kickstart thekickstart the conservation habit gwinnett county department of water resources . our...
TRANSCRIPT
Take Control of
Your Water Use
Kickstart the
Conservation Habit
Gwinnett County Department of Water Resources
Our Water Cycle
• Water is continuously recycled through the water cycle
• Water is not destroyed when we use it
• Only 3% of water on Earth is fresh water
• Approximately .003% is available fresh water
Why Conserve?
We sometimes use
fresh water faster than
it can be returned by
humans (water
treatment) or recycled
by nature (rainfall)
Demand > Supply
Big lake, small watershed
As our population grows, our available water supply does
not increase
Lake Sidney Lanier Stats:
Max depth – 160 feet
Shoreline – 692 miles
Full pool surface area – 60 sq. miles
Drainage area – 1,040 sq. miles
Level Four Drought
• In 2007, Atlanta rainfall was 18.35 inches below average (NOAA)
• Level 4 drought declared in September 2007
• Declared Drought Response Level 4 – No outdoor water use other than exempted activities
• Lake Lanier dropped to a record low level of 1050.79 in December 2007
Water Wars
Georgia – municipal supply,
power generation, recreation,
agriculture
Alabama – municipal supply,
power generation, recreation,
agriculture
Florida – freshwater to support
aquatic life in Apalachicola Bay
Whiskey is for drinkin’; water is for fighting over.
- Mark Twain
Conservation can be
defined as:
The beneficial reduction of water use,
water waste and water loss. The goal is
not to discourage water use, but rather to
maximize benefit from each gallon used.
How We Use Water
Residential use is 53%
of total municipal use
This chart is for newer homes
that do use water outdoors
How much water do you use?
This shows last month’s
reading compared to this
month’s reading
The difference is 50
Multiply by 1000 to
get the total gallons
used this period
Here is historic use –
compare your current
use to the amount used
last month and last year
Single Family Residential (per 1,000 gallons)
Water
Tier 1 (up to 8,000 gal) $4.85
Tier 2 (8,000 – 12,000 gal) $7.275
Tier 3 (over 12,000 gal) $9.70
Sewer $7.82
How much water do you use?
This is the sewer rate
On the back of the bill are the rates for the three
tiers of water use. So the more you use, the
more the water costs per 1,000 gallons
How much water do you use?
The sewer charge is based
on total gallons used – this
reflects the cost of treating
your wastewater
This shows how much you
used in each of the three
price tiers and how much
those gallons cost you
Calculate per person use
Divide by the number of days in the billing cycle
Divide this by the number of people living in your home
Determine the number
of gallons per cycle
= ÷ 12,000 30
400 gallons per day household use
3 people = 133 gallons per
person, per day
400
Is Your Household Water Wise?
Gallons per person, per day
Winter Summer Rank
55 or less 65 or less Efficient
63 72 Average usage in
Gwinnett County
75 and above 90 and above Inefficient
How Can You Conserve?
• Check for leaks
• Check the efficiency of your fixtures and appliances
• Use water wisely outdoors
• Change your everyday habits
Take Control of
Your Water Use
Checking for Leaks
Reading your water meter
Leak detector
wheel
Needle completes
one revolution for
every 10 gallons used
Total gallons
used, from 10
to 1,000,000
Leak test
• Turn off all faucets & water using appliances
• Write down the current meter reading and needle position
• If only the leak detector wheel is moving, you may have a very small leak
• Reread after 1 to 2 hours - if it changed, you have a leak
Detecting leaky toilets
• Listen for a “running” toilet
• A constantly running toilet can waste 200 gallons a day!
• Check for leaks with food coloring or dye tablets:
Wait 30 minutes
DO NOT FLUSH – If the water in
the bowl becomes colored, you
have a leak.
Leaky faucets
60 drips a minute = 192 gallons
90 drips a minute = 310 gallons
120 drips a minute = 429 gallons
3” stream = 1,095 gallons
6” stream = 2,190 gallons
30 days of leaking adds up…
Other possible leaks
• Water lines to dishwasher, icemaker, etc.
• Pipes under sinks or in walls
• Hot water heater
• Pool/Spa
• Outdoor spigots
• Sprinkler systems
Fix the leak, request a bill adjustment
• Rate adjustment of Tier 2 & Tier 3 charges occurring because of water lost due to a leak
• Once in a twelve month period
• Request must be made in writing and include the receipt/invoice for the repairs
• Must have been repaired within 60 days
• Request for adjustment must be made within six months of the repair
• Installment plans are available
Take Control of
Your Water Use
Fixture and Appliance
Efficiency
Low Flow Legislation
The Energy Policy Act mandated that all homes built after January 1, 1993 had to meet
available low-flow standards
1.6 gallon per flush toilets
2.5 gallon per minute showerheads
2.0 gallon per minute faucet aerators
The Georgia Water Stewardship Act
This bill, passed in 2010, requires high efficiency fixtures for new construction and
renovations beginning July 1, 2012
Urinals – 0.5 gallon per flush
Toilets – 1.28 gallons per flush
Showerheads – 2.5 gpm
Kitchen faucets – 2.0 gpm
Bathroom faucets – 1.5 gpm
How low is your flow? If your home
was built before
Look behind the seat or inside
the tank for a date or gpf rating
1993 you may have
inefficient toilets
Can’t find a label?
Measure it!
• Carefully shut off the valve to the toilet’s water supply line
• Mark the water line in the tank
• Flush the toilet
• Use a gallon jug or measuring cup to refill the tank, keeping track of the amount of water it takes
• This will give you a measure of the tank capacity. Also note the fullness of the toilet bowl.
Get a toilet rebate!
Gwinnet County participates in the
Metro Water District’s single family
Toilet Rebate Program
www.northgeorgiawater.org/toiletrebate
You may be eligible for a
$100 rebate on the
purchase of an approved
low-flow toilet
• Bin is accessible 24/7
• Remove seat and guts
Free Toilet Recycling
“But low-flow toilets
don’t flush as well!!” The HETs of today have been completely reengineered!
http://www.map-testing.com
Showerheads and Faucets
Most are marked – look for a gallons per minute (gpm) rating
Turn the water on full blast for 5 seconds, making sure to capture all the flow
Read the level on the bag
Can’t see a rating? Use a flow meter bag!
Replace your showerhead to save water!
• If your showerhead uses more than 2.5 gpm, consider replacing it
• Many low-flow models use 1.5 gpm or less
• A variety of styles and prices are available, from budget to designer
Change your aerators
If your faucets (bathroom or
kitchen) use more than 2.0 gpm,
consider replacing your aerators.
• It’s easy and inexpensive!
• Look for models that use 1.5 gpm or less
• Available in all colors
Washing Machines
• Old, inefficient washing machines use an average of 41 gallons per load
• Most new front loading machines use less than 15 gallons per load
• Wash only full loads or use the appropriate load size selection on your machine
Dishwashers
• New ones use as little as 4 gallons per load
• Always run full loads
Old dishwashers
use an average of 15
Scrape dishes into the trash, don’t pre-rinse them!
to 20 gallons per load
A word about water heaters…
• Tankless water heaters may increase water and energy consumption. Why?
• Insulate your hot water pipes and hot water tank if you have one.
• Hot water recirculating systems do save water but some waste energy.
• Be sure to install a timer and a thermostat or on demand buttons.
Take Control of
Your Water Use
Using Water Wisely
Outdoors
Efficient Irrigation
• Don’t let sprinklers spray hard surfaces (driveway, sidewalk, street)
• Water during early morning or late evening
• Group plants that need more water and limit turf
Efficient Irrigation
• Water deeply but infrequently
• One inch per week is enough, use a rain gauge or tuna cans to measure
• Drought tolerant landscaping saves money! Consider water needs when choosing plants.
Rain sensor shut-offs
All new in-ground landscape irrigation systems must have an automatic rain sensor shut-off switch
If you have an older in-ground system, consider installing a rain sensor shut-off ($25 or less)
Other Efficiency Tools
Smart Controllers
Rain Harvesting
Drip Irrigation
Take Control of
Your Water Use
Changing Your Habits
Shorten your showers by a minute or two
Turn off the water while brushing your teeth or shaving
Don’t use the toilet as waste basket
Little Changes = Big Savings!
Raise your lawn mower blade to 3 inches to encourage deep roots
Little Changes = Big Savings!
Use a broom instead of a hose for cleaning
Attach an auto-off nozzle
Little Changes = Big Savings!
Consider using a commercial car wash that recycles water
Remember, whenever you save water you save energy too!
Catch warm-up water and use it
on your plants
How much can
you save?
Number of persons x Flushes per day x GPF x Days per year
4 People x 5 Flushes per day x 3.5 GPF x 365 = 25,550 Gallons
4 People x 5 Flushes per day x 1.28 GPF x 365 = 9,344 Gallons
Savings achieved by switching to HET toilets
= 16,206 gallons each year!
By replacing your old toilets…
Number of persons x Minutes per day x GPM x Days per year
4 People x 10 minutes per day x 3.5 GPM x 365 = 51,100 Gallons
4 People x 10 minutes per day x 1.5 GPM x 365 = 21,900 Gallons
Savings achieved by low-flow showerheads = 29,200 gallons each year!
By replacing your old showerheads…
How much can
you save?
Number of persons x Minutes per day x GPM x Days per year
4 People x 6 minutes per day x 2.2 GPM x 365 = 19,272 Gallons
4 People x 6 minutes per day x 1.0 GPM x 365 = 8,760 Gallons
Savings achieved by low-flow aerators
= 10,512 gallons each year!
By replacing your high-flow sink aerators…
How much can
you save?
Sewer Rate = $7.82 per thousand gallons Tier 1 Water Rate = $4.85 per thousand gallons 16,206 gallons saved from toilet flushing 29,200 gallons saved from showering 10,512 gallons saved from sink use 55,918 gallons per year x $12.67 ÷ 1000 gallons =
Adding up the savings…
If you install the kits you received tonight and replace your toilets through our rebate program…
A family of four could save $708.48 each year!!
(plus even more saved in water heating costs)
How much do the kits save if you don’t install them??
Apply what you’ve learned tonight and you will SAVE MONEY!
Adding up the savings…
Take Control of
Your Water Use
Gwinnett County Department of Water Resources
Heather Moody Water Conservation Coordinator
Gwinnett County DWR [email protected]
Office: (678) 376-6722