MM Book

Through a combination of strategic planning, project execution and conservation efforts, EPA has been able to reduce water intensity over the past several years. Top 10 Water Management Techniques Following are the top 10 water best management practices that EPA has implemented to reduce water use at facilities throughout the Agency. 1. Meter/Measure/Manage Metering and measuring facility water use help to analyze saving opportunities. This also assures the equipment is run correctly and maintained properly to help prevent water waste from leaks or malfunctioning mechanical equipment. 2. Optimize Cooling Towers Cooling towers provide air conditioning for laboratories and are large consumers of water. Cooling tower operations can be optimized by carefully controlling the ratio of water discharged (blowdown) to water evaporated. The ratio of evaporation to blowdown is called the cycle of concentration. For maximum water efficiency, cooling towers should be operated at six or more cycles