Water Auditing and Water Conservation

Water auditing is a method of quantifying water flows and quality in simple or complex systems, with a view to reducing water usage and often saving money on otherwise unnecessary water use. There is an increasing awareness around the globe of the centrality of water to our lives. This awareness crosses political and social boundaries. In many places people have difficult access to drinking water. Often it is polluted. Water auditing is a mechanism for conserving water, which will grow in significance in the future as demand for water increases. There is a strong emphasis on principles, and on the relationship of water auditing with associated activities like environmental auditing, environmental management systems, resource conservation, flow measurement, water quality and legal frameworks. Field experience from professionals is integrated with the theoretical material and the book outlines the processes and issues at stake in a variety of typical applications (arenas) in which water auditing are conducted. These include buildings (interior and exterior), landscape, external commercial applications requiring irrigation, aquatic centres, material transport by water, cooling systems and non-metal manufacturing (e.g. paper manufacture). This new edition is updated with recent information and particularly examines the impact of climate change and revises material throughout on environmental auditing. The relationship between water accounting and financial accounting is introduced and advances in ultrasonic measurement, smart meters, wireless data transmission and remote monitoring are added. Changes and trends in legislation for water conservation and water reuse are included and also the use of smart meters to interpret water consumption data including leak detection. Three of the chapters are being re-organised and integrated under a wider umbrella of water conservation in mining and mineral processing; Gold mining is now included as an arena. There are brand new chapters on water conservation in oil refining and on fertiliser manufacture. Water Auditing and Water Conservation, 2nd Edition is an invaluable resource for the prospective water auditor providing knowledge of water auditing to apply to many situations and to make recommendations for water conservation measures. It is aimed at undergraduate and graduate students in environmental engineering and science programs, water auditors and professionals in the water field, especially those motivated by quantitative water conservation needs. Contents: Introduction to water conservation and auditing; The relationship between water auditing and environmental auditing; Process: audit preparation and conducting the audit; Process: the water management strategy; Process: the water audit report; Water auditing and environmental auditing revisited; Instrumentation and flow measurement; Water quality; Environmental legislation: impact on water; Arena: commercial water use inside buildings; Arena: external commercial water use; Resources: domestic and small commercial wastewater reuse; Arena: municipal and non-aquatic recreational water us; Arena: aquatic centres; Water conservation in isolated communities; Groundwater balance in mines; Contaminated water systems; Arena: material transport -water use; Arena: water use in cooling systems; Arena: water in non-metal industries; Arena: water in the food industry; conservation in oil refining; conservation in fertiliser manufacture; Resources: environmental water use and water resources management