MIL-HDBK-1165
As a result, more and more states are implementing restrictions
on total water usage through the use of consumptive use permits.
These permits allow water users to withdraw a limited quantity
from the permitted sources. If your installation is located in
an area that is prone to droughts, encompasses the habitat of an
endangered species, or has other environmental requirements that
may require less water use; these consumptive use permit levels
may be set below your current usage. When funding for a water
conservation project cannot be justified by FEMP payback
criteria, but is still required for environmental reasons,
project approval under compliance criteria must be obtained.
Other circumstances may arise where FEMP economic
concerns are not the primary consideration for conservation.
Discharge permit limitations, the economic advantages of avoiding
the expansion of water or wastewater facilities, or a wide
variety of other reasons could drive the decision to conserve
water. If you find yourself in this situation, the methods
discussed in this handbook for reducing your overall water usage
are still valid and an excellent approach, but the funding
process is different. Although FEMP criteria and funding should
always be investigated and used when appropriate, both compliance
and normal operations funding remain options when proper
circumstances exist.
Since production, treatment, and transportation of
water require energy and chemical usage, your efforts to conserve
water also help to support the installation's pollution
prevention goals. Reducing the use of chlorine and other
chemicals, minimizing the amount and toxicity of sludge disposed
from water and wastewater treatment, and reducing energy use
allow the installation to avoid pollution and actually help to
reduce the operational and financial impact of environmental
compliance regulations. These regulations can be difficult to
understand, so if you are faced with environmental compliance
issues, contact your installation's environmental department for
assistance.
2.2
A New Outlook on Water
2.2.1
Water Availability. Water and its future availability
have usually been taken for granted in the United States. After
all, water has always been a cheap commodity in the U.S., and the
incentives for conserving this seemingly abundant resource have
been minimal. However, with the population explosion in the
second half of the twentieth century, we are now taking a new
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