Georgia Water/Best Practices/Conservation

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Best Practices in Water Conservation

Water Use Efficiency Targets, by sector[edit | edit source]

Water Audits[edit | edit source]

  • System Audits (note: method to be developed for Georgia EPD [1])
  • End Use Audits (note: method to be developed for Georgia EPD [2])

Reuse Feasibility Studies[edit | edit source]

(note: method to be developed for Georgia EPD [3])

Education and Outreach Programs[edit | edit source]

(note: method to be developed for Georgia EPD [4])

Formulating Water Conservation Plans[edit | edit source]

Ten Key Steps to Planning a Successful Water Conservation Program*

  • Identify conservation goals
  • Develop a water-use profile and forecast
  • Evaluate planned facilities
  • Identify and evaluate conservation measures
  • Identify and assess conservation incentives
  • Analyze benefits and costs
  • Select conservation measures and incentives
  • Prepare and implement the conservation plan
  • Integrate conservation and supply plans, modify forecasts
  • Monitor, evaluate and revise program as needed

Source: *Handbook of Water Use and Conservation, Amy Vickers, 2001, pages 2 and 3 (as quoted from powerpoint presentation, Georgia DNR Pollution Prevention Assistance Division.

Water Conservation Techniques[edit | edit source]

(List of water conservation techniques, organized by who can implement, with following information for each technique: description, link to best example, estimating water saved, estimating costs, implementation guidance.)

States and Regions[edit | edit source]

Cities[edit | edit source]

Water Utilities[edit | edit source]

Institutions[edit | edit source]

Residential Complexes[edit | edit source]

Homeowners[edit | edit source]

Commercial[edit | edit source]

Industry[edit | edit source]

Agriculture[edit | edit source]

Identifying Water Conservation Techniques[edit | edit source]

(need to organized this list according to who implements)

  • Require 1.6 gal/flush toilet to be installed at the time of sale
  • Rebates for 6/3 dual flush or 4-liter toilets
  • Rebates for high efficiency clothes washers
  • Low income home leak detection and repair
  • Distribute retrofit kits w/low flow showerheads
  • Increase school education programs
  • Require high efficiency clothes washing machines
  • Insulate hot water piping
  • Rebates for 6/3 dual flush or 4-liter toilets
  • Require 6/3 dual flush or 4-liter toilets for new homes
  • Residential water audits
  • Guide to a self-water audit on North Georgia Retailer’s web site or as a mail-out
  • Permanent irrigation restrictions
  • Regulations for rain sensor/shut-offs on automatic systems
  • ET controller service (w/weekly updating) by vendor
  • Increase public education (expand web site, videos, CD’s)
  • Xeriscape demonstration gardens
  • Xeriscape education and staff training at retail garden/irrigation supply houses
  • Homeowner irrigation classes
  • Trigger shut-off valves and hose end timers
  • New home efficiency rating
  • Require model homes be landscaped with low water use landscaping
  • New home efficiency awards
  • Pressure regulation design for new areas
  • Promote water efficient plantings at new homes
  • Landscape requirements for new homes (turf limitations/regulations)
  • Regulations for rain sensor/shut-offs on automatic systems
  • Developer financed off-site conservation projects
  • Rainwater harvesting (tanks) and irrigation systems
  • Offer incentives for replacement of clothes washers in coin-operated laundries
  • Distribute retrofit kits w/low flow showerheads
  • Incentives for retrofitting sub-metering
  • Regulations on sub-metering procedures (to protect tenant)
  • Require 1.6 gal/flush toilet to be installed at the time of sale
  • Require sub-metering multifamily units
  • Require efficient (such as horizontal axis) clothes washers
  • Require 6/3 dual flush or 4-liter toilets for new homes
  • Public relations campaign to set irrigation timers back in the fall
  • Residential (HOA) water audits
  • Rebates for high-tech irrigation controllers
  • ET controller service (w/weekly updating) by vendor
  • Rain-sensor retrofits on existing controllers
  • Regulations for rain sensor/shut-offs on automatic irrigation systems
  • New home efficiency ratings
  • New home efficiency award
  • Pressure regulation design for new areas
  • Landscape requirements for new landscaping systems (turf limitations/regulations)
  • Require efficient irrigation system design standards
  • Developer financed off-site development conservation projects
  • Commercial water audits and feasibility reports
  • Rebates for replacing high use commercial toilets with 1.6 gal/flush
  • Rebates for replacing high use commercial urinals with 0.5 gal/flush
  • 1.6 gal/flush toilet direct installation for high use commercial sites
  • Require 1.6 gal/flush toilet to be installed at the time of sale
  • Offer incentives for replacement or lease of clothes washers in coin-operated laundries
  • Require car washes to recycle water
  • Require or offer rebates for meters on cooling towers
  • Cooling tower regulations
  • Restaurant low flow spray rinse nozzles
  • Focused water audits for hotels/motels (showers and toilets only)
  • WAVE Program (US EPA) for hotels
  • Hotel retrofit (w/financial assistance)
  • Employee education program
  • Award program for water savings by businesses
  • Capacity buy-back for process improvements
  • 1.6 gal/flush toilet replacement incentives
  • Rebates for X-Ray recycling units
  • Replace inefficient water using equipment
  • Require car washes to recycle water
  • Require efficient (such as horizontal axis) clothes washers
  • Rebates for waterless urinals
  • Promotion and/or rebates for laundry recycle systems at commercial laundries
  • Self-closing faucets
  • Require efficient process equipment for selected businesses (restaurants, hotels/motels,

office sanitation)

  • Prohibit once through cooling and non-recycling fountains, other non efficient water features
  • Require 0.5 gal/flush urinals in new buildings
  • Irrigation audits of large turf areas
  • Rebates for high-tech irrigation controllers for irrigation accounts
  • Surcharge on water bill for irrigation accounts to fund rebate programs
  • Rain-sensor retrofits on existing controllers
  • Assignment of irrigation budgets, tracking and water bill feedback to irrigation customers
  • Financial penalties for water use exceeding budget
  • Training landscape maintenance persons
  • ET controller service (w/weekly updating) by vendor
  • Financial incentives, rebates for irrigation upgrades
  • Regulations for rain sensor/shut-offs on automatic systems
  • Require dedicated irrigation meters
  • ET controller service (w/weekly updating) by vendor
  • Load shedding rate option for accounts w/ET controller service
  • Landscape requirements for new landscaping systems (turf limitations/regulations)
  • Require efficient irrigation system design standards
  • Assignment of irrigation budgets, tracking and water bill feedback
  • Financial penalties for water use exceeding budget
  • Replacement of inefficient toilets, showers, faucets
  • Installation of waterless urinals, dual flush toilets
  • City/County Department water reduction goals
  • City/County building facility water audits
  • Increase Xersicape landscaping of City/County & Utility facilities where appropriate
  • Public swimming pool water audits
  • ET controller service (w/weekly updating) by vendor
  • Irrigation scheduling with ET data
  • System water audits
  • Leak detection
  • Set water rates based on conservation pricing

Reference[edit | edit source]