You know saving water is important. Many office buildings and corporate campuses are making efforts to decrease their water use. But trying to change occupants’ habits is challenging. Here are five ways reduce water use without changing the behavior of a building’s occupants.
Reduce water in your office building
- Fix leaks.
This seems obvious, but Banyan Water often finds leaks that are hidden and have been costing the property water for a long time. Small leaks, underground leaks, and leaks that occur on remote parts of your property may go undetected for weeks or even months. Even a small leak wastes more water than you might imagine. For example, an irrigation system that has a leak 1/32nd of an inch in diameter (about the thickness of a dime) can waste about 6,300 gallons of water per month. (EPA WaterSense) - Monitor cooling tower water.
Air conditioning systems often use excessive amounts of water. If your building’s system has a cooling tower, check with an expert to ensure that you’re maximizing your cycles of concentration. Learn more about optimizing cooling tower efficiency in our article Understanding Cooling Towers for Commercial Properties. - Install low-flow toilets or faucets and aerators.
WaterSense labeled sinks and accessories use about 30% less water than standard fixtures. Low flow toilets can make a huge difference too. According to the EPA, “Nationally, if all old, inefficient toilets in the United States were replaced with WaterSense labeled models, we could save 520 billion gallons of water per year, or the amount of water that flows over Niagara Falls in about 12 days.” Installing these upgrades helps occupants use less water without realizing it. - Turn off water features when not in use.
Features like fountains and waterfalls naturally expose more water surface area to evaporation when running, especially during a hot summer day. Consider turning on water features only during times when they are most appreciated, such as when people are arriving at the office or heading home. - Use the right amount of irrigation water. (Hint: you’re probably using too much)
The Banyan Water team spends a lot of time looking at irrigation water. It’s one of the areas where commercial properties tend to waste the most water. Banyan Water has found that most large properties can easily use 50-70% less irrigation water without damaging their landscape. There are quite a few ways to get started. Read this article for a list of ideas.
Any one of these suggestions alone can help your property save water. Implemented all together, they could make a significant impact on your efforts to reduce water usage.
