What is the Georgia Water Stewardship Act?

The Georgia Water Stewardship Act is a 2010 state law aimed at water conservation and efficient use across Georgia. For public water systems it requires annual AWWA water loss audits and loss control programs, enforced by the Environmental Protection Division. See the water loss audit page.

Does Georgia penalize a skipped audit?

Because the requirements attach to withdrawal permits, a missing audit can hold up a permit renewal or a request for higher withdrawals. For a growing system, that delay can matter more than any direct penalty, since new demand depends on permitted supply.

Are Georgia audit results public?

Yes. EPD posts compiled water loss audit results each year, and the most recent set covers 2025. Public results let systems compare their losses with peers using the same AWWA M36 method and validity grades.

How can a Georgia utility lower its reported water losses?

By separating real losses from apparent ones and attacking each. Meter testing and billing fixes reduce apparent losses, while zoning, pressure management and faster repairs reduce real ones. Aqueduct supports the second with flow by zone and leak detection on metered lines.

Glossary

Water loss, utilities and public funding

What is Georgia Water Stewardship Act?

Definition

The Georgia Water Stewardship Act of 2010 requires public water systems serving more than 3,300 people to complete annual water loss audits and run water loss control programs, overseen by Georgia EPD.

Which Georgia systems it covers

About 250 water providers fall under the Act's water loss control requirements, per the Georgia Environmental Protection Division (EPD). The requirements apply through water withdrawal permits, at renewal or when a system asks to raise its permitted withdrawal limit.

What EPD requires

An annual water loss audit, due to EPD by March 1 each year.
A water loss control program, required since July 2016.
Individual water supply efficiency goals and a demonstration of progress toward them.
Review and certification of each audit by a Qualified Water Loss Auditor, with the certificate signed by both the system and the auditor.

Separating plant use from losses

At a utility's own treatment plants and campuses, Aqueduct meters each line and drills from month to day to hour. RO recovery and STP efficiency sit on the same water twin, which helps a utility document process water as authorized use instead of leaving it inside the loss figure.

What is Georgia Water Stewardship Act?

Which Georgia systems it covers

What EPD requires

Separating plant use from losses

Georgia Water Stewardship Act: common questions

See Aqueduct on your own facility.