4.1 Water Conservation Management Practices (table)

The goal of water conservation is to maximize the benefit from each gallon of water used, helping to ensure that available supply can meet future needs. Georgia’s State Water Plan recognizes water conservation as a priority water management practice to be implemented by all water use sectors to help meet needs across the state.

The water conservation practices in each regional water plan are summarized in this figure. Categories were chosen to show the range of practices in each plan, with symbols indicating the sectors or types of water use addressed.

The conservation practices in each plan are based on the condition of the region’s water resources, specifics of water use within that region, and the extent that conservation is currently being implemented. The plans generally assume that the more limited a region’s water resources, the greater the justification for investments in water conservation.

All plans outline voluntary water conservation practices to be implemented by the region’s major water users. Practices for municipal and industrial users include water audits, leak reduction, schedules for outdoor watering, and use of more efficient fixtures and processes. For the agricultural sector, practices include steps to improve information on water use and efficiency as well as incentives for implementation of advanced conservation practices. Public education is an important element of each plan.

Some plans specify mandatory conservation practices to be implemented by water users in areas with high demand or significant shortfalls in water availability. Some plans also identify benchmarks for achieving performance-based indicators of efficient water use.

Each plan underscores the importance of better information on water use by different sectors. Management practices include actions to help us better understand current levels of water conservation and to document progress toward greater water use efficiency.

Many plans are also supplemented by a technical memorandum documenting the methods used to determine appropriate conservation practices, cost of implementation and potential water savings in the region. Technical memoranda can be downloaded from www.georgiawaterplanning.org or requested by contacting EPD.

Practices by Region

See the regional water plans for details on management practices, including priorities and implementation steps.