In 2002, the EPA entered into a federal consent decree with MSD, mandating the elimination of sanitary sewer overflows and significant mitigation of combined sewer overflows into receiving waterways. Engineers estimated the cost to mitigate the sewer overflows at $3.1 billion, an unacceptable capital expense to pass along to MSD’s customers.

This mid-sized utility located in Orange County, California has long been proactive in encouraging water conservation through regulations and outreach programs. Well over a decade ago, the utility became concerned with ongoing apparent water loss (water that is consumed but not properly measured, accounted or paid for) and the economic, social and environmental costs associated with this issue.

Xylem Vue has helped to reduce Cuxhaven’s WWTP aeration energy requirements by over 26% and meet its effluent quality requirements.

The power utility supplies high grade water for their own internal processes as well other industrial customers. Tuas Power was experiencing leaks within their distribution network, which were unexpected because these pipelines were less than five years old, made of steel, and laid above ground.

Clayton County Water Authority (CCWA) is a good example of a utility that doesn’t let a confined geographical footprint stop it from thinking outside the box. As one of Georgia’s smallest counties in terms of land size area (only 143 square miles), its location near the top of a regional watershed means it has little area to gather precipitation into streams and rivers.