Conserve Water for Kane

Water loss control involves actions to find, measure, and address water losses within a water supply system. Examples of water efficiency programs addressing water loss control include:

Water audit

• Description: Perform an annual water audit
• Method: AWWA M36 Water Audit Method; AWWA Free Water Audit Software
• Purpose: Audits track water supply volumes, consumption, and losses within the water system

Water meters

• Description: Test water meters for accuracy, replace older water meters with newer models
• Method: AWWA M6 Water Meters
• Purpose: Ensuring accurate measurement of water use conserves water by detecting water loss

Leak detection

• Description: Scheduled maintenance activity performed regularly to identify water distribution leaks occurring in components such as pipes, joints, values, fire hydrants
• Method: regular on-site testing using computer-assisted leak detection equipment, sonic leak-detection surveys, or other methods; M77 Condition Assessment of Water Mains
• Purpose: Early detection of leaks can conserve water by minimizing water loss

Fire hydrant repair & replacement

• Description: Inspection and repair of fire hydrants during flushes; replacement of older inefficient fire hydrants with more efficient ones
• Method: AWWA M17 Fire Hydrants: Installation, Field Testing, and Maintenance
• Purpose: Ensuring hydrant functionality conserves water by preventing water loss

Valve repair & maintenance

• Description: Locate, maintain and repair valves
• Method: AWWA Field Guide: Valve Operation and Maintenance
• Purpose: Ensuring proper functioning of water distribution system components conserves water by preventing water loss

Water main rehabilitation & replacement

• Description: pipe inspection, cleaning, lining, and other maintenance efforts, as well as pipe rehabilitation and replacement to improve the distribution system and prevent leaks and ruptures from occurring
• Method: M28 Rehabilitation of Water Mains
• Purpose: Improving system efficiency and reducing leaks conserves water by preventing water loss

Retrofitting residential water fixtures involves replacing older plumbing devices and fixtures. Examples of residential retrofit programs include:

Toilets

• • Description: Incentivize residential water customers to replace leaky toilet flappers and high-volume toilet (1.6 or more gallons per flush) with a Water Sense high-efficiency toilet (1.28 gallons/flush)
  • Methods: Offer a rebate program for purchases of pre-selected high-efficiency fixtures to accelerate the replacement rate of older, less efficient fixtures; enact local policy measures, such as requiring WaterSense standards through local plumbing codes; provide free residential conservation retrofit kit (containing items such as toilet displacement bags, leak detection tablets, and fill cycle diverters)
  • Purpose: Replacing older fixtures with more water-efficient fixtures can be a cost-effective and reliable strategy for reducing indoor residential water use

Faucets

• • Description: Incentivize residential water customers to replace faucet aerators and high- volume bathroom faucets (more than 2.5 gpm) with a Water Sense faucet (1.5 gallons per minute or less)
  • Method: Enact local policy measures, such as requiring WaterSense standards through local plumbing codes and/or offer a rebate program for purchases of pre-selected high-efficiency fixtures to accelerate the replacement rate of older, less efficient fixtures; provide free residential conservation retrofit kit (containing items such as faucet aerators)
  • Purpose: Replacing older fixtures with more water-efficient fixtures can be a cost-effective and reliable strategy for reducing indoor residential water use

Showerheads

• • Description: Incentivize residential water customers to replace high-volume bathroom showerheads (more than 2.5 gpm) with a Water Sense high efficiency showerhead (2.0 gallons per minute or less)
  • Method: Enact local policy measures, such as requiring WaterSense standards through local plumbing codes and/or offer a rebate program for purchases of pre-selected high-efficiency fixtures to accelerate the replacement rate of older, less efficient fixtures; provide free residential conservation retrofit kit (containing high efficiency showerheads)
  • Purpose: Replacing older fixtures with more water-efficient fixtures can be a cost-effective and reliable strategy for reducing indoor residential water use

Landscape efficiency measures promote outdoor watering technologies, practices, and policies that reducing outdoor water loss and waste. Examples of landscape efficiency programs include:

Landscape irrigation audits

• • Description: conduct residential irrigation system landscape water audit to collect information on the irrigation system condition and identify issues such as leaks
  • Method: Provide water audit technical assistance to residents
  • Purpose: The irrigation audit results in recommendations, that, when implemented, result in more efficient landscape water use

Efficient irrigation systems and management

• • Description: technologies, such as smart irrigation controllers, and irrigation management measures such as regular maintenance
  • Method: Incentivize by adopting or amending local ordinances requiring that any new irrigation controllers installed be a WaterSense-labeled controller and/or providing a rebate program for purchases of residential smart irrigation controllers
  • Purpose: Efficient irrigation helps prevent water waste

Watering restrictions

• • Description: Include time-of-use, emergency, and seed/sod watering restrictions
  • Method: Adopt local ordinances containing water restrictions, Regional Lawn Watering Ordinance
  • Purpose: Adopting watering restrictions through local ordinances is one measure communities can use to reduce outdoor water use

Water-efficient landscaping practices 

• • Description: Design, create, and maintain landscapes that use less water
  • Method: Provide technical assistance (e.g., landscape consultations or assessments),​ financial incentives for low-water use plant installation and high-water use landscape removal (replacing water-intensive turf grass varieties with less water-intensive ones, and replacing turf grass with native plants that use less water), and​ education and training programs that can teach residents about plant selection and other landscaping techniques. See Reduce Outdoor Water Use 
  • Purpose: Creating and maintaining more water-efficient landscapes – landscapes that naturally need less water – is one way to help reduce residential outdoor water use

Community policies are a water conservation incentive that can be used to increase adoption of water conservation measures. An examples is:

Residential development standards

• Description:  Incorporate WaterSense-labeled homes into new residential development standards
• Method: WaterSense Labeled Homes
• Purpose: Compared to typical new construction homes, WaterSense-labeled homes are at least 30 percent more water-efficient, which helps consumers and builders save water, energy, and money

A comprehensive water conservation program typically includes a water conservation plan:

• • Description: A water conservation plan outlines the most cost-effective group of water conservation measures for a water supplier to implement given local conditions.
  • Method: M52 Water Conservation Programs: A Planning Manual; U.S. EPA Water Conservation Plan Guidelines
  • Purpose: Provides a comprehensive strategy for cost-effective actions that collectively achieve community water efficiency goals

Information and education campaigns can be used to communicate directly to water users to create an understanding of the value of value and how it can be used more efficiency. Examples include:

Understandable water bill

• • Description: An understandable water bill clearly identifies volume of usage, rates and charges
  • Method: U.S. EPA WaterSense Understanding your Water Bill
  • Purpose: Detailed water use information, including comparative usage data (e.g. historical water use, average customer water use) helps water customers track and understand their water use and identify areas for water efficiency improvement.

Public education program

• Description: A public education program to educate residents on water conservation
• Method: Social media campaigns, water conservation information on websites, water conservation inserts with utility bills, interactive displays, operating booths at public events, printed and video materials, workshops, and coordination with civic organizations, see AWWA Strengthen Public Trust, Save Our Water, Water Use It Wisely Water2050 Bill Insert Program
• Purpose: Raising awareness and promoting behavior change conserves water through new water efficiency practicesSchool programs