See Also
Energy
Conservation Tips
for Public Water Systems
Pollution
Prevention
for
Businesses
Contact DEQ
Regional
Office
Water
Quality Managers
DEQ's
Pollution Prevention
Program
Joanna Pierce
(208) 373-0146
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Drinking Water:
Pollution Prevention for Public
Water Systems
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water systems can take many actions to prevent pollution at their
facilities, encourage water conservation, and set examples for their
customers and communities. |
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| Operations |
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Utilize meters. Source water metering,
service-connection metering, and public use water metering are
management and conservation tools. Regular metering and audits
of water use can help systems forecast demand and identify leaks
or other potential problems. |
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Routinely test and calibrate meters to ensure
accurate readings. |
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Use appropriate-sized meters. Meters that
are too large for a customer's level of use will tend to under-register
water use. |
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Establish a leak detection and repair strategy. |
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Explore pricing options for water use that
encourage conservation such as cost-of-service or tiered pricing.
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Pick the right pump for the application. The
size and use of a pump may impact its optimum efficiency. |
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Maintain pump efficiency. Over time, pump
efficiency may decrease. Proper maintenance can extend pump
life and conserve energy. |
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Educate your customers about water conservation
and protecting water sources through bill inserts, public meetings
and a clear, easy-to-read water bill. DEQ can provide information
on preparing your consumer confidence report. |
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Network with other systems to learn about
new and different technologies. |
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| Managing Wastes |
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Evaluate your wastes and processes
that generate waste. Review billing records, purchase orders
and inventories to track materials needed to make your facility
run and the use of those materials. Explore ways to minimize
waste through material substitution, process efficiency or process
changes. Examples for public water systems include: |
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Chemical
Substitution: Substitute safer chlorine pellets
or sodium hypochlorite for a chlorine gas system. |
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Process Change:
When adding flocculent or other chemicals, feed chemicals to
maximize contact with water by increasing surface area or contact
time. This maximizes the effectiveness of the reaction and may
result in lower chemical use overall. |
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Maintenance
Change: Use a water softener to minimize calcium
build-up in pipes. |
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Maintain good inventories. Accurate
inventories and record keeping can help reduce waste by reducing
duplication, preventing expiration of materials, and identifying
excess use. |
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Properly label all chemical and
waste containers to prevent cross-contamination. |
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Understand chemical compatibility.
Review and retain Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS). |
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Properly store all chemical containers
and wastes. Proper storage can eliminate accidental spills or
damage to containers. Chemicals such as activated carbon can
deteriorate if exposed to air. |
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Store chemicals away from the
well system or water treatment units, as an accidental spill
could disrupt your entire system. |
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Incorporate spill prevention precautions.
Use secondary containment measures and leak inspection schedules
to minimize contamination and loss from accidental spills. Have
a spill cleanup kit near any chemicals that could cause a problem.
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Recycle.
Set the example. Promote recycling of office paper, cans,
cardboard, newspapers and other materials at your facility
and in your community. |
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Initiate a green purchasing program
to encourage purchase of recycled and environmentally friendly
products. Adjust procurement plans to allow competitive bids
to reflect the environmental qualities of the product. For example,
the state of Idaho allows a price adjustment for recycled paper
purchases to encourage state agencies to buy recycled products.
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Promote energy conservation. See
DEQ's Web page on Energy Tips
for Public Water Systems to find out how. |
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| Vehicle Fleets |
| Vehicles can impact the air, water and land. Facilities
with fleets have additional opportunities to prevent pollution. |
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Follow routine maintenance schedules
on all facility vehicles. Proper tire pressure, clean filters
and routine oil changes can increase the efficiency of a vehicle,
leading to better gas mileage, lower operating costs and longer
vehicle life. |
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When contracting service for vehicles, consider
shops that practice pollution prevention and follow environmental
best management practices, such as the use of aqueous parts
washers over solvents, proper waste management and dry shop
cleaning methods. |
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| Lawn Care |
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Set
the example for lawn maintenance by practicing water conservation
and minimizing potential contaminants to water. |
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Conserve water. Water at night
or during the coolest part of the day. Install a programmable
watering meter that automatically turns water on and off. Use
a mulching lawn mower. Water only lawn and garden areas. Ensure
sprinkler systems do not extend to parking lots and roads. |
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Manage chemical use. Limit pesticide and fertilizer
use on facility property. Use fertilizer in proportion to the
watering and plant needs. |
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Substitute less toxic chemicals. If chemicals
must be used, choose less hazardous chemicals to minimize impacts
to surrounding water systems. |
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| For Your Community |
| Actively work with community leaders to educate
the public and protect drinking water sources. |
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Support residential household
hazardous waste programs to divert hazardous materials from
the landfill and prevent contamination of water sources. |
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Establish a city outreach program to educate
users about water conservation and protection of drinking water
sources. Consider offering water-use audits to large-volume
customers or residents. |
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Work with local nurseries, appliance and hardware
stores to ensure that water conservation products (xeriscape
plants, low-flow toilets, and aerators) are available in your
community. |
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