Building A State of Conservation

Transcription

1 Building A State of Conservation Water Reuse and Conservation in Georgia By Alice Miller Keyes and Ernest Earn Georgia Environmental Protection Division Governor s Environmental Advisory Council July 11, 2006

2 Outline Introduction Definitions Reuse as a management tool Current requirement and status Reuse in Comprehensive State Water Plan Considerations and Ideas Contact Information Sitton Gulch Creek, GA

3 Water Conservation and Reuse Water Conservation is the beneficial reduction in water use, waste, and loss. Efficiency how efficiently is water used Source management how much water we take from the source and for which use Water Reuse is the use of reclaimed water as a substitute for other water sources. Can help off-set withdrawals : Increase stream flow for downstream and instream uses Protect and maintain groundwater aquifers

4 Reuse Definitions Reclaimed water is wastewater generated through multiple operations and treated to a particular standard Urban water reuse is the beneficial irrigation of areas that are generally accessible to the public; such as golf courses, residential and commercial landscaping, or parks

5 Reclaimed water Reclaimed water can be from several sources or combination of sources: Municipal wastewater Industrial wastewater Stormwater Or a combination of any of these sources

6 Outline Introduction Definitions Reuse as a management tool Current requirement and status Reuse in Comprehensive State Water Plan Considerations and Ideas Contact Information Sitton Gulch Creek, GA

7 Recent Water Historye for Content Slide Statewide Interstate conflicts Endangered Species threatened Population growth & water use increasing Rising cost of building and maintaining water systems and infrastructure r as a separate object ivalent of the Pantone color selected int for background color

8 Recent Water History Regional Saltwater intrusion from aquifer over- drafting Over-allocation of irrigation water Population outgrowing water supplies

9 Recent Water History Statewide Interstate conflicts Endangered Species threatened Population growth & water use increasing Rising cost of building and maintaining water systems and infrastructure Regional Saltwater Intrusion from aquifer over drafting Over-allocation of irrigation water Population outgrowing water supplies How can we best manage Georgia s water resources?

10 Water Conservation and Reuse Reliable water management strategies Not just for drought conditions Many Benefits: Reduce water production costs Protect instream flows Extend the life of existing supplies Demonstrate responsible use of shared waters Compatible Goals Canoochee River, GA

11 Outline Introduction Definitions Reuse as a management tool Current requirement and status Reuse in Comprehensive State Water Plan Considerations and Ideas Contact Information D.Shaw - TNC

12 Statewide Water Conservation Requirements Statutes and Rules/Regulations Water Quality Control Act Ground Water Use Act Metropolitan North Georgia Water Planning Act Comprehensive State-wide Water Management Planning Act Plan Requirements Drought Management Plan Coastal Saltwater Intrusion Management Plan Flint River Basin Water Management and Conservation Plan

13 Rules and Regulations Water Conservation Plans to describe: Apply to non-farm uses over 100,000 gallons a day At a minimum the plan must describe: 1. System management 2. Treatment plant management 3. Rate making policies 4. Plumbing codes and ordinances 5. Recycling or reuse 6. Education programs 7. Unaccounted for water 8. Any long range plans to include conservation 9. 5-year progress reports

14 Status of Conservation Plan Development Most M&I permit holders have water conservation plans on file Quality varies greatly 2 sentences to multi-page documents Some over 20 years old Some response to questionnaire Others very detailed Sources: EPD Watershed Protection Branch Etowah River jjanthony.com

15 Conservation in Metro Atlanta District North Georgia Metro Water Planning District: 16- county Atlanta region Water supply and conservation plan adopted in 2003 Identified 10 conservation measures counties were to implement Reduce water demand by 11% by progress report: ~ 40 % of conservation practices are being implemented

16 Comprehensive State-wide Water Management Planning Act Statewide plan delivered to General Assembly by January 2008 Water resources are to be managed in a sustainable manner that supports both human and natural systems. All citizens have a stewardship responsibility to conserve and protect the water resources of Georgia O.C.G.A a and b(3)

17 Drought Management Plan Level One Drought Outdoor watering schedule: Odd addresses can water Tue, Thurs, Sun Even addresses can water Mon, Wed, Sat Watering allowed Midnight 10am and 4:00pm midnight on your days.

18 Reuse Requirements Georgia Guidelines for Water Reclamation and Urban Water Reuse Revised February 20, 2002

19 2004 EPA Guidelines Examines opportunities to substitute reclaimed water for potable supplies Provides reuse guidelines to utilities, regulatory agencies Water quality/technical issues Legal and institutional issues Funding tools and public involvement Provides case studies of successful programs in US and abroad

20 Reuse Status in Georgia Municipal Reuse EPD Industrial Reuse P2AD EPD

21 Municipal Reuse in Georgia ~ 46 designated users Golf courses Commercial irrigation Parks Industry ~ MGD permitted capacity Significantly less use (not tracked)

22 Industrial Reuse Dublin 1.14 BG processed MG used by SE Newsprint 74% of all wastewater processed was reused. This is 851 million gallons not withdrawn from surface or ground waters. Urban water reuse quality

23 Reuse Sites in Georgia

24 Cooling Towers Duke Power Murray County 5-10 MGD of secondary effluent from Dalton Utilities

25 Air Conditioner Chiller Water

26 Carpet Factory

27 Reuse Lines Pantone Purple Pipes

28 Car Washes

29 Outline Introduction Definitions Reuse as a management tool Current requirement and status Reuse in Comprehensive Statewide Water Plan Considerations and Ideas Contact Information

30 Comprehensive State-wide Water Management Planning Act Vision Statement Vision Statement Georgia manages water resources in a sustainable manner to support the state s economy, to protect public health and natural systems, and to enhance the quality of life for all citizens.

31 Comprehensive State-wide Water Plan Management Objectives Minimize withdrawals of water by increasing water conservation and reuse Maximize returns to the basin of origin by managing IBTs, on-site sewage disposal and land application Meet instream and off stream demands through storage, aquifer management, and demand management Protect water quality by reducing pollutant loadings from discharge and runoff to ensure assimilative capacity is not exceeded

32 Comprehensive State-wide Water Plan Management Objectives Minimize withdrawals of water by increasing water conservation and reuse Maximize returns to the basin of origin by managing IBTs, on-site sewage disposal and land application Meet instream and off stream demands through storage, aquifer management, and demand management Protect water quality by reducing pollutant loadings from discharge and runoff to ensure assimilative capacity is not exceeded

33 Comprehensive State-wide Water Plan Extensive advisory committee and public input process on two MOs Integrate MO#1 and MO#2 Proposed policy framework for managing water quantity : Manage the consumptive use of water from a particular resource (surface water or groundwater) in a way that ensures sufficient amounts remain to allow all users and uses to benefit from the values the resource provides.

34 Comprehensive State-wide Water Plan Key elements of Proposed Framework 1) Develop Consumptive use budgets (CUBs) : the water available from that source in a dry year, beyond the quantity needed to meet instream or in-aquifer needs and the needs of downstream users 2) Implement practices to help stay within the CUB of that particular resource

35 Reuse in Comprehensive Plan Statewide plan will clarify the the role reuse can/should play in sustainable water management Identify standard reuse practices. Examples may include: Feasibility studies Broad based education Master planning Metering and reporting use Controlling cross-connection Extensive stakeholder involvement WRD - Cloudland Canyon

36 Outline Introduction Definitions Current requirement and status Reuse as a management tool Reuse in Comprehensive State Water Plan Considerations and Ideas Contact Information WRD - Tallulah Gorge

37 Regulatory Considerations 1. Georgia has had great success in improving surface water quality by reducing/eliminating discharges to surface waters 2. EPD is encouraging reuse to reduce demand on potable and other waters 3. EPD has begun allowing new discharges in selected areas to return water to basins. This could affect amount of reuse in the future. 4. State considers application of reclaimed water as a method of waste disposal National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) still governs waste disposal Anti-degradation of water quality

38 Regulatory Considerations 5. Possible Barriers to Reuse Treatment capacity Delivery systems/ infrastructure Willing recipients Public awareness and education

39 Other Considerations Conservation and Reuse can work at crosspurposes Conservation and Reuse are compatible objectives if we ensure: 1) Use of reclaimed water off-sets a potable source or withdrawal 2) Reclaimed water is not wasted or undervalued

40 Other Considerations Statewide Water Plan and Implementation Strategy will : Clarify the the role reuse can/should play in sustainable water management Link conservation and reuse practices as management tools Identify practices to stay within a basin/aquifer s consumptive use budget

41 Ideas to Explore Establish Reuse and Conservation Office Unit within EPD or office in other state agency One-stop shop for : plan review, technical advice, educational material, etc Practice Reuse at state facilities State should be a leader in reuse Parks, golf courses, offices, etc Old cistern in Capitol building Develop pilot projects Prioritize industrial and commercial reuse Couple landscape reuse with high efficiency technology Atlanta Athletic Club

42 Ideas to Explore Identify region-specific reuse activities aboveand-beyond standard practices Develop training and certification programs for professional users Consider Sewer Mining /Satellite Systems Change plumbing code to allow indoor reuse Consider rules on indirect potable reuse

43 DISCUSSION

44 Contact Alice Miller Keyes Planning and Policy Advisor Director s Office Atlanta, GA alice_keyes@dnr.state.ga.us Ernest Earn Implementation Coordinator Watershed Protection Atlanta, GA ernest_earn@dnr.state.ga.us

45 Web Information Comprehensive Statewide Water Planning Water Conservation in Georgia NEW!!