About the Water Conservation Office | Athens-Clarke County, GA

Our Water Conservation Office Earns National Recognition from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has recognized Athens-Clarke County Public Utilities Department with a 2023 WaterSense Sustained Excellence Award for promoting WaterSense and water efficiency in 2022. The award marks the seventh consecutive year the Public Utilities Department has earned national recognition as a Sustained Excellence recipient. Thank you, Athens, for all you do to use our community water efficiently.

Our Mission

Provide the necessary resources to promote a water-efficient lifestyle through education, collaboration, and action to sustain our water resources and elevate the value of water in Athens-Clarke County.

Our Vision

Inspire a desire to protect our water by promoting a culture within Athens-Clarke County that values our waters and water services, thus ensuring a lifetime supply for today and future generations.

Our Values

Collaboration: together we can do more
Innovation & Creativity: seek out new possibilities & solutions to promote water
Trusted Source: build trust by being knowledgeable, transparent, & dependable
Water Efficiency: do more with less

The Water Conservation Office

Athens-Clarke County hopes to increase the life span of its water system facilities beyond 2050 with an aggressive Water Conservation Program. This effort can help control costs and minimize rate increases as our community continues to grow and change.

The Water Conservation Office (WCO) promotes a culture of conservation by:

Developing a sustainable education outreach program focused on water conservation for students (k-12) in Athens-Clarke County,
Protecting our source waters,
Increasing our visibility in the community through family-friendly events, visiting schools, hosting events, and active participation in the community,
Providing water conservation strategies and devices to maintain wise water use practices, and
Working to develop a culture of water conservation at the state and regional level.

Water System Efficiency

The Athens-Clarke County Public Utilities Department recognizes that water efficiency starts with us. We conduct an annual water loss audit and perform acoustic leak detection to improve the efficiency of our water distribution system to keep operating costs down and preserve our precious water resources.

Outreach and Education

The Water Conservation Office plans and implements a variety of educational programs to promote water efficiency. In 2020, the WCO reached over 2,300 children and adults despite the limitations created by the pandemic. They earned the EPA's WaterSense Sustained Excellence Award in 2021 for the fifth consecutive year.