Kickstart theKickstart the Conservation Habit Gwinnett County Department of Water Resources . Our...

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 heather.moody@gwinnettcounty.com

Office: (678) 376-6722