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— Property Management Quarterly — January 2016
I
ncreasing water effi-
ciency and reducing
waste in buildings
saves money, resourc-
es and improves
economic return on invest-
ment. Property managers
often are the final decision-
makers about which actions
and measures should be
taken. This begs the ques-
tion, which water-efficiency
measures make the most
sense and offer the most
bang for the buck?
The right efficiency
decision can be a lasting
investment that improves
property value; the wrong
decision can be an expen-
sive experiment that results
in unnecessary expense and
regret. I have prepared a
top-five water-efficiency list
for property managers.
1. Know
your
property.
Knowledge
is power.
Gather
informa-
tion that
will help
to under-
stand how
and where
water is
used at
the site.
Collect
recent water bills or review
consumption history online
through your water util-
ity portal. Pay attention to
whether the use during the
summer is significantly
higher, as well as the age of
the building and age of the
fixtures. When considering
the landscape, make notes
of the plants and the irri-
gation methods. Also, pay
attention to how many peo-
ple use the building every
day, and whether there is a
cooling tower.
2. Find and fix leaks and
continuous demands.
In most
properties, begin by deter-
mining if there are any con-
tinuous leaks or water uses
that never stop. Finding
and fixing persistent leaks
(older pools and fountains,
for example) and changing
out equipment (such as old
water-cooled ice machines)
that continuously use water
are almost always the
cheapest and most effective
measures to take.
3. Indoor efficiency – stick
to the basics.
Switching
to high-efficiency clothes
washers and toilets are the
two most effective efficiency
measures in the residen-
tial sector, according to a
2015 study from the Water
Research Foundation.
In nonresidential build-
ings, the largest indoor
reductions likely will come
from toilets, urinals and, if
applicable, clothes washers,
cooling tower management
and commercial kitchen
upgrades, such as high-effi-
ciency prerinse spray valves.
Cutting-edge graywater and
rainwater recycling systems
usually are the most expen-
sive approach to reducing
indoor water use.
4. Reduce outdoor demand.
During the hot season, out-
door water use accounts
for most of the water used
at many properties. Reduce
the water requirements of
the landscape by replacing
thirsty plants and turf with
plants more suited to the
local climate. Then change
the irrigation methods and
patterns to reflect these
new requirements. This is
most effective way to cut
outdoor water use.
The next best approach
is to improve the efficiency
of irrigation on the existing
landscape through reha-
bilitation of the sprinkler
system and weather-based
control technology.
5. Pay attention to consump-
tion.
Once you have imple-
mented water-efficiency
measures and reduced
demand, use information
from the water bill to track
consumption at the build-
ing so that unusual or high
use can be quickly identified
and action taken. Finding
leaks fast is key to saving
water and money.
Expect Rate Increases
Property managers are in
a unique position to guide
the water use future of their
buildings. The focus should
be on cost-effective water-
efficiency measures that
help prepare and insulate
your property from future
rate increases, which are
inevitable given the aging
infrastructure and increas-
ing costs confronting water
providers across America.
You can choose to conserve
water or not; regardless,
your water rates are going
to go up. But if you conserve
water, your out-of-pocket
costs for water will increase
at a slower rate.
s
Sustainability
Peter Mayer, PE
Principal,
Water Demand
Management,
Boulder
Every building is different,
and not all measures make
sense everywhere. It’s
essential to develop a tailored
plan for the needs of your
specific facility.
