Water Conservation

Check out the following organizations and websites for information on water conservation.

• Alliance for Water Efficiency, presented by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) & California Urban Water Conservation Council (CUWCC) is a clearinghouse and advocate for water efficiency research, evaluation and education.
  
• EPA offers guidelines for water conservation plans based on the Safe Drinking Water Act.
  
• CUWCC has developed 14 Best Management Practices (BMP) that address various methods of water conservation.  
  
• The American Water Works Association (AWWA) presents a Water Wiser and has also developed a planning manual for water utilities regarding water conservation programs.      
  
• The California Energy Commission (CEC) and Public Interest Energy Research (PIER) have written several reports regarding water/energy conservation, including detailed measurements of various savings. 
  
• The Pacific Institute has published two reports titled "Energy Down the Drain" and "Waste Not Want Not:  The Potential for Urban Water Conservation in California".
  
• Progress and Achievements Towards Water Conservation Goals - Public Utilities Code § 2714.5

About Water Conservation

SEC. 134. WATER CONSERVATION PLAN
Part E (42 U.S.C. 300j et seq.) Is amended by adding at the end the following:

"WATER CONSERVATION PLAN

"SEC. 1455(a) GUIDELINES. -- Not later than 2 years after the date of enactment of the Safe Drinking Water Act Amendments of 1996, the Administrator shall publish in the Federal Register guidelines for water conservation plans for public water systems serving fewer than 3,300 persons, public water systems serving between 3,300 and 10,000 persons, and public water systems serving more than 10,000 persons, taking into consideration such factors as water availability and climate.

(b) LOANS OR GRANTS. -- Within 1 year after publication of the guidelines under subsection (a), a State exercising primary enforcement responsibility for public water systems may require a public water system, as a condition of receiving a loan or grant from a State loan fund under section 1452, to submit with its application for such loan or grant a water conservation plan consistent with such guidelines.".

CPUC Addresses Water Supply in California