# 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

#### Agriculture
### Identifying Water Conservation Techniques

(need to organized this list according to who implements)
* 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,
office sanitation)
* 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