Complete the following water audit on your school and submit by January 15, 2016.

GENERAL SCHOOL WATER INFORMATION30 points total

1. Which company provides the water to your school?5 pts.

 City of Sacramento Fruitridge Vista California American Water

2. In addition to receiving water from the above provider, does your school have its own well?5 pts.

 Yes  No

If yes, where on campus is the well water being used? i.e. irrigation of athletic fields

3. Does your school have a swimming pool?5 pts.

 Yes  No

If you answered yes, is a pool cover used? (This is important because pool covers can limit water evaporation)

 Yes  No

A water meter measures and records the amount of water flowing through it at any moment. They may be found buried outside the building or indoors where the water line comes into the building. If your site does not have a meter please indicate that in the next question.

  1. How many water meters are there at your school? Take a photo(s) of your water meter and attach it to the audit packet. 10 pts.
  1. Are indoor and outdoor water metered separately? 5 pts.

 Yes  No

WATER UTILITY BILLS20 points total

6. How many gallons of water did your school use during the 2013-2014 school year? If outdoor and indoor water was billed separately, add these together to get the total. 5 pts.

7. How many gallons of water did your school use during the 2014-2015 school year? If outdoor and indoor water was billed separately, add these together to get the total. 5 pts.

  1. During which month(s) of the year is the most amount of water used? What do you think is the reason for this?5 pts.

9. During which month(s) of the year is the least amount of water used? What do you think is the reason for this?5 pts.

INDOOR WATER USAGE50 points total

Fixtures that are low flow save water that would otherwise be wasted. The amount of water saved can reduce your site's utility bill and conserve the amount of available fresh water.

  1. Use the list and the table below to log the fixtures throughout your school and determine which fixtures are low-flow and which could be updated. The photos are example of low flow models throughout the District. 50 pts.

Low-Flow Fixture List

Toilets - Low flow is 1.6 gpf (gallons per flush) or Dual-flush valves. Check for a marking/number near the toilet seat hinge on the bowl, the underside of the lid, or on the back inside wall of the tank.

Urinals - Low flow is 0.125 gpf. Check for a marking where the chrome connects to white porcelain.

Faucets - Low flow is 0.5 gpm (gallons per minute). Check the water flow activity and/or for aerators surrounding the nozzle.

Bathroom/Room Number / Toilets / Urinals / Faucets
Quantity / Flush Rate / Leaks? / Quantity / Flush Rate / Leaks? / Quantity / Flow Rate / Leaks?
Notes:

OUTDOOR WATER USAGE100 points total

Use Google Maps or a school site map to mark the areas of your school that are permeable vs impermeable surfaces and attach it to the audit packet. Permeable surfaces allow water to drip into the soil to filter out pollutants and recharge the water table. Examples of permeable surfaces include flowers and plant garden beds, trees, shrubs, or grass. Impermeable surfaces are solid surfaces that don’t allow water to penetrate, forcing it to run off. Examples of impermeable surfaces include asphalt, concrete, stone, or brick.

  1. Estimate what percentage of your school grounds are permeable surfaces. 5 pts.
  1. Estimate what percentage of your school grounds are impermeable surfaces. 5 pts.

13. Does your school have any type of rain collection system (such as rain barrels)?5 pts.

 Yes No

14. Does your school have a garden? If yes, explain its water usage. 5 pts.

 Yes No

15. Does your school have any native or low-water-use plants (xeriscaping)? If yes, explain. 5 pts.

 Yes No

Coordinate with your plant manager or District plumbing staff to turn on your school sprinkler system for viewing and make the following observations.

  1. How is the irrigation system controlled at your school site? (Manually, timers, remote, electronic valves, hydraulic valves)10 pts.

17. Do you see any puddles or standing water resulting from irrigation runoff? If yes, describe the location and what you see. Take photographs or sketch the area. 10 pts.

18. Do you see any of the sprinkler heads broken, leaking and/or gushing water? If yes, describe the location and what you see. Take photographs or sketch the area. 10 pts.

  1. Do you see any sprinklers that are over spraying onto sidewalks, concrete and/or asphalt? If yes, describe the location and what you see. Take photographs or sketch the area. 10 pts.
  1. Complete the chart below as you discuss with your plant manager or facilities staff the outdoor irrigation that takes place on the school campus. Record information in the table about each irrigated area. Be sure to ask about each lawn area, playing field and playground area. Ask him or her to show you the irrigation controllers and sprinklers on the school grounds. 35 pts.

Name of Area / Location/ Description / Times per week watered / Time of day watered / Minutes per day watered / Sprinkler timer used? / Rain/Weather sensor used? / Notes