Georgia Water/Best Practices/Conservation

Best Practices in Water Conservation

Water Audits

• 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

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

Education and Outreach Programs

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

Formulating Water Conservation Plans

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

(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.)

Water Utilities

• Water loss and leakage management
• Water pricing

Identifying Water Conservation Techniques

(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

• Georgia DNR Water Conservation Program