Georgia Water/Best Practices/Conservation

Best Practices in Water Conservation

Water Audits

 * System Audits (note: method to be developed for Georgia EPD )
 * End Use Audits (note: method to be developed for Georgia EPD )

Reuse Feasibility Studies

 * (note: method to be developed for Georgia EPD )

Education and Outreach Programs

 * (note: method to be developed for Georgia EPD )

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) office sanitation)
 * 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,
 * 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