Whos Doing What and

1
Water Conservation in Georgia

• Whos Doing What and
• Where Do We Go From Here?

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The beginning is the most important part of the
work. - Plato
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What is Water Conservation?

• efficient use of water, through lessening of
  water withdrawals, water use or water waste.
• Conservation can forestall future supply capital
  
• It can consist of both temporary measures and
  permanent measures .
• American Water Works Association (AWWA)
  Drinking Water Dictionary, 1st Edition

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Why is it Important to Conserve Water?

• Increasing number of people, same amount of water
• Conserving water can delay capital expenditures
• Conserved water is an additional supply
• Conserved water is good for the environment
• Future generations quality of life

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Why Pursue Water Conservation?

• 100 increase in state pop since 60
• 15 mgd new water supply for each 100K new
  residents
• 8-9 mgd new wastewater capacity for each 100K
  new residents

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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

Handbook of Water Use and Conservation, Amy
Vickers, 2001, pages 2 and 3
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It is one thing to find fault with an existing
system. It is another thing altogether, a more
difficult task, to replace it with an approach
that is better. - Nelson Mandela
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Whos Doing What?
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State Level Water Conservation Efforts

• DNR Board Water Issues White Paper
• DNR Water Conservation and Regional Reservoir
  Plan
• State Drought Management Plan
• P2AD Technical Assistance to Businesses
  Institutions
• P2AD Water Conservation Workshops

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State Level Water Conservation Efforts (cont)

• DCA Water First Initiative and Keep Georgia
  Beautiful education efforts
• The State of Georgia Water Conservation
  Coordinator position
• DNR (EPD) requires water conservation plans in
  applications for non-farm water withdrawal
  permits
• The DNR (CRD) Coastal Incentive grants

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Regional Local Water Conservation Efforts

• MNGWPD producing a Water Supply and Conservation
  Management Plan
• Cobb County-Marietta Water Authority WaterSmart
  Project
• Dalton Utilities has implemented an aggressive
  water conservation rate structure
• SW Georgia Agricultural Community

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NGO Water Conservation Efforts

• Georgia Water Wise Council
• The Georgia Conservancy
• Georgia Wildlife Federation
• Upper Chattahoochee RiverKeeper
• The Georgia Poultry Federation
• GWPCA conservation and reuse committee
• Georgia Water Coalition

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University Water Conservation Efforts

• Tifton Ag. Experiment Station
• UGA Extension Xeriscape
• UGA College of Agriculture and Environmental
  Sciences
• River Basin Science and Policy Center Athens,
  GA

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Where Do We Go From Here?
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Develop/Implement Water Conservation Action Plan

• Evaluate Current Planning Efforts
• Set Goals (state regional)
• Conduct Statewide Water Conservation Awareness
  Campaign
• Choose Appropriate Conservation Measures
• Use EPD Permitting Authority to Implement Plan
• Work With Governmental, NGOs, and University
  System to Implement Action Plan

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How Do I Find Guidelines from EPD to Help Me
Put Together and Implement a Water Conservation
Plan?
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Navigator Menu TABLE OF CONTENTS
GEORGIA'SENVIRONMENT INTERSTATE
WATERPLANS RULES LAWS PLANS OUTREACH
REGULATEDCOMMUNITY EPD FORMS
TECHNICALGUIDANCE ENFORCEMENT ABOUT EPD
WHAT'S NEW(S) EVENT CALENDAR PRIVACY STATEMENT
COMMENTS SEARCH
The EPD website can be found at http//www.dnr.st
ate.ga.us/dnr/environ/ You will see a green side
bar similar to the one on the left of this slide.
Click on Technical Guidance to find the EPD
Water Conservation Guidelines with Commentary,
and click on EPD Forms to find water conservation
plan guidance as needed for surface water
withdrawals for industrial new, industrial
renewal, municipal new, municipal renewal,
recreational turn new and recreational turf
renewal. For groundwater guidance, contact Bill
Frechette at EPD [phone]
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EPD Water Conservation Guidelines

• Water Resources Allocation and Planning
• Planning Standards North Georgia Water District
  Revised Dec 2001
• Water Conservation Guidance Revised Aug 2001
• Linking State Water Programs to Watershed
  Management (Note this file should be downloaded
  rather than viewed) Revised Jul 2001
• Developing Regional Watershed Protection Plans -
  A Guidebook for Local Governments (Note these
  files should be downloaded rather than viewed)
  Revised Jul 2001
• Appendix A Alcovy River Watershed Protection
  Project
• Appendix B Description of Commonly Considered
  Water Quality Constituents
• Appendix C Watershed Protection Fact Sheets
  (20.2 MB, PKZip format)
•  
• Interim Strategy for Managing Saltwater Intrusion
  in the Upper Florida Aquifer of Southeast Georgia
  Revised Apr 1997
• Supplement to the Interim Strategy for Managing
  Saltwater Intrusion in the Upper Floridan Aquifer
  of Southeast Georgia Revised Dec 2001
• Water Management Plan for Coastal Strategy Area
  Revised Feb 2002
• Offsite Links
• USGS Water Resources Information for Georgia
• Glossary of Water Related Terms
• Kevin Farrell
• 404.656.3094

http//www.dnr.state.ga.us/dnr/environ/
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Surface Water Withdrawal Forms and Guidelines

• Water Allocation/Withdrawal Ade Oke
  404.656.3094
• Agricultural Withdrawal Application Revised Aug
  2001
• Agricultural Withdrawal Application (Word format)
  Revised Aug 2001
• Offsite Link Agricultural Withdrawal Application
  County Maps
• Industrial Surface Water Withdrawal New
  Application Revised Oct 1998
• Industrial Surface Water Withdrawal New
  Application (Word Perfect format) Revised Oct
  1998
• Industrial Surface Water Withdrawal Renewal
  Application Revised Jan 2000
• Industrial Surface Water Withdrawal Renewal
  Application (Word format) Revised Jan 2000
• Municipal Surface Water Withdrawal New
  Application Revised Dec 1999
• Municipal Surface Water Withdrawal New
  Application (Word format) Revised Dec 1999
• Municipal Surface Water Withdrawal Renewal
  Application Revised Dec 1999
• Municipal Surface Water Withdrawal Renewal
  Application (Word format) Revised Dec 1999
• Recreational Turf Surface Water Withdrawal New
  Application Revised Aug 2001
• Recreational Turf Surface Water Withdrawal New
  Application (Word format) Revised Aug 2001
• Recreational Turf Surface Water Withdrawal
  Renewal Application Revised Aug 2001
• Recreational Turf Surface Water Withdrawal
  Renewal Application (Word Perfect format)
  Revised Aug 2001
• Industrial Water Use Report Revised Jan 2000
• Industrial Water Use Report (Word format)
  Revised Jan 2000
• Municipal Water Use Report Revised Jan 2000

http//www.dnr.state.ga.us/dnr/environ/
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Current Water Conservation Planning Efforts in
Georgia
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Water Conservation Elements of Metropolitan North
Georgia Water Planning District (16 counties)
Code Section 12-5-572(c) It is the primary
purpose of the district to develop regional and
watershed-specific plans for storm-water
management, waste-water treatment, water supply,
water conservation, and the general protection of
water quality, which plans will be implemented by
local governments in the district.
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Water Conservation Elements of the Joint
Comprehensive Water Plan Study Committee
Recommendation 13 Provide in the enabling
legislation for the inclusion of goals for
Georgias water management programs in the
plan. part 4 Georgias water management programs
allocate water and encourage efficient water
use. section d Conservation, efficiency and
water reuse are encouraged while considering the
impacts of consumptive use and return flows on
other water users and the environment. and
section f Conservation and efficiency are
achieved through using appropriate incentives and
regulatory requirements.
http//www.cviog.uga.edu/water/index.html
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Water Conservation Elements of the Water
Conservation and Regional Reservoir Plan (44
counties)

• The DSS Model (used in the District Plan) will
  enable evaluation of the water conservation
  potential of individual utility systems in the
  project area
• Review existing water demand data
• Develop sampling protocol for project area
• Establish baseline water demands
• Define menu of water conservation strategies
• Evaluate water conservation scenarios
• Conduct sensitivity analysis

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Water Conservation Elements of the State Drought
Management Plan

• Includes
• State providing notice of drought conditions
  (levels) by region
• Appropriate minimum implementation requirements
  (actions), at each pre-drought and drought level
  stage (pre/into/in/out of)
• Four levels of drought for purposes of planning
  and responses

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Funding Available Through GEFA/Revolving Funds
The Georgia Environmental Facilities Authority is
a state agency that makes low interest rate loans
to cities, counties and authorities for water,
sewer and solid waste system improvements. Accordi
ng to the U.S. EPA, The Clean Water State
Revolving Fund resources (managed in Georgia by
GEFA) can help augment the financial resources
currently available to fund the following types
of water conservation and reuse
projects Structural Measures (eligible when the
equipment or facility is publicly-owned)
installation of meters, plumbing retrofits (in
government buildings), efficient irrigation
equipment (public parks, golf courses), reuse of
gray water (public purposes), reducing
unnaccounted for water Nonstructural Measures
use of incentive-based wastewater service
charges, use of ordinances or regulations to
conserve water, public education programs
www.gefa.org
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You must be the change you wish to see in the
world. - Mohandas Gandhi