Environment & Poverty Times

07 2012

UNEP/GRID-Arendal

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Water runoff from the road enters the pathway design for conventional, natural and zero-energy consumption filtering system. Frangipani/Rosli Azimad

tional sand filtering system incorporated in the drainage system. The pond also has a role in harvesting rainwater. Excess rainwater from the road and pond flows into an underground storage compartment in front of the pond. This compartment is filled with sand, stones and corals that purify the water by eliminating heavy metal components before it is pumped back into the fishpond. Excess water is used to irrigate plants around the front office and in the surrounding landscaped areas.

treat the wastewater in the resort. There are two types of wastewater – black water and grey water. Black water generally refers to sewage waste, whilst grey water is the wastewater from sinks, baths and the laundry. The wet- land covers an area of approximately 2 370 square metres with a maximum depth of between 1.2 and 1.7 metres depending on the season. It is the first of its kind to be built in Malaysia. The wetland water is continuously monitored with help from the local public university and private laboratories to ensure that water quality meets Malaysian standards. A test on wastewater from the wetland carried out by a private laboratory in August 2011 showed that almost 99 per cent of E coli bacteria were eliminated.

Further reductions in water consump- tion are possible

Graph 1 shows a clear reduction in average consumption of government-supplied water. The dip in water consumption in 2008 is attributable to resort renovations. The rain- water harvesting system contributed to a decrease in water consumption throughout these years. Water consumption increased slightly again in 2010 when a new salt water pool was built. In addition, the weather was hotter that year, which caused an increase in water intake by plants and lawns.

Wastewater treatment system The Frangipani Langkawi resort and spa has its own man-made wetland, which is used to

While the unit price of water has increased by 20 per cent, the resort has successfully halved water usage. The average monthly water consumption for each occupied room dropped from 3.62 cubic metres in 2006 to 2.7 cubic metres in 2010. With on-going ini- tiatives and improvements, the resort hopes to reduce government-supplied water usage by a further 20 per cent. Future plans include channelling the rainwater from the ultravio- let (UV) light filtration system to the resort’s main water tank to reduce dependence on government-supplied water.

About the authors: Anthony K. H. Wong, a well- known environmentalist for the past 38 years, is the Group Managing Director at the Frangipani Langkawi resort and spa and Adjunct Professor at Taylor’s University and Universiti Utara Malaysia. Tui Ai Ling is an environmental officer at the Frangipani Langkawi resort and spa, and holds a BSc (Honours) degree in environmental science from Universiti Malaysia Sabah.

Smart water metering

To conserve water it is vital to understand how, when and why water is used. Smart water metering can be an essential tool for measuring and monitoring water use.

How does a smart meter work?

By definition, smart metering is a concept that combines two distinct elements: meters that use new technology to capture water use information and a communications system that can capture and transmit this information immediately as it becomes available, or almost immediately. Con- ventional water meters count each kilolitre of water as it passes through the meter but they are not able to record when consumption takes place. Smart meters, on the other hand, quantify water use during a defined period of time and record data on consumption, demand and time of use.

How are data communicated?

Smart meters can communicate the captured data to a broad audience (for example, utility managers, power marketers, facility authorities) through a variety of methods including radio frequencies, telephone wires and mobile technology, local computer networks and the Internet.

How can smart metering help conserve water? Information from smart water meters can:

• improve understanding of water consumption and flow patterns; • track, predict and change trends in demand; • warn of high and low flows and highlight anomalies; and, • identify leaks and other waste minimization opportunities. Water users who know their actual consumption during particular periods are better able to understand and reduce their water costs. The challenge, however, is to educate water users about the benefits of smart metering and encourage its use. As smart metering becomes more widespread, water conservation awareness will improve. This may also create an incentive for domestic and business consumers to save precious potable water.

Smart water metering gaining ground

According to a report from Pike Research, the worldwide installed base of smart and smart- enabled water meters will grow to 31.8 million by 2016, up from 5.2 million in 2009. By the end of that period, the cleantech market intelligence firm forecasts that smart water meters will account for 31 per cent of all new water meter shipments. Growth is expected in Asia. For example Mumbai plans to install 300 000 units and may increase deployment to 1.2 million units.

Sources: Smart metering: A significant component of integrated water conservation systems, by Elisa Idris (http:// www.cwwt.unsw.edu.au/ywp2006/papers/YWP%202.3.pdf). Installed base of smart water meters to surpass 31 million by 2016, press release from Pike Research (http://www.pikeresearch.com/newsroom/installed-base-of-smart-water- meters-to-surpass-31-million-by-2016). Executive summary: Smart water meters. Advanced metering infrastructure for water utilities: market drivers, technology issues, deployment case studies, key industry players, and market fore- casts (http://www.pikeresearch.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/SWAT-10-Executive-Summary.pdf).