Water conservation, data center regulations, and city cost savings were the main topics at a June 11 meeting of the Wholesale Water and Wastewater Advisory Committee in Fort Worth.
Water Conservation Efforts
Water conservation manager Micah Reed emphasized the importance of enforcing water conservation rules, particularly for commercial customers who irrigate on residential days, which can put additional demand on peak days.
Reed explained that users found in violation of compliance are typically first warned, and if the infraction continues, a $25 fine is assessed, increasing in $25 increments for repeat offenses. This approach has been successful in achieving higher code compliance.
Data Center Regulations
Fort Worth water director Chris Harder outlined current recommendations for data center regulations, including the adoption of installation policies and design criteria for water, wastewater, and reclaimed water infrastructure.
Ideal requirements for data centers include closed-loop cooling systems and wastewater pretreatment permits as non-significant categorical industrial users.
The Tarrant Regional Water District evaluates requests, including those for data centers, with the priority of maintaining water supply reliability for all existing customers.
City Water Management
Assistant water systems superintendent Jacob Pena discussed the supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) system, a centralized digital architecture used to monitor, control, and analyze water and wastewater operations.
The current SCADA upgrade project aims to replace manual, on-site data collection with real-time data from remote sensors and automate treatment processes.
Assistant director for city water management services Shane Zondor explained the proposed software for processing billing and tracking water usage, which would cover the complete revenue cycle, including measuring consumption at the meter to collecting customer payments.
Zondor highlighted that the new system would offer more convenient payment options, such as Venmo, Apple Pay, and text-to-pay, and would result in more modern, improved services, and an enhanced experience for both staff and customers.
Original reporting: Fort Worth Report — read the source article.
