October 2012
1-23
1.2
Water Management Planning
••
Note where simply changing the operations and maintenance for equipment or
systems will result in savings. These changes are often are low- to no-cost options
that can be more cost-effective than retrofits or replacements.
Remaining projects should be prioritized based on facility goals. Depending on what
the facility values most, projects can be prioritized in a variety of ways, including:
••
Shortest to longest simple payback period.
••
Highest to lowest potential of water savings.
••
Most visibility to least visibility (e.g., implementing a landscaping project before
increasing cooling tower cycles of concentration).
••
Greatest to least environmental impact (e.g., implementing projects with the
greatest associated energy savings before those with only water savings).
Documenting Project Priorities in a Detailed Action Plan
Documenting in order of priority the identified water-saving opportunities and spe-
cific projects or operation and maintenance changes is an effective way to help ensure
that projects are implemented and water management goals are reached. Remember
that projects can be re-prioritized as they are completed or based on changing goals.
The water management team should also consider
developing an emergency contingency plan, which
can be a stand-alone document or incorporated
into the facility-specific action plan. The emergency
contingency plan can help the team further prioritize
actions and identify ways to prepare for and respond
to significant drought or other water restrictions.
When developing an emergency contingency plan,
consider the following tips:
••
Describe how the facility will meet minimum
water needs in an emergency or minimum
water use requirements in a drought or water
shortage. This may require determining the
highest-priority water use needs at the facility and planning for how those needs
will continue to be met in an emergency.
••
Work with the local water utility and other regional and state associations to
ensure that plans are compliant with all requirements and that water use will be
reduced regionally as needed.
••
Refer to the emergency water supply planning guide for water outages for hos-
pitals and health care facilities developed by the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention and the American Water Works Association for examples of issues to
consider when developing a facility-specific plan.
22
22
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and American Water Works Association. 2012.
Emergency Water Supply Planning Guide for Hospitals and Health Care
Facilities
.
Atlanta: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
.
