UNIT 2

Water conservation
 Water Conservation
Water conservation includes all the policies, strategies and activities to sustainably manage the natural
resource of fresh water, to protect the hydrosphere, and to meet the current and future human demand (thus
avoiding water scarcity).

Water conservation is the practice of using water efficiently to reduce unnecessary water usage.

According to Fresh Water Watch, water conservation is important because fresh clean water is a limited
resource, as well as a costly one.

As a homeowner, you’re probably already well aware of the financial costs of inefficient water use.

Conservation of this natural resource is critical for the environment — and our wallets.
 Water Conservation
the key activities to conserve water are as follows: any beneficial reduction in water loss, use and waste of
resources, avoiding any damage to water quality; and improving water management practices that reduce the
use or enhance the beneficial use of water.

Technology solutions exist for households, commercial and agricultural applications.

Water conservation programs involved in social solutions are typically initiated at the local level, by either
municipal water utilities or regional governments.

Common strategies include public outreach campaigns, tiered water rates (charging progressively higher prices
as water use increases), or restrictions on outdoor water use such as lawn watering and car washing.
 AIM
The Aims of water conservation efforts include:

❖Ensuring the availability of water for future generations where the withdrawal of freshwater from
an ecosystem does not exceed its natural replacement rate.

❖Energy conservation as water pumping, delivery, and wastewater treatment facilities consume a significant
amount of energy. In some regions of the world, over 15% of the total electricity consumption is devoted to water
management.

❖Habitat conservation where minimizing human water usage helps to preserve freshwater habitats for local wildlife
and migrating waterfowl, but also water quality.
Main reasons to conserve water:
Conserving water saves energy. Energy is important to filter, heat, and pump water to your home, so
lessening your water use likewise decreases your carbon traces.

Consuming less water keeps more in our environments and aids with keeping wetland habitats best
for creatures like otters, water voles, herons, and fish. This is particularly significant during dry
season periods.

Conserving water can save you money. If you have a water meter, the less water you use, the less
you might be charged by your water company.
 Social solutions
Water-saving technology for the home includes:

✔Low-flow shower heads sometimes called energy-efficient shower heads as they also use less energy

✔Low-flush toilets, composting toilets and incinerating toilets. Composting toilets have a dramatic impact in the developed world, as conventional Western
flush toilets use large volumes of water

✔Dual flush toilets include two buttons or handles to flush different levels of water. Dual flush toilets use up to 67% less water than conventional toilets

✔Faucet aerators, which break water flow into fine droplets to maintain "wetting effectiveness" while using less water. An additional benefit is that they reduce
splashing while washing hands and dishes

✔Raw water flushing where toilets use sea water or non-purified water (i.e. greywater)

✔Wastewater reuse or recycling systems, allowing:

✔ Reuse of graywater for flushing toilets or watering gardens

✔ Recycling of wastewater through purification at a water treatment plant. See also Wastewater - Reuse
 Social solutions
Rainwater harvesting

High-efficiency clothes washers

Weather-based irrigation controllers

Garden hose nozzles that shut off the water when it is not being used, instead of letting a hose run.

Low flow taps in wash basins

Swimming pool covers that reduce evaporation and can warm pool water to reduce water, energy and chemical costs.

Automatic faucet is a water conservation faucet that eliminates water waste at the faucet. It automates the use of faucets without the use of hands.

Smart water meters are also a promising technology for reducing household water usage. A study conducted in Valencia, Spain, shows the potential that smart

meter-based water consumption feedback has for conserving water in households. The findings showed that households that were equipped with smart water

meters increased their water savings. This technology works to show people how much water they were using in their household, suggest ways they can reduce

water usage, and incentivize water savings with physical rewards.

 Water Conservation in homes

Conservation of water is the need of the hour as water is a limited natural resource and in order to ensure that
it is adequate for all, we need to use water with more care so as to minimize the wastage of water.

One can’t stress enough about the importance of saving water. Thus, here are a few quick tips on how to save
water or more importantly, how to conserve water that we should all follow unfailingly.

These simple tips for water conservation in our daily life can help to effectively combat the problems related
to water shortage.
• Never throw/drain leftover water in a glass or bottle. This can be used for watering a plant or to fill water bowls kept for birds.
• Don’t water your lawn every day, twice a week is enough. Also, to reduce loss from evaporation, the best time to water the lawn is early
morning.
• Install a residential water purifier for home use. Instead of buying bottled water and throwing away leftover water, you can switch to a
water filter, which is a convenient way of getting clean and safe water right at home. This will help save money, reduce unnecessary
water wastage, and help reduce the disposal of plastic bottles in landfills, which will help save the environment.
• Instead of hosing down your driveway or sidewalk or steps, use a broom to clean leaves and other debris. This will help you save
hundreds of gallons of water.
• Switch to water-efficient products and appliances for your home and office use.
• Rainwater Harvesting System
• Convert toilet to low flush
• Change faucets/taps
• Re-use water
• Minimize water usage in regular household activities
• Keep a check on water meter
Water management in work place
Use these 6 steps to analyse water efficiency and reduce water use in your workplace:

get management on side

collect information

list end uses

assess water uses

identify and implement water saving ideas

review and report.

 The following areas are common to small and large enterprises and are the
easiest places to start making water and cost savings.
Make your staff water wise
Talk to staff about your water savings initiatives. Include water savings policies and procedures in staff inductions.
Encourage staff to contribute to water saving ideas.
Discuss water efficiency at team meetings and provide regular reports on water use figures.
Appoint a 'water champion' to check meters and monitor water use.
Establish a baseline for water use and set achievable targets for saving water.
Taps
Install water-efficient taps with an aerator or flow restrictor to use less water.
Install lever or mixer taps, these save water by quickly reaching a desired temperature.
Fix leaking taps and replace washers - even a slowly dripping tap can waste 10,000 litres of water over a year.
Avoid washing up under running taps.
Dishwashers
Install water-efficient dishwashers to use 50% less water than average models. Wait until you have a full load before
washing. Scrape, rather than rinse, dishes prior to washing.
Toilets
Replace single-flush toilets with dual-flush toilets. Regularly check for leaks and fix immediately. Install water-efficient
urinals with smart controls to reduce unnecessary flushing.
Showers
Encourage staff and customers to limit showers to 4 minutes or less. Install water-efficient shower heads, which can use
up to 40% less water. Fix leaking showers.
Air conditioning
If you use evaporative air conditioners, set your thermostat to 24°C. Where possible, use fans and natural ventilation.
Switch off heating and cooling after hours.
Gardens
Install rainwater tanks. Use drought-tolerant plants. Use mulch to keep moisture in the soil. Water plants early in the
morning or in the evening.
Water-efficient products
You can cut water consumption by using white goods with a high water-efficiency rating.
Workplace Water Use
1. Install low-flow toilets.
According to the Environmental Protection Agency, the largest share of water in office buildings
is through bathroom use. The EPA also notes that older, inefficient toilets use about six gallons
of water per flush, while the water-efficient kind use 1.28 gallons or less per flush—big savings,
especially if your workplace has multiple restrooms. Check with your local water
authority—many offer rebates for changing to high-efficiency toilets.
Install faucet aerators.
Attach aerators to hand-washing faucets. Aerators mix water with air, creating a more misty
spray and using less water than conventional faucets. If your company offers on-site showers,
switch to low-flow showerheads.
Signage.
Put signs up reminding coworkers to turn off the water while lathering and scrubbing hands,
then turn it back on to rinse. According to the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission, this can
save about two gallons of water per minute.
Compost.
Signs in the office kitchen can remind people to compost food scraps instead of using the
garbage disposal, which uses water each time.
Conservation education.
Make sure that coworkers know that the company is focused on water conservation. Writing
policies into the employee handbook sends a message that sustainability is an important
concept to management and integral to the company’s mission.
Sweep.
Don’t use water for cleaning tasks that can be done with other tools: sweep sidewalks and floors
instead of pressure washing them.
Goodbye grass.
If there is grass on the grounds of your workplace, consider removing the turf.
Smart watering.
If landscaping is watered, make sure it’s done in the morning, when the cooler temperatures
mean more of the water goes into the soil instead of evaporating. Install rain sensors so the
system turns off when actual rain takes over the watering duties. Use drip irrigation where
possible.
Free-range water.
Investigate your cooling system to find out if it can use alternative sources of water like
captured rainwater and if so, install a rain barrel system for landscaping and cooling needs
 Effective Water Conservation for
Businesses
1. Improve water system assessment and maintenance
2. Implement simple, everyday water conservation techniques
3. Install basic water-efficient technologies
4. Install advanced water-efficient technologies
5. Use efficient landscaping techniques and practices: Install moisture sensors:
6. Water recycling and water reuse – the present and future of water-efficient technologies
and practices
Improve water system assessment and
maintenance
Develop a water conservation plan: Work with employees and educate them about water conservation.

Develop a written plan for how employees can save water, including conservation benchmarks, then
regularly check to see if those benchmarks are being met.

Regularly assess water-consuming systems: Check for leaks and study utility bills to see if there have
been any spikes in water usage and consult with a plumber on a regular basis.

By staying on top of any unexpected or potential maintenance issues, businesses can head off major
problems before they arise.
Implement simple, everyday water conservation
techniques
Check for leaks: Even the smallest leaks add up over time. Regularly checking for and repairing leaky
faucets and pipes can save a business many gallons of water each day.

Efficiently operate water-intensive machinery: Businesses that use water-intensive products (e.g.,
dishwashers and washing machines) should only run them once they are fully loaded.

Reset water temperature: Keeping water temperature settings between 110-120 degrees fahrenheit
reduces wasted energy.

Shut off cooling units: Some air conditioning units consume a lot of water. Shutting them off when they
are not needed may save water and energy.
Install basic water-efficient
technologies
Aerated faucets: Aerated faucet heads provide a reduced water flow.

Water heater insulation: Install an insulation blanket on water heaters, particularly older models, and
insulate the first three feet of the “out” pipe on all water heaters.

High-efficiency bathroom fixtures: Waterless urinals and high-efficiency toilets are relatively easy and
affordable to install. They also have a large impact on reducing water usage and lowering utility bills.

Pre-rinse spray valves: Installing low-flow pre-rinse spray valves can save food service businesses
$1,500 a year or more.
 Install advanced water-efficient technologies
Install ENERGY STAR and WaterSense products: When it comes time to replace a water heater or any other
water-intensive product, install WaterSense- or ENERGY STAR-certified products.

These products are at least 20% more efficient than conventional models, have longer lifespans and are less prone
to maintenance issues.4

Install “tankless” water heaters: In areas where water is used infrequently, tankless water heaters can reduce
standby storage costs and waste.

Install timers and controls: These products automate the conservation effort, turning faucets off after specific
intervals to reduce waste.
 Use efficient landscaping techniques and
practices
▪Install moisture sensors: Automated landscaping can sometimes result in the watering of green areas even when it isn’t needed.

▪Moisture sensors help to avoid that waste by automatically shutting off sprinklers and other irrigation tools when they aren’t
needed.

▪Check sprinkler coverage areas: Many sprinkler systems are installed in places where much of their water is wasted on non-green
areas.

▪Check to make sure that sprinklers only cover areas where their water output will be effective.

▪Irrigate in the morning or early evening: This practice will help stem the loss of water to evaporation.

▪Use drought-tolerant plants and native turfs: When designing and building an outdoor landscape, make sure to use plants and
turfs that require as little water as possible.
 Water recycling and water reuse – the present and future of
water-efficient technologies and practices
❖Water recycling: There are many ways to recycle water, from modern gray water systems that take
waste water and recycle it for use in boilers and cooling units to recovery systems that capture and
reuse boiler and steam condensate.

❖Water reuse: Water reuse is a simple practice that business owners and their employees can
implement. Water reuse practices include using leftover drinking water to irrigate indoor plants and
using waste water to irrigate outdoor green areas