Water Supply and Scarcity

According to the United Nations, water scarcity is defined as the point at which the aggregate impact of all users impinges on the supply or quality of water. Water scarcity is a relative concept and can occur at any level of supply or demand. Scarcity may be socially-constructed or the consequence of altered supply patterns stemming from climate change. Resources available in this sub-theme include U.S. drought monitoring data, workshops for rural water supply systems, among other resources that support water supply and scarcity.

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Water Supply and Scarcity Resources

Water Loss Control

Alliance for Water Efficiency
Water Loss Control - water efficiency practices of water suppliers - is an emerging field of practice that should be better incorporated into the drinking water utility industry in order to ensure efficiency of safe drinking water, which is the backbone of civilized society. The AWE Resource...Read more

Commercial Food Service Introduction

Alliance for Water Efficiency
Escalating energy costs in the past few years resulted in food service operators focusing more attention on their utility bills and seeking ways to reduce costs. Hearing this, the manufacturers of restaurant equipment and fittings have responded with research, development, and production of new and...Read more

Vehicle Wash Introduction

Alliance for Water Efficiency
Automatic car washes are generally among the most efficient of the commercial uses in the local community. In fact, the efficient technologies and practices adopted in recent years by many in the car wash industry have gone a long way toward minimizing the use of water in these facilities. An...Read more

Alternate Water Supply

Alliance for Water Efficiency
One way to reduce treated water demand is to substitute an alternate water supply for an existing demand. Using stored rainwater to irrigate plants is an example of this concept. This page offers information on various alternate water supply options like blow-down water, condensate water, graywater...Read more

Schools and Universities Introduction to Water

Alliance for Water Efficiency
Implementing water conservation at schools,colleges, and universities offers two-fold benefits; water is saved at the facility, and the students receive practical education and experience on the merits of water conservation. While the savings potential is huge, implementation is sometimes impeded...Read more

Schools K - 12 Introduction to Water

Alliance for Water Efficiency
Implementing water conservation in schools offers two-fold benefits; water is saved at the facility, and the students receive practical education and experience on the merits of water conservation. The high person/fixture ratio results in very high frequency of use leading to a very fast payback on...Read more

Supermarkets Introduction to Water

Alliance for Water Efficiency
Supermarkets have all the water uses of typical retail outlets, such as sanitary fixtures and landscape irrigation, plus much more. Supermarkets possess certain specialized water uses that provide large water conservation opportunities. The most notable is the water used to cool the condensers...Read more

Water Loss Control - Productivity and Efficiency in the Water Utility Sector

With water resources'increasingly stressed due to climate change and growing populations, water utilities must become water-efficient throughout the entire supply process.' By employing improved methods of water auditing and loss control, water utilities have potential to reduce the large...Read more

Commercial Laundry Facilities Introduction

Alliance for Water Efficiency
Commercial, institutional and industrial (CII) laundry facilities clean large quantities of fabrics in a wide range of varieties and uses.� Some are on-site facilities dedicated to washing fabrics used at the location; these are often referred to as an On Premises Laundry (OPL). OPLs are typically...Read more

Government Buildings and Public Facilities Introduction to Water Saving

Alliance for Water Efficiency
There are numerous water saving measures and retrofits available for government facilities. The water use profile often leads to short payback periods, and the facilities are usually a significant portion of a utility's institutional sector water use. The greatest impediment to achieving water...Read more

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