Water conservation

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1960 USA four-cent postal stamp: Water Conservation.

Water conservation refers to reducing the usage of water and recycling of waste water for different
purposes such as cleaning, manufacturing, and agricultural irrigation.

Contents
 [hide]

1 Introduction

o 1.1 Water conservation

o 1.2 Water efficiency

o 1.3 Goals

2 Social solutions

3 Household applications

4 Commercial applications

5 Agricultural applications

6 Minimum Water Network Target and

Design

7 See also

8 References

9 External links

[edit]Introduction

[edit]Water conservation

Water conservation can be defined as:

1. Any beneficial reduction in water loss, use or waste.

2. A reduction in water use accomplished by implementation of water conservation or water efficiency

measures; or,
 3. Improved water management practices that reduce or enhance the beneficial use of water.[1][2] A
water conservation measure is an action, behavioral change, device, technology, or improved
design or process implemented to reduce water loss, waste, or use. Water efficiency is a tool of
water conservation. That results in more efficient water use and thus reduces water demand. The
value and cost-effectiveness of a water efficiency measure must be evaluated in relation to its
effects on the use and cost of other natural resources (e.g. energy or chemicals). [1]
[edit]Water efficiency

Main article:  Water efficiency

[edit]Goals

The goals of water conservation efforts include as follows:

 Sustainability. To ensure availability for future generations, the withdrawal of fresh water from an
ecosystem should not exceed its natural replacement rate.

 Energy conservation. Water pumping, delivery, and wastewater treatment facilities consume a
significant amount of energy. In some regions of the world (for example, California [3]) over 15% of total
electricity consumption is devoted to water management.

 Habitat conservation. Minimizing human water use helps to preserve fresh water habitats for local
wildlife and migrating waterfowl, as well as reducing the need to build new dams and other water
diversion infrastructure.
[edit]Social solutions

Drip irrigation system in New Mexico

Water conservation programs are typically initiated at the local level, by either municipal water utilities or
regional governments. Common strategies include public outreach campaigns,[4] tiered water rates
(charging progressively higher prices as water use increases), or restrictions on outdoor water use such as
lawn watering and car washing.[5] Cities in dry climates often require or encourage the installation
of xeriscapingor natural landscaping in new homes to reduce outdoor water usage.[6]

One fundamental consevation goal is universal metering. The prevalence of residential water

metering varies significantly worldwide. Recent studies have estimated that water supplies are metered in
less than 30% of UK households,[7] and about 61% of urban Canadian homes (as of 2001).[8] Although
individual water meters have often been considered impractical in homes with private wells or in multifamily
buildings, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimates that metering alone can reduce
consumption by 20 to 40 percent.[9] In addition to raising consumer awareness of their water use, metering
is also an important way to identify and localize water leaks.

Some researchers have suggested that water conservation efforts should be primarily directed at farmers,
in light of the fact that crop irrigationaccounts for 70% of the world's fresh water use. [10] The agricultural
sector of most countries is important both economically and politically, and water subsidies are common.
Conservation advocates have urged removal of all subsidies to force farmers to grow more water-efficient
crops and adopt less wasteful irrigation techniques (see Agricultural applications).

[edit]Household applications

Water-saving technology for the home includes:

 Low-flow shower heads (sometimes called energy-efficient shower heads as they also use less
energy, due to less water being heated).[citation needed]

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

 Dual flush toilets created by Caroma includes two buttons or handles to flush different levels of
water. Dual flush toilets use up to 67% less water than conventional toilets.

 Saline water (sea water) or rain water can be used for flushing 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.

 Wastewater reuse or recycling systems, allowing:

 Reuse of graywater for flushing toilets or watering gardens, and

 Recycling of wastewater through purification at a water treatment plant. See

also Wastewater - Reuse

 Rainwater harvesting

 High-efficiency clothes washers

 Weather-based irrigation controllers

 Garden hose nozzles that shut off water when it is not being used, instead of letting a hose run.
 Automatic faucet is a water conservation faucet that eliminates water waste at the faucet. It
automates the use of faucets without the using of hands.

Water can also be conserved by landscaping with native plants and by changing behavior, such as
shortening showers and not running the faucet while brushing teeth.

[edit]Commercial applications

Many water-saving devices (such as low-flush toilets) that are useful in homes can also be useful for
business water saving. Other water-saving technology for businesses includes:

 Waterless urinals

 Waterless car washes

 Infrared or foot-operated faucets, which can save water by using short bursts of water for rinsing in
a kitchen or bathroom

 Pressurized waterbrooms, which can be used instead of a hose to clean sidewalks

 X-ray film processor re-circulation systems

 Cooling tower conductivity controllers

 Water-saving steam sterilizers, for use in hospitals and health care facilities.

one of the method of water conservation is rain water harvesting.

 However, ultra-low flow sink faucets, particularly those whose flow rate is less than .75 GPM have
been shown to have serious undesired consequences, including increased wash time, hands not
completely cleaned, and some users choosing to forgo washing altogether to avoid the inconvenience.
[citation needed]

[edit]Agricultural applications

Overhead irrigation, center pivot design

For crop irrigation, optimal water efficiency means minimizing losses due to evaporation, runoff or
subsurface drainage. An evaporation pan can be used to determine how much water is required to irrigate
the land. Flood irrigation, the oldest and most common type, is often very uneven in distribution, as parts of
a field may receive excess water in order to deliver sufficient quantities to other parts. Overhead irrigation,
using center-pivot or lateral-moving sprinklers, gives a much more equal and controlled distribution
pattern. Drip irrigation is the most expensive and least-used type, but offers the best results in delivering
water to plant roots with minimal losses.

As changing irrigation systems can be a costly undertaking, conservation efforts often concentrate on
maximizing the efficiency of the existing system. This may include chiseling compacted soils, creating
furrow dikes to prevent runoff, and using soil moisture and rainfall sensors to optimize irrigation schedules.
[9]

Infiltration basins, also called recharge pits, capture rainwater and recharge ground water supplies. Use of
these management practices reduces soil erosion caused by stormwater runoff and improves water
quality in nearby surface waters.

[edit]Minimum Water Network Target and Design

The Cost effective minimum water network is a holistic framework/guide for water conservation that helps
in determining the minimum amount of freshwater and wastewater target for an industrial or urban system
based on the water management hierarchy i.e. it considers all conceivable methods to save water. The
technique ensure that the designer desired payback period is satisfied using Systematic Hierarchical
Approach for Resilient Process Screening (SHARPS) technique.

Another established technique for maximum water recovery is the water pinch analysis technique.
However, this technique only focuses on maximizing freshwater and wastewater reduction via reuse and
regeneration.

[edit]See also
Water portal

Environment portal

Ecology portal

Earth sciences portal

Energy portal

Sustainable development portal

 Berlin Rules on Water Resources

 Conservation biology

 Conservation ethic

 Conservation movement

 Cost effective minimum water network

 Deficit irrigation

 Ecology movement

 Environmental protection
 Green plumbers

 Habitat conservation

 Micro-Sustainability

 Pan evaporation

 Peak water

 Sustainable agriculture

 Utility submeter

 Water cascade analysis

 Water meter

 Water metering

 Water Pinch

 Water management hierarchy

 WaterSense - EPA conservation program