Over the past thirty years, the price of water has risen significantly, climbing well over the consumer price index (CPI), and prices are expected to continue to rise. While the cost per gallon of water far exceeds the cost per unit measurement of other utilities, utilities such as electricity are consumed more abundantly and have much higher utility rates, which place larger dents in the bottom line of commercial organizations. With energy efficiency becoming more prevalent in commercial buildings in the United States, facility managers look to make improvements that will most impact their organization’s bottom line. This leaves a lot of attractive water conservation measures untapped. This article will share some insight into the benefit of saving water in commercial buildings.
Barriers to Commercial Building Water Conservation
There is little outcry—perhaps even acceptance—over rising water costs. Diane VanDe Hei, executive Director of the Association of Metropolitan Water Agencies, suggests the reason for this is that “. . . the public will pay to ensure long-term access to water of the quality and quantity they desire.” This rationale leads into one of the most common barriers: change. “If water efficient upgrades will even slightly change the experience for end users or require them to adjust their behavior, there may be resistance to the change.”
Another barrier is the cost of water per gallon. “Because water utility rates throughout much of the country are extremely low, it makes it difficult to pencil out the financial case for water efficiency upgrades.”
Facility managers may push for different energy efficiency projects, such as LED lighting or HVAC controls. While these are significant ways to reduce energy expenses, water conservation projects often have better payback periods, sometimes less than one year.
Water Conservation is Trending
Customers are becoming more mindful of businesses that espouse sustainability initiatives, and Millennials are spending more with companies that are embrace corporate social responsibility. Companies like Ford realize this and are making water conservation initiatives a priority. In fact, Sheryl Connelly, Ford global trend and futuring manager, says water conservation is trending.
“Considering water-related impacts cost companies $14 billion in 2015, or more than five times more than they did the previous year ($2.6 billion), it’s not surprising that Ford predicts water conservation will continue to be a trend in 2017.”
Connelly continues to note that “water scarcity is a very tangible threat to the supply chain and logistics,” and that “Manufacturers across industries can follow Ford’s lead and achieve water and cost savings, along with other business benefits from improved water management.”
The Case for Commercial Building Water Conservation
In different business environments, the effect of water consumption and operating expenses may vary, but all ultimately affect the bottom line of every organization.
Facilities.net recently interviewed three facilities and building operations managers about their insights and strategies towards water conservation. By taking a proactive approach towards water conservation, all three saw significant decreases in water consumption. Chris Miller, director of facilities services at Georgia Regents Medical Center, noted:
“We used to spend thousands of dollars a month on plumbing repair kits for flush valves. One of the plumbers who has worked in our department for 30 years said we don’t buy repair kits anymore.”
Typical Commercial Building Water Conservation Measures
Pre-rinse spray valves, faucet aerators, low-flow showerheads, high-efficiency toilets, and swimming pool covers are simple water conservation projects that can significantly reduce water waste.
Pre-rinse spray valves
Pre-rinse spray valves (PRSV) help remove material from dishes before dishwashing. Prior to the Energy Policy Act of 2005, PRSVs could flow between 3.0 and 5.0 gallons per minute (GPM). Today, the federal standard flow rate is 1.6 GPM; however, many manufacturers have developed PRSV’s with flow rates under 1.0. By converting to energy efficient PRSVs, commercial kitchens can save hundreds or thousands of dollars a year in water costs without sacrificing cleaning power.
EPA-compliant spray valves have a federal flow rate of 1.6 GPM. EPA non-compliant spray valves may have flow rates of over 3 GPM.
Faucet aerators
Faucet aerators mix both air and water into the water stream, lowering water consumption by up to 50%, but while maintaining the same water pressure. At the same water pressure, even a 50% decrease in the amount of water is unnoticeable, saving businesses hundreds or thousands of dollars a year, depending on the type of business and usage.
Low-flow showerheads
Low-flow showerheads can reduce the rate of water flow to 2.5 gallons per minute (GPM) or less. Low-flow showerheads work similar to faucet aerators, as they introduce air into the water flow, reducing water consumption between 25-60% while providing the same cleaning power.
High-efficiency toilets
High-efficiency toilets save between 20-50% more water than a standard toilet. Water consumption in bathrooms varies depending on the type of business. Facilities with high occupancy, such as higher education institutions or large commercial offices, will see more pronounced savings.
It is important to note that calculating energy savings for a facility should not be measured by the number of toilets, but rather by the frequency of use for each. Water consumption data unique to the facility can be analyzed for each toilet. Then, a cost-benefit analysis can be run on the total number of toilets that should be upgraded to maximize ROI.
Swimming pool covers
The leading source of energy loss for both indoor and outdoor pools is water evaporation. When water evaporates, it draws heat out from the pool, signaling the heat pump to reheat the pool’s temperature setpoint, which consumes a significant amount of energy. When indoor pool water is evaporated, it can create excess humidity, signaling the makeup air unit to replace the space with fresh air, which can account for an additional 27% energy loss.
Pool covers reduce lost energy from evaporation and ambient heat loss, saving between 50-70% in energy costs. Additional benefits of pool covers include:
- Water conservation between 30-50%
- Reduced chemical consumption between 35-60%
- Reduced cleaning time
Final Thoughts
Water conservation methods may not be the most dazzling or biggest energy efficiency project an organization can undertake. Low-hanging fruit projects, such as lighting and lighting controls, are still some of the easiest ways to save energy and money. Water conservation upgrades, however, still produce significant energy savings, have low payback periods, and are excellent projects for promoting social corporate responsibility.
Many organizations that have already completed lighting projects are looking into RTU, chiller, boiler, and other mechanical energy efficiency projects. These type of projects typically have higher payback periods, even when coupled with utility incentives. If these projects are the priority, consider bundling a water conservation project in with your facility’s mechanical projects to reduce the payback period as a whole.