LEDs which are up to 80% more efficient than traditional lighting. 95% of the energy in LEDs is converted into light and only 5% is wasted as heat compared to fluorescent lights which convert 95% of energy to heat and only 5% into light. Wateir II[. :.,, de iiic Durham's residential water use consistently falls below the national average per person, in large part due to the water conservation programs provided by the City's Water Management Department. These programs focus on customer awareness, use of water - efficient devices and fixtures, and programmatic incentives. One such program is the residential rebate for replacing water - wasting toilets with high - efficiency ones. Toilets, on average, account for nearly a quarter of the total water used in homes. Standard toilets use at least 1.6 gallons per flush. WaterSense®- labeled high - efficiency toilets (HETs) use at least 20 percent less than standard ones and can save the average family nearly 13,000 gallons of water everyyear. Waste ii irm iii irn ii �i� of in Durham's residential water use consistently falls well below state and national averages. Solid waste, also known as trash, has several negative environmental impacts including air pollution from trash collection and hauling as well as methane creation when carbon based items like food, fiber, and wood decompose. The City encourages people to use less and recycle more through offering curbside, City of IDurharu 201' 5ustainability Report