PUBLIC UTILITIES ADVISORY BOARD AGENDA ITEM
ACTION REQUESTED:
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Receive the System Performance Metrics Report
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DEPARTMENT: Water Utilities
SUBMITTED BY: Darrell Blenniss, Director Water Utilities
BOARD/COMMISSION REVIEW:
N/A
BACKGROUND:
Staff reviewed data from five primary dashboards:
1. SAIDI (System Average Interruption Duration Index): Jan 29, 2026.
2. Non-Revenue Water Loss (NRWL): 2025 Calendar Year dashboard.
3. Water Consumption Report: Historical usage through Dec 2025.
4. Distribution Leaks: 2025 Summary and 2026 YTD snapshot.
5. Effluent Report: Springbrook Treatment Plant 2025 performance.
DISCUSSION:
1. Decline in System Reliability (SAIDI) The most concerning metric in the dataset is the System Average Interruption Duration Index (SAIDI).
• Observation: The 12-month average SAIDI jumped to 9.52 minutes per customer, a 138.65% increase compared to the previous year (3.99 minutes).
• Trend: The historical graph shows a sharp, aggressive upward spike in late 2025, reaching the highest recorded level in the 15-year dataset provided.
• Data Anomaly: The internal report text contains date errors. It states the current value is "as of December 2026" and the previous value is "in December 2025." Given the report generation date of January 29, 2026, the current value represents December 2025, and the comparison value represents December 2024.
• Data Integrity: There are two large water outage incidents that account for significant minutes. These two incidents need to be reviewed for data accuracy. They have been forwarded to Distribution and Metering for investigation. This is part of the normal quality control process. These could alter the 12-month SAIDI.
2. Non-Revenue Water & Operational Anomalies
Tracked water loss for calendar year 2025 was 132.4 Million Gallons (MG). While distribution leaks accounted for the majority (75.7%), a significant anomaly exists in the "Operations & Maintenance" category. Please note the IDNR reporting year is October 1st - September 30th.
• Observation: There was a massive spike in operational water usage in April 2025, visible in the "Gallons by Month" chart.
• Specific Cause: The data attributes 22,368,000 gallons to "Run Auto Flusher for Water Quality" for the year. The vast majority of this appears to have occurred in April alone (contrasted with typical months showing ~0.44 MG).
• Impact: This single operational category accounted for nearly 17% of all non-revenue water for the entire year.
3. Water Consumption Trend Reversal
• Observation: Total water consumption for 2025 was 4,919 MG.
• Trend: This represents a notable 15% increase from 2024 (4,278 MG), reversing a steady downward trend in consumption observed since 2012. Usage has returned to levels not seen since 2019.
• Weather Correlation: Analysis of the "Annual Usage" graph, which overlays precipitation levels against consumption, indicates a clear inverse relationship. The 2025 usage spike correlates with reduced rainfall during the peak irrigation season compared to the prior year.
• Capacity: Despite the increase, the daily average (13.48 MG) remains well within our allocation (21.68 MG) and system capacity (35.8 MG).
4. Distribution Leaks (2025 vs. 2026 YTD)
• 2025 Summary: The system experienced 169 confirmed leaks, with "Radial Crack" (33.3%) and "Hole" (30.6%) being the predominant causes. The average operating cost per leak was $3,123.
• 2026 YTD Status: As of late January, we have 8 confirmed leaks.
• Positive Indicator: The average cost per leak in early 2026 is trending significantly lower at $750 (vs. $3,123 in 2025), and the average interruption time has dropped to 82 minutes (vs. 144 minutes in 2025).
5. Effluent & Rainfall Sensitivity
• Observation: The Springbrook Treatment Plant operated effectively throughout 2025.
• Peak Event: A significant rainfall event on August 20, 2025, resulted in a flow of 45.93 MG, reaching 83% of the Design Max Flow. This "High Flow Day" highlights the system's sensitivity to heavy precipitation events, though no capacity breaches or excursions occurred.