Water Resources
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Many Georgia communities are wrestling with wastewater disposal issues. The choices a community makes may affect its growth and environmental quality. This PowerPoint presentation presents the basics of wastewater treatment systems so that community leaders can make better-informed choices. This presentation can be downloaded and revised to reflect local conditions. If you are not an employee of University of Georgia Cooperative Extension, proper credit must be given to the original authors and UGA Extension.
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A landscape designed, installed and managed according to Xeriscaping’s seven steps uses up to 50% less water than a traditional landscape. And, a well-designed water-wise is just as attractive as a traditional landscape.
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Planting ornamental plants correctly increases their survivability and performance in the landscape, and it helps them develop a vigorous, healthy root system that increases their drought tolerance during periods of limited rainfall. This pubication provides research-based guidelines for proper planting.
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Water-wise landscapes not only save water, they save time by requiring less routine care than most traditional landscapes. This publication offers guidelines to help you achieve these goals and conserve water when managing your landscape.
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This publication includes three parts. Part 1 discusses stormwater as a pollution source for streams and water bodies, and provides a background on why rain gardens in our landscapes have great environmental value. Part 2 includes a thorough definition of rain gardens and their purpose, and gives step-by-step instructions on how to design a rain garden for a specific site. Part 3 discusses appropriate plants to use in rain gardens.
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In 2004, the Georgia General Assembly passed and the governor signed House Bill 579, which required all permitted irrigation withdrawals in Georgia to be metered by 2009, depending on available funds. Farmers are continually trying to manage their irrigation systems to increase yields and improve the quality of food and fiber. Some management examples include end gun shut-offs (repaired or installed), uniformity tests, installing new sprinkler packages and improved irrigation methods. Each of these methods help improve the system, reduce costs and distribute more of the pumped water to the growing crop. The agricultural water meter also can be used for improved yields while conserving water.
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Dry weather tests pond design limits for water retention, watershed area and depth. Without adequate rainfall, ponds and the property around them lose value and the pond owner can lose the fish or have to spend substantial amounts of money for weed control or pond renovation. Over the past decade, drought conditions have been the normal weather pattern across the southeastern United States. Pond design and water management options should be considered each year to plan ahead for drought effects.
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With recent droughts and increased emphasis on water conservation, rainwater harvesting (RWH) has become an important alternative source for outdoor irrigation. RWH is the collection of runoff from roofs during a rainfall event. The water is conveyed through a gutter system, filtered and stored in a tank for later use. In Georgia, non-potable harvested rainwater can be an alternative water supply for uses such as washing vehicles, landscape irrigation, livestock and wildlife watering, cooling towers and toilet flushing.
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Educating yourself on the basics of your utility’s rates and rate structure, you can determine how your water bill is calculated, double check to make sure you are being charged the correct amount, and make the most cost-effective decisions for reducing your bill through water conservation.
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