Today, Pres. Obama issued an executive order to reduce federal government greenhouse gas emissions and increase “sustainability” that includes a mandate to cut federal agencies’ water consumption by 36% over the next ten years.
The executive order requires federal agencies to:
“Sec. 3 (f) improve agency water use efficiency and management, including stormwater management by:
(i) reducing agency potable water consumption intensity measured in gallons per gross square foot by 36 percent by fiscal year 2025 through reductions of 2 percent annually through fiscal year 2025 relative to a baseline of the agency's water consumption in fiscal year 2007;
(ii) installing water meters and collecting and utilizing building and facility water balance data to improve water conservation and management;
(iii) reducing agency industrial, landscaping, and agricultural (ILA) water consumption measured in gallons by 2 percent annually through fiscal year 2025 relative to a baseline of the agency's ILA water consumption in fiscal year 2010;”
The executive order also charges the OMB director with the responsibility of creating and maintaining a “scorecard” of each agency's compliance with the executive order:
“Sec. 5. Duties of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget. In implementing the policy set forth in section 1 of this order, the Director of OMB shall:
(a) issue, after consultation with the Chair of CEQ, instructions to the heads of agencies concerning periodic performance evaluation of agency implementation of this order, including consideration of the results from section 4(c) of this order;
(b) prepare scorecards providing periodic evaluation of Principal Agency performance in implementing this order and publish scorecard results on a publicly available website; and
(c) review and approve each agency's Plan prepared under section 14 of this order.”