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Conserve Water Georgia


CONSERVE WATER GEORGIA

Community & Government Tools

Water efficiency measures

Minimize water loss by finding and repairing leaks.

  • Water loss control and leak detection and repair are critical components to a comprehensive water conservation program.  Georgia public water providers should be diligent to conduct water audits annually (even monthly) and fix leaks as soon as they are discovered.

The "Georgia Water System Audit and Water Loss Control Manual" is available as a best practices document for Georgia Water systems.

Click here for more information on the manual and for a list of upcoming training workshops on water auditing and water loss control.

  • GEFA offers a number of loans to assist local water providers in maximizing the efficiency of public water systems.  Visit http://www.gefa.org/index.aspx?page=528 for more information on Financing Water Conservation.

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.

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.

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Additional tools

Filling the Water Gap

Conservation Successes and Missed Opportunities in Metro Atlanta reviews the past decade of water planning in the metro region and evaluates conservation practices by ten local governments.  Overall, the report finds that metro governments are stretching taxpayer dollars to improve conservation practices; however, state leaders have fallen short in providing the firm guidance, and resources, necessary for local governments to achieve the water and money savings required for the region's water security.

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 non industrial public uses and state agencies.

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.

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.

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.

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