Why Conserve Water? Think about it. Most business activities are using part of a limited supply of water that is good enough to drink. Only a tiny fraction of the planet’s water is drinkable. 97% is sea water, which is expensive to desalinate. About 2% is trapped in polar ice caps. That leaves just 1% to sustain life. Between increasing demand and shrinking supply, our water resources are strained across the country. However, by using water more efficiently we can preserve water resources for the future.
Environmental Impact
Water conservation does not exist in a vacuum. You may wonder what water use and saving energy have to do with each other? In most cases, electricity or gas are used to heat water, and this costs you money. In addition, your water company uses energy to purify and pump water to your business as well as in the treatment of your sewage. So part of your water and sewage bill is really an energy bill. The more water your business consumes, the more you will benefit from optimizing water use.
Efficient water use can also reduce the amount of energy needed to treat wastewater, resulting in less energy demand and, therefore, fewer harmful byproducts from power plants.
Water conservation preserves and protects our natural resources. Conserving water means more water will be available to serve present and future water needs as well as for wildlife and recreation. Water conservation equals lower wastewater discharges, which means an improvement in overall water quality. Conserving water diminishes our need to find or build new water sources, leaving them in reserve for future use.
Water conservation ensures reliability of your water supply. It can positively affect water supplies during periods of high demand in the summer and during drought.
Following are some practical steps MLCC can take to conserve water resources.
- Repair Leaks
Cost: Minimal
Business Benefit: Savings on your water utility bill.
A dripping faucet can waste 3,600 gallons of water a year. But a leaky toilet will cause more water waste than any other fixture in the home or office. Even a silent toilet leak will waste up to 50 times more water than a leaky faucet. The ones you can hear will waste much, much more. Such wastage can normally be attributed to a faulty water level adjustment or to a leaky flapper. Test for toilet leaks using inexpensive dye tablets.
Resources:
Online drip calculator to estimate water loss from leaks – http://www.awwa.org/awwa/waterwiser/dripcalc.cfm
Do it yourself leak detection – http://www.h2ouse.org/action/details/action_elements.cfm?actionID=F56F50F2-34E3-4095-9A919C304D945B5F
Do it yourself repair – http://www.h2ouse.org/action/details/action_elements.cfm?actionID=77E1C0C0-C6FC-490A-8A27ABECEB7AF540
American Water Works Association – http://www.awwa.org/Resources/content.cfm?ItemNumber=29269&navItemNumber=1561 A comprehensive clearinghouse of resources on water conservation, efficiency and demand management for conservation professionals and the larger water supply community.
- Install Faucet Aerators
Cost: Minimal
Business Benefit: Savings on your water AND electric or gas bill
The current federal standard for lavatory faucets is 2.2 gallons per minute (gpm). Faucets predating this standard can use up to 4 gpm. Just replacing the aerator with a low-flow type can yield significant savings. Some aerators can reduce the flow to 0.5 gpm or less, at a fraction of the cost of replacing faucets. This is a cost-effective way to save both water and, when hot water is used, energy. Aerators mix air into the water stream to maintain steady pressure for an even flow.
Note that faucets or aerators with flow rates this low should not be installed in kitchen or other sinks where hand washing is not the primary function. The current federal standard for kitchen faucets is 2.5 gpm.
Optional – Replace old lavatory faucet to low flow self-closing. Metered and automatic faucets shut off after a preset time, or when the user moves away. The table below shows that self-closing faucets have a typical water flow rate of 0.25 gallons per cycle (gpc) or less – significantly lower than a continuous flow faucet that meets today’s water efficiency standard of 2.2 gpm.
|
Performance |
Base Modela |
Required |
Best Availableb |
Self-Closing |
|
Water Use Only |
||||
|
Flow Rate |
2.2 gpm |
2.0 gpm |
0.38 gpm |
0.25 gpcc |
|
Annual Water Use |
17,160 gallons |
15,600 gallons |
2,964 gallons |
3,900 gallons |
|
Annual Water Cost |
$70 |
$62 |
$12 |
$16 |
|
Lifetime Water Costd |
$600 |
$530 |
$100 |
$135 |
|
With Electric Water Heating |
||||
|
Annual Energy Use |
1,010 kWh |
920 kWh |
175 kWh |
230 kWh |
|
Annual Energy Cost |
$60 |
$55 |
$10 |
$14 |
|
Lifetime Energy Costd |
$460 |
$420 |
$75 |
$105 |
|
Lifetime Energy and Water Cost Savings |
— |
$110 |
$885 |
$800 |
|
With Gas Water Heating |
||||
|
Annual Energy Use |
53 therms |
48 therms |
9 therms |
12 therms |
|
Annual Energy Cost |
$32 |
$29 |
$5 |
$7 |
|
Lifetime Energy Costd |
$235 |
$210 |
$35 |
$50 |
|
Lifetime Energy and Water Cost Savings |
— |
$95 |
$700 |
$650 |
a The flow rate of the Base Model just meets the current federal standards for faucets, based on ASME standard test conditions.
b More efficient products may have been introduced to the market since this specification was published. Performance data for the Best Available model was obtained from the January 2006 California Energy Commission Appliance Database (see For More Information).
b Gallons per cycle. The duration of 1 cycle is based on the American with Disabilities Act (ADA) specification of 10 seconds with a flow rate of 1.5 gpm.
c Lifetime Energy or Water Cost is the sum of the discounted value of annual energy or water costs based on average usage and an assumed faucet life of 10 years. Future energy price trends and a discount rate of 3.0% are based on federal guidelines (effective from April, 2005 to March, 2006). Future water and waste water costs are conservatively assumed to increase only at the rate of inflation.
Source: Federal Energy Management Program, Energy Efficiency and Renewal, U.S. Department of Energy website – http://www1.eere.energy.gov/femp/procurement/eep_faucets.html
Resources:
Energy Cost Calculator for Faucets and Showerheads – http://www1.eere.energy.gov/femp/procurement/eep_faucets_showerheads_calc.html Allows you to enter your specific faucet flow rate, water cost, electric cost and more to calculate your savings.
Metafficient’s Most Efficient Faucet Aerators of 2008 – http://www.metaefficient.com/bathroom-products/the-most-efficient-faucet-aerators-of-2008.html#roundup
List of faucets and accessories bearing the EPA’s WaterSense label – http://www.epa.gov/owm/water-efficiency/pp/bathroom_faucets.htm These products are certified to meet certain standards that demonstrate exceptional water efficiency and the ability to provide adequate flow.
- Install Ultra Low-Flow Toilets (if possible)
Cost: $150 each
Business Benefit: Savings on your water utility bill
The United States uses about 4.8 billion gallons of water every day to flush waste. Since toilets and urinals account for nearly one-third of building water consumption, the potential for savings in this area is significant. Since 1997, the current federal standard for residential and commercial toilets is 1.6 gallons per flush (gpf) and 1.0 gpf for urinals. Toilets rated at 1.6 gpf are termed Ultra-Low-Flush (ULF) toilets. Pick a toilet bearing the EPA’s WaterSense label. They are 20% more efficient and also pass a rigorous waste removal performance test, something that other toilet fixtures are not required to do.
Optional – The latest development is the High-Efficiency Toilet (HET) which performs at an effective flush volume of 1.28 gpf or less, or 20 percent below that required by the current national standard. Because of this design and other innovative features, HETs are now able to actually exceed the waste removal performance of the 1.6 gpf fixture.
Resources:
U.S. Department of Energy BMP #6 for Water Efficiency – http://www1.eere.energy.gov/femp/water/water_bmp6.html Describes toilet fixtures that meet federal standards.
List of High-Efficiency Toilets bearing the EPA’s WaterSense label – http://www.epa.gov/owm/water-efficiency/pp/find_het.htm
- Make Behavioral Changes
Cost: None
Business Benefit: Savings on your water AND electric or gas bill.
Equipment changes may be viewed as a permanent fix for water efficiency. Changing employee behaviors may be viewed as a quick and inexpensive way to achieve similar savings. In reality, the combination of consistent training and awareness and the proper tools and equipment will achieve more permanent water savings.
Here are some simple things employees can do to save water:
- Never put water down the drain when there may be another use for it such as watering an office plant or cleaning.
- Store drinking water in the refrigerator rather than letting the tap run every time you want a cool glass of water.
- If you hear running water in the toilet (suspecting a leak), report it immediately.
- Don’t use the toilet as a wastebasket to avoid flushing unnecessarily.
- If your office has a kitchen sink, don’t use a garbage disposal. Use the wastebasket.’
- Don’t leave water running while washing dishes (coffee pots, mugs) or while waiting for it to get hot.
- Dress appropriately to reduce heating and air conditioning requirements. This will result in a reduction of cooling and boiler water use.
When purchasing products or services that use water, look for the WaterSense logo:
Using WaterSense labeled products will save you about 20 percent of the water that average products would use. Take this conservation ethic one step further by purchasing products with the ENERGY STAR mark, which can save you about one-third on your energy bill.
By looking for the WaterSense label and the ENERGY STAR mark when making purchasing decisions, you can reduce your water and electricity bills and conserve resources for future generations.
