Water Saving Tips for Businesses

Georgia's Drought Response Unified Command (DRUC) encourages residential and non-residential users, such as businesses, to conserve as much water as possible on a daily basis. Conservation by all Georgians is the key element in statewide efforts to manage water resources during and after the current drought.

"By saving water in daily practices, businesses will also actively contribute to reducing demand on Georgia's water supply," said DRUC Chairperson Dr. Carol Couch, director of the Georgia Department of Natural Resources - Environmental Protection Division.

Here are a number of water saving tips most businesses can follow:

Educate employees and co-workers about water scarcity issues and how water conserving practices not only save water, but also money.

Incorporate water meter reading into existing maintenance, security or cleaning routines to establish baseline use.

Identify and fix leaks. Look for unexplained trends of increased usage, conduct regular inspections of areas where leaks could occur, check equipment and install monitoring or sub-meter systems.

Maximize cooling tower efficiency. High volumes of water can be lost as water vapor while performing the cooling function.

Install water-efficient equipment, such as ultra-low flow toilets (adjust flush valves or install dams on existing toilets); install faucet aerators and high efficiency shower heads; use water-conserving ice makers; and, replace worn out appliances and equipment with water-efficient models.

Minimize the use of water for indoor and outdoor cleaning.

DRUC comprises the directors of the Environmental Protection Division of the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, the Georgia Emergency Management Agency, the Georgia Environmental Facilities Authority, and the Georgia Division of Public Health. It was established by Governor Sonny Perdue to coordinate the state's role in mitigating the effects of Georgia's ongoing drought. For more information, visit www.droughtjic.org/ and www.conservewatergeorgia.net/.