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Understanding ways to reduce water usage in your commercial buildings requires knowing how to calculate water savings in these spaces. If water and energy conservation is a priority to you, this article will cover the three tips for what you must do in your sustainability efforts.
Low-flow faucets are the best way to go for improving water conservation. Those with 1.5 GPM flow rates can reduce your usage by up to 32% over traditional 2 GPM models. Furthermore, 0.5 GPM faucets can reduce that usage by two times that amount.
Before running out and replacing every faucet in your commercial spaces, let's take a moment to review how technology plays a role in water conservation.
Key Takeaways:
- Technology has made reducing operational costs for commercial buildings easier by utilizing data analytics to provide insights on water system management.
- You can calculate water savings by using a reliable calculator, installing monitoring faucets, and performing water audits.
- Calculating water savings is the first step in learning how to reduce energy usage. Saving on water also requires conservation tactics like upgrading water fixtures, reducing water line pressure, and installing smart meters and sensors.
The Digital Age of Water Conservation
Digital technologies are central in reducing operational costs and increasing efficiencies at every level. Data analytics provide insights on water system management in the same way they do for energy efficiency. Water data monitoring requires knowing how to leverage these technologies to gain these vital insights.
With a focus on sustainability, companies are placing a greater emphasis on water conservation not only to save money but also to protect precious natural resources.
Annually, commercial building water usage range from 3 to 43 million gallons. Commercial building owners and administrators are taking a hard look at how they can reduce these numbers. They know that the digital age of water conservation is the answer.
As water prices rise, incorporating best practices for decreasing a commercial building's water usage footprint requires a plan. You can do this by determining a baseline and analyzing metrics of past operating data.
Organizations like the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) support efforts to conserve water use. They help commercial building operators by providing tools and resources to develop best practices for making these improvements.
3 Tips on How Commercial Spaces Can Calculate Water Savings
Calculating water savings is one way to ensure that your commercial spaces are operating at the highest level of efficiency when it comes to water conservation. There are three primary methods of ways to calculate water usage, along with annual savings. Here's how:
1. Find a Reliable Water Savings Calculator
Organizations like the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) offer reliable water savings calculators. If you have installed any fixtures, fittings, or appliances with the WaterSense® label, the EPA can tell you how much water, energy, and money you can save each year. Households can also take advantage of these tools.
Many states provide similar services at the government level. Furthermore, private corporations are another valuable sustainability resource when searching for a reliable water savings calculator.
2. Install Faucets with Water Usage Monitoring
There are commercial restroom products available that provide the technology needed to monitor and limit water usage. Manufacturers designed these faucets with facility managers in mind. They have the technology to allow building operators to create water usage and maintenance reports with the optional desktop software. That way, you can calculate water usage and savings.
3. Perform a Commercial Building Water Audit
Water audits evaluate the commercial building's water usage. They range in complexity and can take a few hours up to a few days to complete. Experts recommend that you include an energy audit at that time too.
The intensive evaluations of the water and mechanical systems of the building require a qualified professional to assess:
- Hot water systems
- Cooling systems
- Plumbing systems
- Fixtures
- Irrigations
- Other facility components
The inspector will review water and energy bills and maintenance and repair history to understand the operations of the building. The report will provide facility managers with recommended water savings opportunities. It will also provide an estimated ROI for efforts taken to improve water and energy conservation.
The audit will inform you of any rebates your local municipalities may offer for upgrades and improvements you make on your water management system. The audit reports may include technical specifications and implementation recommendations.
Many municipalities provide water audits free of charge. There are even some private corporations that may conduct them for your facility as well.
Tips on How to Conserve Water
Commercial buildings are the worst when it comes to consuming water. The meter is at street level, so there's no way for facility managers in offices to see just how much water people are using, making calculating usage difficult on their own. However, there are still methods for conserving water everyone within the office building can take to reduce waste.
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Water plays a pivotal role in planning ahead concerning supply/demand balance goals while also reducing costs. These water-conserving tips will help you reduce water usage (and waste) in commercial spaces:
- Upgrade to water-efficient fixtures
- Reduce water line pressure
- Install smart meters and sensors
- Set up rainwater harvesting systems
Conserving natural resources is the responsibility of every person on earth. As municipalities develop increasingly detailed climate change plans for their area of responsibility, commercial building operators can facilitate these efforts by posting water-saving tips throughout the facility.
Chicago Faucets Has a Water Savings Calculator for Your Commercial Building
Older faucets in commercial buildings waste one of our most precious natural resources: water. At Chicago Faucets, we have several water-conserving products with a focus on sustainability.
If you're interested to know how much savings are available when you switch from your old faucets to any of our upgraded faucets, get an estimate from our water-saving calculator. It also evaluates sewer and water costs from any major city to reveal how upgrading your fixtures can offer notable cost savings.
Are you curious what your water savings could be in your commercial building after switching to one of our faucets? Check with our water savings calculator to find out.
