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Become a WaterSense Partner – Receive free resources to promote water efficiency
Water conservation can benefit water providers, as well as water
users.
There are many benefits of providers investing in water conservation
and not everyone’s reasons for investing are the same. Maybe
a goal is to reduce water production costs, maybe it is to defer
the expansion of an exsisting plan, maybe it is to avoid a lawsuit
over endangered species, or maybe it is to foster a stewardship
ethic in the members of your community. Whatever the reason(s)
for investing in water conservation, the local benefits can be
great.
Reducing water use, waste, and loss can provide many benefits.
These Georgia success stories are real:
- 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 increasing groundwater withdrawals were
causing saltwater contamination, the City of Savannah, GA, reduced
groundwater withdrawals by 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 stream flows.
Lower stream flows are not able to wash away waste and pollutants
that threatened human and environmental health. The Metro North
Georgia Water Planning District’s 11 conservation measures
were adopted, in part, to help ensure stream flows needed to
dispose of waste.
- Water conservation can expand the life of existing supplies. Development
of new water sources is becoming more costly every year. Athens/Clarke
County, GA, hired a full-time coordinator to implement their
water conservation plan in an effort to expand the life of their
existing and limited water supplies.
What to Expect from Your Water Provider
Georgia is a culturally and socially diverse state. While no two
programs will be exactly alike, there are several water conservation
measures your water provider can adopt to take steps toward a successful
water conservation program.
Enforce the Outdoor Watering Schedule
Due to worsening drought conditions in Georgia, the Director of EPD has declared a level four drought response for the northern third of the state. A level four drought response prohibits most types of residential outdoor water use. The level four drought response was declared for all counties in north Georgia from Muscogee County on the Alabama line northeastward to Spalding County, and eastward to Lincoln County on the South Carolina line. Click here to view a map.
A level two drought response continues for the remainder of the state. The level two drought schedule is as follows:
- Odd-numbered addresses may water only on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays, from 12 midnight to 10 a.m. only.
- Even-numbered and unnumbered addresses may water only on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays, from 12 midnight to 10 a.m. only.
Implement a Water Loss Control and Leak Detection Program
Controlling water loss is an important factor for the efficient
management of water resources. Several methods for detecting and
reducing water loss from municipal water delivery systems have
recently been developed (AWWA 2003 and Thornton 2002). EPD is currently
reviewing this material and others to recommend the most appropriate
and effective way of calculating and controlling water loss.
Adopt Conservation-oriented Rate Structures
With population growth in the urban/suburban areas, increased
water pollution, and declining aquifer and stream flow levels throughout
Georgia, many water providers are turning to water conserving rate
structures. Water conservation rate structures can help utilities
and communities reduce water demands, as well as help meet revenue
requirements. See Water Conservation Rates
for more information.
Offer Retrofit Kits and Rebates on Water Efficient Technology
Retrofit kits and rebates on efficient technology offer permanent, one-time conservation hardware that can be implemented with little or no additional cost over the lifetime of the fixtures. In most cases, these fixtures can save homeowners money over the long term. The most commonly recommended low-flow plumbing fixtures are pressure reduction devices, faucet aerators, toilet displacement devices, low-flush or high-efficiency (HET) toilets, and low-flow showerheads.
Adopt a Water Conservation Education and Outreach Program
Educational programs can help develop a conservation ethic
in children that can last a lifetime. Water providers/utilities
can work with the local school districts to implant some innovative
programs on conservation in schools in your area. Also, any local
school system or government can request a teacher workshop to train
teachers on ways to incorporate conservation messages and exercises
into lesson plans. Contact Project
WET for more information.
Adult education and programs are also critical to help sustain
our water supplies now and for future generations. Adult
education and outreach can be accomplished in many ways – through
homeowner workshops such as You-Fix-It clinics to creating rain
barrels for your home. One of the most effective ways of educating
adults on conservation is to price water in a way that encourages
conservation (i.e. conservation-oriented rates).
Along those lines, a homeowner's bill can be an extremely valuable
education tool to achieve this.
For more suggestions on ways your water provider can help you
and your community conserve, click here.
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