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 Lake Sidney Lanier Stats: Max depth 160 feet Shoreline 692 miles Full pool surface area 60 sq. miles Drainage area 1,040 sq. miles As our population grows, our available water supply does not increase
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 This chart is for newer homes that do use water outdoors Residential use is 53% of total municipal use
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
How much water do you use? 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 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 This is the sewer rate
How much water do you use? This shows how much you used in each of the three price tiers and how much those gallons cost you The sewer charge is based on total gallons used this reflects the cost of treating your wastewater
Calculate per person use Determine the number of gallons per cycle Divide by the number of days in the billing cycle 12,000 30 = 400 Divide this by the number of people living in your home 400 gallons per day household use 3 people = 133 gallons per person, per day
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 30 days of leaking adds up 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
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 1993 you may have inefficient toilets Look behind the seat or inside the tank for a date or gpf rating
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 You may be eligible for a $100 rebate on the purchase of an approved low-flow toilet www.northgeorgiawater.org/toiletrebate
Free Toilet Recycling Bin is accessible 24/7 Remove seat and guts
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 Can t see a rating? Use a flow meter bag! Turn the water on full blast for 5 seconds, making sure to capture all the flow Read the level on the 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 Old dishwashers use an average of 15 to 20 gallons per load New ones use as little as 4 gallons per load Always run full loads Scrape dishes into the trash, don t pre-rinse them!
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
Little Changes = Big Savings! Don t use the toilet as waste basket Turn off the water while brushing your teeth or shaving Shorten your showers by a minute or two
Little Changes = Big Savings! Raise your lawn mower blade to 3 inches to encourage deep roots Use a broom instead of a hose for cleaning Attach an auto-off nozzle
Little Changes = Big Savings! Catch warm-up water and use it on your plants Consider using a commercial car wash that recycles water Remember, whenever you save water you save energy too!
How much can you save? By replacing your old toilets 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!
How much can you save? By replacing your old showerheads 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!
How much can you save? By replacing your high-flow sink aerators 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!
Adding up the savings 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!
Take Control of Your Water Use Heather Moody Water Conservation Coordinator Gwinnett County DWR heather.moody@gwinnettcounty.com Office: (678) 376-6722 Gwinnett County Department of Water Resources