Introduction

The Government of Canada, through its Code of Environmental Stewardship, is dedicated to improving the natural environment. One of the ways this goal can be achieved is by reducing loadings on municipal wastewater treatment plants. To this end, the Government has accepted the Green Plan goal of seeking cost-effective ways to make federally owned facilities water efficient in their operation. This objective is the focus of the Water Conservation Plan at Federal Facilities. The Plan describes the various steps that need to be taken, from inception through financing, for the implementation of water conservation programs. This manual is a critical element of the Plan.

The water use rate in Canada is among the highest in the world. The Canadian per capita water use is nearly three times that of European countries. This is partly due to the perception of an unlimited supply of fresh water available in Canada. Most water uses, from domestic to industrial, involve contamination of the water even if only through discharge to a municipal wastewater system. Increasingly large quantities of water must be treated before discharge back to the natural environment with less than perfect results. The maintenance costs of municipal water systems are correspondingly increasing, with those of wastewater treatment systems increasing faster.

Studies indicate that lower hydraulic loading on treatment plants leads to improved effluents and to reduced incidences of storm-induced discharges of untreated sewage. As non-flat rate municipal water billings consist of a charge for the water supplied and a significant surcharge for wastewater treatment based on that volume of water, reductions in water use can also produce significant savings in water bills.

Continuation of wasteful practices threatens to deteriorate the quality of Canada's freshwater resources for future generations, results in costly development of alternative municipal water supplies and poses potential harm to human health. In many cases, such practices cause beach closures and the abandonment of fish resources. It is clear, therefore, that the status quo is unacceptable.

Water must be considered as an invaluable asset. Water management ought to be part of any organization's business plan. In keeping with the federal government's commitment to environmental stewardship, departmental managers are asked to develop action plans to rationalize water use.

This manual is designed to assist facility managers to take the first steps necessary to establish and to meet objectives for a water efficiency program. These guidelines outline the procedures for conducting a water audit and for designing and implementing a successful water efficiency program.

The first step in developing such a program is to assess the current state of water use at the facility being investigated. This is done by conducting a water audit. A water audit can be done by hiring consultants or by using in-house resources. Either way, the water audit will determine if and where excess water is being used and ways in which its volume can be reduced. The main activities involved in conducting a water audit are

1. defining the water distribution system components (Chapter 1)
2. developing an inventory of the water use operations at the facility (Chapter 2)
3. preparing a water balance for the facility (Chapter 3)

The results of the water audit will indicate the amount and variability of water demanded by each operation. These factors are then totalled for the whole facility.

Next, a water efficiency program is designed and implemented (Chapter 5) to optimize water usage and water savings for the facility by

1. identifying potential water reduction alternatives for the facility
2. evaluating the potential alternatives against the facility's goals and the social/political, technical, environmental, and financial impacts
3. developing a recommended water efficiency program for the facility
4. implementing the program and ensuring its success with user education programs and evaluations for further water reduction opportunities

A schematic representation of the facility's water infrastructure should be prepared to show the entire distribution system from where the incoming water passes through a meter to the final use or distribution points.

Water demands may be accounted for as

• use – water used in operations and either consumed, reused, or discharged into the storm or sanitary sewer
• consumption – water used in operations but not discharged to the sewer system
• losses – all unaccounted-for water, such as distribution system leaks, leaking meters, and leaking connections

Thus by the above methodology, the facility's water uses are assessed, the potential water and financial savings are estimated, and water efficiency plans are established and adhered to.

The results of the pilot studies that follow should recommend easily adapted modifications to common water uses to make them more efficient. The modified processes would result in significant reductions in water use, contribute to protect our environment, and provide financial benefits.

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