A Multi-family Water Conservation Study in Chatham County, Georgia

Abstract

Due to saltwater intrusion into the Floridan Aquifer and State Environmental Protection Division (EPD) requirements to reduce Floridan Aquifer water usage by 10 million gallons a day (mgd) by the year 2005, Chatham County must implement water conservation programs which have measurable results. Conserving water, in effect, creates an additional source of water which will decrease dependence on developing additional surface and ground water resources. This multi-family water conservation study demonstrates that by installing ultra low-flow toilets which use 1.6 gallons per flush (gpf) in 54 multi-family housing complexes, water usage in Chatham County can be reduced by 260,000 gallons per day (gpd). This measurable water reduction is one step towards reaching the 10 mgd reduction mandated by EPD. Water efficient methods are solutions whereby Chatham County citizens can reduce water withdrawal from both ground and surface water sources. The EPD required reduction of 10 mgd can be partially achieved by implementing water efficient programs such as the multifamily retrofitting method outlined in this report.