Colorado Real Estate Journal - January 2016
Increasing water efficiency and reducing waste in buildings saves money, resources and improves economic return on investment. Property managers often are the final decision makers about which actions and measures should be taken. This begs the question, 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 expensive 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 information that will help to understand how and where water is used at the site. Collect recent water bills or review consumption history online through your water utility 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 irrigation methods. Also, pay attention to how many people 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 determining if there are any continuous 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 residential sector, according to a 2015 study from the Water Research Foundation. In nonresidential buildings, 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-efficiency pre-rinse spray valves. Cutting-edge graywater and rainwater recycling systems usually are the most expensive approach to reducing indoor water use. 4. Reduce outdoor demand. During the hot season, outdoor 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 rehabilitation of the sprinkler system and weather-based control technology. 5. Pay attention to consumption. Once you have implemented water-efficiency measures and reduced demand, use information from the water bill to track consumption at the building 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 increasing 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.