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Without water conservation Georgia will not be able to meet its instream and offstream water demands of the future.
To meet the escalating challenges of water resource management, Georgia Environmental Protection Division ("EPD"), a division of the Georgia Department of Natural Resources ("DNR"), is enhancing its commitment to water conservation. Since the 1990s, EPD has endeavored to enforce the conservation-oriented laws passed by the Georgia General Assembly and rules and regulations adopted by the DNR Board. However, as water resource management becomes more complex, Georgians are calling for comprehensive water resource plans and policies and for more aggressive water conservation. To satisfy the expectations of Georgia's leaders and citizens, EPD along with other state agencies are pursuing a more coordinated and aggressive approach to water conservation. |
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Why Water Conservation?
EPD defines water conservation as the "beneficial reduction
in water use, waste and loss" (Vickers 2001). Water conservation
is not only to be implemented during drought, but is also a
management tool proven to be the most economical and environmentally
protective means of meeting the challenges of water supply
management. |
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Water users in Georgia and throughout the United
States provide documented success of water conservation initiatives.
Reducing water use, waste, and loss can provide many benefits:
Water conservation can reduce production
costs and taxes. Georgia's Clayton County Water Authority has saved $9.00 in reduced water production for every $1.00 invested in a water-conserving leak detection and repair program.
Water conservation can save water
resources for future generations. As population boomed and groundwater withdrawals increased, causing saltwater contamination on the coast, the City of Savannah, GA, reduced groundwater withdrawals 3.8 million gallons a day through a water-conserving, toilet rebate and educational program for city residents.
Water conservation can protect water
quality and the environment. Increasing surface water withdrawals decreases streamflows. Lower streamflows are not able to assimilate, or wash away, waste and pollutants that threaten human and environmental health. The Metro North Georgia Water Planning District's 11 conservation measures were adopted, in part, to help ensure the streamflows needed to assimilate waste.
Water conservation can expand the
life of existing supplies. The costs of developing new water sources are increasing annually. Athens/Clarke County, GA, hired a full-time coordinator to implement their water conservation plan in an effort to extend the life of their existing and limited water supplies.
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Definitions:
Water Conservation - the "beneficial reduction
in water use, waste and loss" (Vickers 2001)
Instream water needs – Water needs/use within a stream channel for purposes such as, hydroelectric power generation, habitat protection, waste assimilation, etc.
Offstream water needs – Water that is withdrawn or diverted from its source (ground or surface) and transported for use. Includes municipal, industrial, and other uses.
Definitions derived from Fanning, USGS 2003. |
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While investments in individual conservation initiatives can result in local success, it is only through a coordinated effort that our state will be able to demonstrate that Georgia is responsibly managing this limited an irreplaceable resource.
The benefits of water conservation are multi-faceted, as are the components
of a successful program (see Planning
for the Future and Georgia
Statewide Water Planning). When the components
of a conservation program work in concert, many benefits can
be realized and water resources sustained for both current
and future generations. Investments
in water conservation are investments in the
future. |
Information for this page was collected from:
- Denion, D. 2005."City of Savannah . Water, the Lifeline of the Community." Presentation given to the AWWA Water Conservation Workshop. Savannah, Georgia. February 18, 2005.
- Jones, J. 2004. "Leak Detection at [Clayton County Water Authority] C.C.W.A." Presentation given to Metropolitan North GA Water Planning District. Dec. 9, 2004.
- North Georgia Metropolitan Water Planning District. 2003. Water Supply and Conservation Plan. www.northgeorgiawater.com
- Pearson, A. 2004. Athens-Clarke County Water Conservation Coordinator. Personal communication. Dec. 14, 2004.
- Vickers, A. 2001. Handbook of water use and conservation: homes, landscapes, businesses, industries, farms. Waterplow Press. 446 pgs.
- Fanning, J. 2003. Water Use in Georgia by County for 2000 and Water use trends for 1980-2000. GA DNR, EPD and GGS in cooperation with U.S. Geological Survey. Information Circular 106. Atlanta, GA. 176 pgs.
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