Projects List India: Karnataka Municipal Water Pumping Improvements The objective of this project is to reduce the energy required for water service delivery in six municipalities in the State of Karnataka in Southern India. The pressure on water and energy resources in urban India is increasing rapidly due to increase in population and unplanned growth of the cities. The State of Karnataka, India has 208 municipalities that are all facing a huge water and energy crisis. Electricity makes up 40-60% of water supply costs. Thirty to forty percent of water is lost through leakage and unaccounted use during distribution. In most developing-world municipal water utilities, there are tremendous inefficiencies throughout the system. It has been documented in some water utilities as much as 80% of the water entering the system is lost before it reaches a billable customer. Pump systems are improperly sized, poorly maintained, operated at less than their optimal load, and - because the systems were built a long time ago, usually for the lowest possible cost - they are inefficient to begin with. Pumping schemes may be poorly engineered with redundant pumps, pipes, valves and high friction losses. These and other inefficiencies increase the amount of energy needed to deliver water to end-users, leading to unnecessary CO2 emissions but also to poor water service for millions of urban inhabitants worldwide. Energy efficiency improvements using carbon financing as a catalyst is a critical element to overcoming this barrier to sustainable development. The project consists of the following: Water Pumping Efficiency Improvements: The energy costs of pumping and treating water impose a significant cost on municipal water utilities. Energy and water savings through efficiency measures to reduce this burden are available to municipalities in Karnataka, but they have not been implemented because of market barriers and other factors. This project encompasses several water supply systems and raw water treatment plants for each of the six municipalities. These water systems supply treated, potable water to the Municipalities of Mysore, Bellary, Hubli-Dharwad, Mangalore, Belgaum and Gulbarga. The projects are aimed at reducing the energy consumption required to provide municipal water services. This project will lead to reduced Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions, because it will reduce the fossil fuels required for electricity generation in Karnataka, while maintaining or enhancing the current production and service levels. The electricity in Karnataka is generated largely from coal. The savings resulting from these improvements can be used by the water utilities to expand and improve service while minimizing the impact on the electricity grids and fragile water sources. Any energy savings or release of grid capacity can be used by the power utility to improve electricity service, one of the foundations of a modern sustainable economy. Ultimately, this may lead to lower marginal unit costs for water and electricity, of particular importance to low income consumers who pay a disproportionate share of income for those goods and services. Further, by reducing marginal water demand, this project will help mitigate a looming problem for developing countries - general water scarcity - and will specifically reduce the potential for conflict between agricultural, industrial and domestic water demands for water in Karnataka. The project also provides for continuing training and education of the municipal water utility employees, which creates awareness on the efficient use of electricity and the positive effect on the environment of proper energy management. By enabling the water utility to expand and improve service, this project will improve the access of consumers to clean water which has a host of health, economic and environmental benefits, including reduction of water-borne diseases like dysentery and trachoma, and reduction of the time households (typically the women in a household) spend trying to collect clean water. The project is expected to generate 345,600 t CO2e of emission reductions up to and including 2012, and 432,000 tCO2e of emission reductions for a 10 year period and is developed by Quality Tonnes, LLC and sponsored by Karnataka Urban Infrastructure Development and Finance Corporation (KUIDFC). The staff of Quality Tonnes has implemented water pumping efficiency projects - including helping to arrange financing - in Indore, Pune and Ahmedabad, as well as in Brazil, Ukraine, Bosnia and South Africa. This work includes auditing, working with and arranging deals with financiers and leasing companies, overseeing installation of equipment, monitoring of results, establishment of overall energy management program at water utilities. The KUIDFC was established in 1993 and is a wing of the Urban Development department. The main objectives behind setting up KUIDFC was to formulate and appraise urban infrastructure projects, render financial and technical assistance to urban development authorities, mobilize funds from different sources, project monitoring and implementation, and institution building for effective delivery of urban services. Community Benefits Plan Key state government bodies, municipal officials, and a key local NGO have all been involved in developing these projects. The community is being involved through a network of awareness programs. Public participation at all stages of developmental work is being employed to allow the community to understand the benefits and adequately and properly utilize these local services. National and international NGOs and the private sector are also getting involved to help the civic authorities in planning and implementation of community benefits. Deliverables: poverty alleviation; targeting underprivileged and minority groups; training; environmental benefits; transparency in local government Timeframe: 2005-2014 Cost: US$125,000 Deliverables Description Poverty alleviation The developmental activities in the urban sector outlined in this project are linked to the State's Poverty Alleviation Programme. This program focuses on improving living standards, public health, hygiene and sanitation of the community especially those that are below the poverty line. The flow of funds from the community benefits will be incorporated into city/town specific programs targeting poverty alleviation. Targeting underprivileged and minority groups By reducing the cost of delivering water and reducing waste in the current water supply system, the municipalities can invest more public funds into other social and infrastructure issues targeting underprivileged and minority members of the local communities. Training This project will train local water managers in maintaining the savings, which is crucial to get the carbon dioxide reductions in the future Environmental benefits Environmental benefits through landscape restoration and bio-diversity conservation, reduction of soil losses and rehabilitation of degraded lands Transparency in local government The data provided by this project will allow for better decision making by local leaders and offer more accountability and oversight Monitoring Plan Community participation through ward level associations is encouraged for monitoring the local facilities of all infrastructure projects. Additionally, the community benefits could be measured under a monitoring and verification protocol by having a performance indicator at every stage of activity. The current services and situation is established as baseline to measure the improvements and benefits. Consultative meetings with all stake holders in the projects, including the community are planned for effective understanding of the program at all stages of implementation. Project Documents None