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Metro
Atlanta could save between 120 and 200 million gallons of water per day by implementing water efficiency and conservation. Pursuing water conservation and efficiency is the least expensive and quickest way to meet our water supply needs. For example, metro Atlanta could save up to $700 million by pursuing water efficiency to secure water supply as compared to building new water supply reservoirs.
Examples of other American cities that have fought their water supply problems with water efficiency and won:
- New York City completed the world's largest toilet replacement
program from 1994-1997, resulting in a savings of 70-90 million gallons
of
water per day through the replacement of 1.3 million toilets. The
program saved the city over $200 million by deferring expansion of
water supply and wastewater systems. From New York’s water use
peak in 1988 to 2003, its per capita water use declined by 34%.
- Boston made a commitment to water efficiency, and uses less water today than it did in 1911. Boston reduced its total water demand by 125 million gallons per day. The city avoided $500 million in costs by investing $40 million in reducing its demand for water.
- Seattle’s water conservation efforts have the city using less water now than it did in 1950. Seattle reduced its total water demand by 40 million gallons per day. The city avoided $100 million in costs by investing $30 million in water efficiency.
How it can be done in Metro Atlanta:
Metro Atlanta Estimated Water Savings (in millions of gallons per day): |
Low |
High
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(1) Stop leaks in the water utility distribution pipes.
In metro Atlanta 117 MGD are lost each day to leaks and unaccounted-for uses.
|
29 |
59 |
(2) Price water to encourage efficient use.
Conservation pricing provides a price signal to the customer to conserve, while providing a price structure that protects the utility’s solvency in times of plentiful water and drought.
|
54 |
79 |
(3) Retrofit all buildings with water-efficient fixtures.
Retrofitting buildings through incentives such as rebates and tax holidays, and through ordinances such as Retrofit-on-Reconnect, generate proven, reliable and significant water savings. A 35% decrease in water use is possible through retrofits alone.
|
36 |
55 |
(4) Landscape to minimize waste.
On average 30% of household drinking water is used to water lawns, trees and shrubs, and 50% of that water is wasted through over-watering and evaporation.
|
.8 |
6
|
Total Water Saved in Millions of Gallons per Day |
119.8 |
199 |
*Sources: Metropolitan North Georgia Water Planning District 2003 consumption numbers and American Rivers' Hidden Reservoir report
In December 2010, the Metropolitan North Georgia Water Planning District (Metro District) unanimously voted in favor of the adoption of an amended slate of new water conservation measures. These measures, while by no means comprehensive, represent a step in the right direction. These measures will help move the Atlanta area toward water sustainability and also demonstrate Georgians' good faith efforts to become better water stewards to Alabama and Florida. Such efforts will help facilitate negotiations over water sharing and future access to Lake Lanier for water supply.
The measures approved will require utilities in the Chattahoochee-Lanier Basins to implement:
• Expedited Water Loss Reduction, which requires local utilities to cut in half any non-revenue water loss in excess of 10% by 2025;
• Multi-Family High Efficiency Toilet Rebates, which significantly expands the current single-family high efficiency toilet (HET) rebate program to provide rebates to apartment complexes;
• Install Meters with Point-of-Use Leak Detection to notify customers of possible leaks using metering technology; and
• Require Private Fire Lines to be Metered to identify and reduce improper water use.
All the utilities in the 15-county Metro District, including the Chattahoochee-Lanier Basins, will need to implement a Water Waste Policy to educate the public on the need to cut down on water waste.
It was, however, disappointing that the Metro District staff decided to remove two of the original set of conservation measures from the slate presented to the board for a vote. These measures were not approved:
• Fixture Retrofit on Reconnect, which requires the installation of efficient plumbing fixtures prior to setting up a new water account; and
• Water Sense New Homes, which would require water efficient home design and use of efficient plumbing fixtures in new home construction.
"Retrofit on Reconnect" and "WaterSense New Homes" present opportunities for addressing both our outdated buildings and our future built environment – where a significant amount of water is wasted.
The District convened a committee to revise the WaterSense measure to make it incentive-based rather than mandatory. In the summer of 2011, however, the proposal was tabled, and it may not be considered seriously again until the District’s next regional water plan update (roughly 2013-2014).
The District has not convened a committee to work on the Retrofit-on-Reconnect measure, and the future of that measure is unclear.
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