CONSERVE WATER GEORGIA
Community & Government Tools
Water efficiency measures
- Minimize water loss by finding and repairing links.
- Establish water conservation rates.
- Meter water use.
- Enhance efficiency; establish ordinances and provide incentives.
- Educate from the inside out.
Minimize water loss by finding and repairing leaks.
Water utilities should audit their supplies and keep their system losses at a minimal level.
- Guidance Document: Water Loss Control Programs
Document developed by the Georgia Environmental Protection Division to support the “Coastal Georgia Water and Wastewater Permitting Plan for Managing Saltwater Intrusion,” August 2007.
- Guidance Document: Leak Detection and Repair Programs
Document developed by the Georgia Environmental Protection Division to support the “Coastal Georgia Water and Wastewater Permitting Plan for Managing Saltwater Intrusion,” August 2007.
- Guidance Document: Water Audits
Document developed by the Georgia Environmental Protection Division to support the “Coastal Georgia Water and Wastewater Permitting Plan for Managing Saltwater Intrusion,” August 2007.
- Free Water Audit Software
The Water Audit Software package includes five worksheets in a spreadsheet file. The majority of data is entered on a reporting worksheet and prompts the user to enter standard water supply information such as the volume of water supplied, customer consumption and loss quantities. A worksheet provides instructions on how to use the software.
Knowing that many water utilities don't typically tabulate all of this data, the software allows the user to enter either measured or estimated values. The software then calculates a variety of performance indicators which are useful in making performance comparisons among water utilities.
Establish water conservation rates.
Water conservation rate structures can help utilities reduce water demands, as well as help them meet revenue requirements.
- Water Conservation Rate Structures
Review different methods water utilities use to determine rates and how they may or may not encourage water efficiency.
- Guidance Document: Conservation-Oriented Rate Structures
Document developed by the Georgia Environmental Protection Division to support the “Coastal Georgia Water and Wastewater Permitting Plan for Managing Saltwater Intrusion,” August 2007.
- Georgia (Water and Sewer) Rates Dashboard
These interactive rate dashboards were designed by the University of North Carolina Environmental Finance Center and the Georgia Environmental Facilities Authority to assist utility managers and local officials in the analysis of residential water and sewer rates using multiple characteristics, including utility finances, system characteristics, customer base socioeconomic conditions and geography. The EFC and GEFA collected and analyzed 520 water and wastewater rate structures for 477 public service providers in Georgia. NOTE: You will need Adobe Flash Player 9, or a newer version, to view these dashboards.
Meter water use.
Metering water usage is an important step in understanding how water is used in a community. Studies show that water use decreases when water meters are installed and the user is charged for the services being used. "Free-riders" are water users who are tapped into the water system but are not contributing financially to the operation and maintenance of the system.
- Guidance Document: Meter Calibration, Repair and Replacement Program
Document developed by the Georgia Environmental Protection Division to support the “Coastal Georgia Water and Wastewater Permitting Plan for Managing Saltwater Intrusion,” August 2007.
Enhance efficiency; establish ordinances and provide incentives.
Local governments can establish ordinances that require water efficiency. Water utility companies can provide customers incentives encouraging water efficiency.
- Dekalb County Ordinance: Inefficient Plumbing Fixtures Replacement Plan
- Water efficiency incentives for individuals
Educate from the inside out.
Educational programs encourage shifts in personal and professional behaviors regarding water use, waste and loss. High-quality technical training for staff and educational opportunities for the general public are very important aspects of sustaining our water resources for current and future generations.
- Guidance Document: Water Conservation Education Programs
Document developed by the Georgia Environmental Protection Division to support the “Coastal Georgia Water and Wastewater Permitting Plan for Managing Saltwater Intrusion,” August 2007
- Tools for individuals
Additional tools
Water Conservation Implementation Plan
The Water Conservation Implementation Plan is intended to guide Georgia business owners, farmers, homeowners, service providers and government officials toward greater water efficiency. It provides specific goals and best practices for the state’s seven major water use sectors: agricultural irrigation, electric generation, golf courses, industrial and commercial, landscape irrigation, domestic and nonindustrial public uses and state agencies.
Hidden Reservoir: Why Water Efficiency is the Best Solution for the Southeast
The report outlines nine proven, timely and cost-effective steps that local leaders can take to save water and help ensure their rivers remain valuable community assets.
Georgia Water Use and Conservation Profiles
The Georgia Water Use and Conservation Profile project identified communities in Georgia outside of the metropolitan North Georgia water planning district’s 16 counties and 99 cities in an effort to characterize the diverse nature of municipal water use in Georgia and to identify some specific conservation measures that could be cost-effective.
Water Resources: A Toolkit for Local Governments
Water resource management issues facing local governments today are huge. The Water Resources: A Toolkit for Local Governments Web site brings together a wide variety of useful information to help address these issues. It is a basic educational tool for local officials and employees new to water resource management. Because of its comprehensive nature, the toolkit is also a valuable resource for elected officials and water resource staff members already familiar with water management concerns.
Resources for community water conservation planning
Many local entities are actively pursuing water conservation initiatives. Sound scientific and economic advice is available to assist local governments, water providers and regional planners to conserve water.
- Handbook of Water Use and Conservation – Homes, Landscapes, Businesses, Industries, Farms by Amy Vickers
- EPA Guidelines for Water Conservation Plans
- American Water Works Association
- Georgia Water Wise Council presentations delivered at a 2007 workshop, which may be helpful in the development of a municipality water conservation plan.