How Data Science Can Get More Grant Funding for your Water Agency
The right numbers can help your grant program blossom and bring transformative benefits for your district.
Water conservation is an essential component of sustainable water management, and state and federal agencies offer grants to encourage adoption of water-saving technologies and practices. However, to access these grants, water retailers must demonstrate how their projects contribute to water conservation goals. The smart use of data can help water retailers meet these grant requirements and make their applications more compelling.
To learn more, we reached out to Melissa Matlock. Melissa works as a Water Resources Specialist III at Western Municipal Water District where their Board of Directors recently thanked her for her outstanding achievements bringing in external funding in support of Western Water’s mission. Melissa is also part of the California Data Collaborative where she previously chaired our Water Use Efficiency Data Action Team, overseeing efforts by the CaDC to develop easy-to-use tools to calculate water savings and track down efficiency opportunities.
Melissa was willing to share her thoughts on the role of data in grant applications:
Western Municipal Water District just announced a record-setting grant total of $32.8 million for 2022 to 2023, a testament to our unwavering commitment to exceptional service for our customers. These grants will provide much-needed resources to enhance the safe delivery of water services to the Southwest Riverside County region. We are proud to be able to deliver this impressive milestone, and I’m excited about the opportunities these grants will afford us in supporting our thriving community.
Using data effectively has been instrumental in our achievements. Grants typically call for detailed descriptions of benefits and projected water savings, so it’s crucial to have concrete examples specific to your region or industry. For example, in California, it’s best to use data from similar agencies rather than those from another state or region, as their results may not align with your circumstances. By leveraging targeted data, you can bolster your grant proposals and attain your desired outcomes.
So data is key, but even more important is having RELEVANT data that applies to the particular program and geography that you are applying for. That’s why, at the CaDC, we have long been fans of using your own data to calculate water savings customized to the unique conditions of your agency.
Two Examples of Successful Applications
Melissa went on to provide examples of two successful grant applications. The first was a WaterSMART Water and Energy Efficiency grant for funding two of their advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) phases:
Western Water’s AMI pilot project involved first retrofitting 100 meters with AMI infrastructure to calculate the water loss savings achieved on those. Once we had that information, it paved the way to apply for more grant funding since we were able to point to expected water savings on our larger Phase 1 and Phase 2 AMI project.
Being able to look at real AMI data from a small pilot and use that data to calculate water loss savings was a critical enabler because it provided empirical evidence from Western Water’s own service area that AMI installations saved water. This evidence was then used to apply for larger and larger phases allowing Western Water to scale AMI (and water savings) across their service area.
Many people have trouble analyzing their AMI data to conduct a study like this because there is so much of it (72k records per month for just a 100-meter pilot) and because it is often hard to access. This is why CaDC has built our AMI Query Engine to enable water suppliers to unlock their AMI data and put it to work in support of their most important policies and priorities.
Melissa continues with a second example, this time from a WaterSMART Small-Scale Water Efficiency grant:
Our latest grant was awarded for a turf replacement program and demonstration garden at the March Field Air Museum in Riverside. By utilizing Western Water’s proven data on expected water savings per acre-foot, we were able to calculate the impact of removing 20,000 square feet of turf, successfully showing the benefits of water conservation while eventually creating a new inspiration garden for visitors to enjoy.
Once again, we see local and relevant data being used to build the case that makes a grant application compelling. In this case it is water savings estimates from Western Water’s turf replacement program calculated by looking at real water use from customers who had previously replaced their turf.
This is exactly the sort of calculation performed by the CaDC Analytics Platform which automatically estimates metrics of conservation program effectiveness and monitors consumption patterns. This provides an “easy” button that saves staff time and frees up capacity. Automated water savings measurements also provide a way to quantify the amount of water saved, making it easier to demonstrate the effectiveness of conservation efforts and adhere to state and federal rules for grant funding.
If you want to help your grant program blossom but need a helping hand to estimate your program impact or tame your AMI data, check out our website at theCaDC.org and shoot us an email at info@theCaDC.org to say hi.
