Energy Awareness Month: Water waste consumes cash, resources

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Kali L. Gradishar
  • 39th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
INCIRLIK AIR BASE, Turkey --  The 39th Civil Engineer Squadron is working to gain the upper hand on the increasing consumption of resources, water and energy, and is spreading word on construction and renovation projects that could save money and resources.

With a goal of reducing water consumption 16 percent by fiscal year 2015, the base energy manager and his team of engineers are aiming for successful completion of various projects throughout the base intended to do just that.

"We need to meet our Department of Energy goals. We have executive orders for example (to meet a) water consumption reduction of 16 percent from '07 to 2015 ... especially because water use is extremely high here," said Artemiz Avci, 39th CES base energy manager. "It looks like we'll be able to meet our goal in the water area."

Current projects aimed at meeting those goals include repairs to water supply systems, a reverse osmosis water softening system, wastewater reuse and improvements to irrigation at the golf course, and promoting the use of water timers in housing areas.

"For water, one of the big (projects we've accomplished) is the reverse osmosis water purification plant," said Maj. John Sevier, 39th CES commander. "Because the water here is very hard and has a high level of nitrates and calcites, being able to purify that water has allowed for more efficient use in terms of household water heaters.

"The heaters before would get a huge calcium build-up which would reduce the overall lifespan and efficiency of those water heaters, which has saved on costs as well as using less energy to heat up the same amount of water," he said.

This project is also beneficial for the water distribution throughout the base.

"Reducing the calcite in the water prevents buildup, clogging, and cracking, (as well as) improves the overall infrastructure where we have to do less repair and maintenance over time," noted Sevier.

Overall, Incirlik's water consumption is higher than most bases within U.S. Air Forces in Europe, due mostly to the location and climate. Because of this, maintaining the base as a green oasis for members of Team Incirlik and their families to enjoy requires more water. The civil engineer squadron estimates approximately 60 percent of the base's water consumption falls to irrigation for locations such as the housing areas, golf course, ball fields, parks and other green areas.

The reverse osmosis water softening system reduces the amount of well water used for irrigation as it allows the reuse of wastewater to water the expansive golf course.

"In the case of the golf course, what we did out there in the past was use water from our well system, essentially potable water, to water the lawns. Now we're using treated wastewater - not raw sewage, but things like the water that comes from your sink or your shower plus rain water from the storage drains - that gets treated," said Sevier. "It's not treated to the point to where it's drinkable, but it's not hazardous.

"We're using water that would have otherwise gone into the sewer system back out to the Adana sewer system to irrigate," he said.

Along with reusing wastewater to conserve resources, reducing the amount of water going into the Adana sewer system also saves money for the base. Incirlik Air Base has a water and sewage agreement with the Adana Water & Sewage Administration to pay for all water that goes into the Adana sewage system after the first 500,000 gallons. Running wastewater through the reverse osmosis water softening system and using that water for irrigation reduces the amount of money paid for use of Adana's sewage system.

"The way it works here, because Incirlik has its own wells, we're not charged for water that is produced," explained Sevier. "The Adana sewer company charges us a fee based on the amount of gallons we put into their system. The lower the amount of water we put into their sewer system, the lower our bill."

Another project intended to lower Incirlik's consumption and water bill is encouraging the use of timers to mitigate the overuse of water for lawns in the housing areas.

"We need to change the culture on this matter, too," said Pinar Oneren, 39th CES mechanical maintenance engineer. "People turn on the hose and maybe forget or just water the grass too much. There is an optimum duration for this, and we would like to get the attention of people on this matter because consumption is dramatically increasing day by day."

The 39th CES Self Help Center currently carries 100 timers for hoses, though most have already been checked out by base residents. The civil engineer squadron is looking to purchase more of the $15 water meters for use in housing areas.

"In terms of overall direct impact, the (project) that base residents will notice the most on a day-to-day basis is going to be water consumption," Sevier said. "As we push out the water timers, that's something they'll have to adjust to."

So far, Sevier says all water conservation projects Incirlik implemented "have been very successful."

Editor's note: This article is the second of three in a series during Energy Awareness Month