GEF

Unit 4  |  The Global Water Crisis 100 on automobile or airplane travel, as fuel mining, refining, and transport require enormous amounts of water. Water audits are another tool that can help identify waste in order to reduce a water footprint. A water audit is a compre- hensive, professional review of a home or a business in order to assess water use and waste, highlighting areas where water can be used more efficiently. Often, an audit can point out leaky pipes and appliances, which typically account for about 14 percent of domestic water use. A water auditor will also make suggestions for ways to cut down on home or business water use. A leaky faucet that drips at the rate of one drip per second can waste more than 3,000 gallons of water per year. Water auditors often recommend water-efficient appliances and fixtures. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) runs a water conservation program called WaterSense that tests and certifies water appliances and fixtures that meet minimum water efficiency standards. The EPA calculates that if one in ten U.S. homes completely switched to WaterSense labeled fix- tures in the bathroom, the country would save about 74 billion gallons of water and $1.6 billion in utility bills every year. With rising water costs and growing water restrictions across the country, these solutions are becoming even more essential. WATER AUDIT A comprehensive evaluation of water use of a building or organization and recom- mendations for reduced water waste and increased efficiency. WATER CONSERVATION The practice of saving water by reducing water waste.