15.1 INTRODUCTION

Developing programs to improve water efficiency is fast becoming a preferred alternative for municipalities faced with a need to expand their water supply or wastewater infrastructure. Improving water efficiency is almost always more environmentally responsible and can often be considerably more cost-effective than expanding capital works.

Capital expansion is extremely expensive and in some cases virtually impossible. In these cases systems will first reduce their system real losses, while maintaining current billing levels. If the reduction in real losses is not significant enough to defer the capital construction, then demand reduction is undertaken.

This chapter is intended to help those planning to implement a water efficiency program (WEP) to focus on elements that will be important to the overall success of the project. Success here is defined as achieving the maximum cost-effective water savings through implementing publicly acceptable measures. The material in this chapter should help program designers to establish specific goals for water demand reduction, as well as to understand that if the goals are not specific it will be impossible to quantify program success.

This chapter will also explain that it is only after the program s overall goals have been established that it will be possible to identify which demand components should be targeted and, ultimately, which water efficiency measures will be best suited to achieve these goals.

The section dealing with water saving targets will explain the importance of knowing both the maximum potential water savings and...