Water Management
Comprehensive Water Management & Conservation Strategies
ESAC offers a comprehensive suite of services encompassing Ecological Surveys, Habitat Assessment and Restoration, Ecosystem
Management, Invasive Species Management, Aquatic Ecology Studies, and Biodiversity Conservation Management. These services are
designed to assess, restore, and sustainably manage ecosystems and habitats, protect biodiversity, and mitigate the impacts of
invasive species, all aimed at ensuring the preservation and health of natural environments.
01
Comprehensive Assessment
Conduct a full range of
activities to quantify and locate the water footprint of
processes, products, producers, or consumers, and to
assess the sustainability of this water footprint
02
Setting Goals and Scope
: Clearly define the goals and
scope of the water footprint study, including the spatial
and temporal scale, and the level of detail required to
achieve the desired results.
03
Accounting
Collect data to calculate the water footprint
of the relevant processes for the study, using global
databases or local data collection.
04
Sustainability Assessment
Assess whether water use is
environmentally sustainable, resource-efficient, and
equitably allocated, taking into account the needs of
people and nature.
05
Response Formulation
Develop strategies to address the
water footprint and its impacts, and to ensure activities
and products do not contribute to unsustainable use of
freshwater.
01
Technical Assistance and Planning
Water conservation
programs should provide technical assistance to members
in planning their water conservation efforts. This includes
helping water utilities to carefully plan and subsequently
evaluate their programs to ensure they continue to save
water and are cost-effective investments
02
Public Education and Awareness
Educating the public
about the importance of water conservation and how they
can contribute to saving water is crucial. Programs should
include outreach efforts to inform and engage the
community
03
Incentive Programs
Offering rebates or tax credits to
homeowners and businesses for replacing old, inefficient
plumbing fixtures with water-efficient models can
significantly reduce water usage
04
Water-Efficient Landscaping
Promoting the use of native
plants and efficient irrigation practices can greatly reduce
outdoor water use. This includes offering resources and
incentives for landscape renovation to reduce water use
05
Leak Detection and Repair
Encouraging regular water
audits of homes, businesses, and industries to identify
leaks and inefficiencies in the water system is essential.
Repairing leaks promptly can save a significant amount of
water
01
Stakeholder Engagement
Engage a broad range of
stakeholders, including government agencies, service
providers, civil society, and the private sector, to
advance plas and policies for greater access to water
and sanitation services.
02
Evidence-Based Policies
Use customized tools to help
policymakers develop evidence-based laws and
policies that support effective management,
stakeholder engagement, and accountability in water
sectors.
03
AccountingTransparency and Accountability
Set up systems and
best practices to monitor sector performance and
engage civil society in these processes to promote
cultures of accountability and transparency.
04
Policy and Regulation Advocacy
Advocate for the
adoption of smart water policies and regulations, and
support collaborative efforts to address water risk and
mitigate water insecurity.
05
Capacity Building
Train and empower individuals to
fulfill their roles within the governance system,
ensuring that entities have incentives to perform their
duties effectively.
01
Conducting Water Audits
Utilizing tools like the AWWA Free
Water Audit Software to complete a water balance and
produce performance indicators is a foundational practice.
This helps in understanding the basics of the water system,
including authorized, metered, and billed water.
02
Leakage Control
Assessing and addressing water loss
through leakage control is critical. This involves tailoring
metrics to system characteristics and identifying economic
levels of loss.
03
Metering of Water
Ensuring accurate accounting of water
distributed through metering allows for the identification of
unseen sources of leakage and helps in prioritizing
abatement measures.
04
Water Rate Structure Examination
Charges for water should
reflect the full long-range costs of operating and maintaining
a water utility, as well as the scarcity and value of the
resource. The rate structure should encourage conservation
and efficient use.
05
End User Analysis
Characterizing the system in terms of
customer types and demand allows for the identification of
demand drivers and reduction opportunities through
targeted programs
01
Integrated Approach
Adopt a watershed-based planning
approach that manages stormwater, protects watershed
health, and adapts to sea-level rise and other
environmental changes
02
Comprehensive Plans
Develop Watershed Master Plans
that include flood assessments, cost/benefit analyses,
water quality and stormwater master plans, and habitat
health assessments
03
Prioritization
Use the plans to identify ecologically
significant areas for protection/restoration, establish
stormwater management priorities, and prioritize areas
for retrofits or adaptive action
04
Stakeholder Involvement:
Involve stakeholders in the
planning and implementation process to build support for
water quality improvements and plan for economic and
community growth
05
Monitoring and Tracking
Develop means to measure
success, track implementation, and monitor performance
to ensure the effectiveness of watershed management
plans
01
Energy Efficiency
For sustainable seawater desalination,
achieving better energy efficiency is paramount. This
includes minimizing the energy consumption of desalination
processes and considering the use of renewable energy
sources
02
Minimizing Environmental Impact
Desalination processes
should aim to minimize their environmental impact,
including managing the discharge of brine and other waste
products responsibly
03
Innovation in Desalination Technologies
Developing and
adopting innovative desalination technologies that are more
efficient and less energy-intensive is crucial. This includes
exploring new materials and processes that can enhance
desalination efficiency
04
Cost-Effectiveness
Ensuring that desalination processes are
cost-effective and accessible, especially for middle and lowincome countries, is essential. This may involve leveraging
economic opportunities from by-products like brine
05
Solar-Powered Desalination
Utilizing solar energy for
desalination offers a route to inexpensive and sustainable
water production. Solar-powered systems that avoid salt
accumulation and are capable of treating high salinity
solutions are promising
Water Quality Monitoring and Remediation
Regular Testing
Conduct regular water quality testing to identify sources of contamination and prevent health risks, understanding local regulations and best practices
Monitoring Program Design
Optimize water quality monitoring programs by selecting appropriate water quality variables, sample stations, and temporal frequency
Community Involvement
Engage the community in water quality management to increase awareness and support for maintaining healthy water systems
Data Analysis
Analyze collected data to determine necessary improvements and solutions, which may include plant management treatments, nutrient remediation, aeration systems, and dredging
Best Management Practices
Implement specific BMPs to address identified problem areas and threats, and to protect and restore potential areas for protection and restoration