Georgia Water/Best Practices/Conservation

Best Practices in Water Conservation

Water Use Efficiency Targets, by sector

edit

Water Audits

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

Education and Outreach Programs

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

Formulating Water Conservation Plans

edit

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.

(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

Cities

edit

Water Utilities

edit

Institutions

edit

Residential Complexes

edit

Homeowners

edit

Commercial

edit

Industry

edit

Agriculture

edit

Identifying Water Conservation Techniques

edit

(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