Site Survey Programs

Site surveys or customer audits are an important tool for determining water use and conservation potential at a specific location. There are many variations of this technique, but all involve trained professionals at the water customer’s site, performing a thorough survey of indoor and outdoor water use. The survey data is used to analyze potential water efficiency measures, and the customer receives a written report of water use, recommended measures, and estimated costs and savings. The strategy is based on the premise that customers want to be water efficient, but they just are not sure exactly what to do.

There is an abundance of information directed to customers on ways they should save water. This has led to information overload, and sometimes the information is conflicting and confusing. The problem with “100 ways to save water” campaigns is that the customer is not sure which measures are important, and which measures apply to their situation. The on-site survey customizes the recommendations to each individual customer and allows person-to-person discussion of each recommendation. This personal attention is very important and is sometimes lost as water utilities attempt to lower program costs by streamlining surveys, reducing surveyor time at the site, and creating generic checklists. The survey should be viewed as an opportunity to provide expert advice and consultation to the customer, not just an information delivery system.

The three categories of surveys are: 

• Residential Surveys
• Commercial Surveys
• Large Landscape Surveys