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More than 2.9 million airline passengers travel in and out of airports nationwide. There are thousands of workers within and throughout the airport. With that much traffic comes a lot of water usage, and advancements in smart technology are now helping to save water at airports.
If high-traffic facilities, like airports, made water-saving measures, fewer Americans would struggle with water insecurities. With so many without access to clean or sufficient water supplies, it's exciting to see when some of the nation's most heavily traveled airports prioritize water conservation.
Key Takeaways:
- Seven airports around the United States are making a positive impact on the world when it comes to water conservation. Each with a project designed to reduce, reuse, and/or recycle the water they use.
- These water-saving projects aim to advance water purification, optimize geothermal cooling, install water-saving fixtures, and improve irrigation systems, to name a few.
- Experts estimated that Nashville International Airport's geothermal cooling project saved more than $430,000 a year and reduced energy usage by 6,000 kilowatts for a yearly savings of 1.3 million kilowatt-hours.
7 Airports Using Smart Tech to Save Water
Developers completed ten projects in seven U.S. airports to increase water efficiency using the most innovative advancements in technology. Engineers, architects, and contractors designed each airport project to reduce, reuse, or recycle water by:
- Reclaiming water use
- Advanced water purification
- Geothermal cooling
- Air conditioning condensate use
- Installing water-saving fixtures
- Infrastructure upgrades
- Irrigation improvements
- Drought-tolerant plants
- Wetland preserves
- Stormwater management
There are seven airports around the nation making a water-savings impact on the entire world. Let’s look at the projects that are changing airport water usage.
1. Orlando International Airport (MCO)
Airports worldwide are reclaiming water resources. At MCO, native plants and the facility's reclaimed water project are why potable water does not irrigate the landscaping around the complex.
The commercial kitchens, restrooms, and washrooms at MCO have high-tech water-saving fixtures to reduce water waste. From touchless sensor operations to metering faucets for controlling flow rates, smart technology in faucets can ensure users don't waste a single drop.
MCO also has incorporated the following water-conservations projects:
- Infrastructure upgrades to cooling towers
- Planted native and drought-tolerant landscaping
1. Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW)
In Dallas, DFW administrators partnered with surrounding cities to develop a reclaimed water delivery system. The airport’s central utilities plant that powers its HVAC systems uses about 50% reclaimed water.
3. Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC)
Technological designs of the rental car wash bay at SLC allow the facility to recycle most of its wash water. The water gets used for waste removal, irrigation, and landscaping.
SLC's high-efficiency system connects all irrigation systems for the landscaping to a single location for usage at the airport and surrounding infrastructures.
1. Los Angeles International Airport (LAX)
LAX is another airport that works with its surrounding community to recycle water in a drought-challenged part of the country. Reclaimed water from the airport's advanced reclamation system gets used for street sweeping, car washing, and construction dust control.
Engineers built an Advanced Water Purification Facility (AWPF) at LAX that treats 1.5 million gallons of sewer water daily. The system can make one million gallons of water for use around the airport complex.
Other water-saving efforts include:
- Installing water-saving fixtures
- Reducing irrigation treatments
- Cultivating drought-tolerant landscaping
1. Nashville International Airport (BNA)
The local Hoover rock quarry is the nation's biggest geothermal cooling system lake plate. Engineers designed the system to cool the air at BNA terminals, conserving energy and water usage.
1. Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL)
The ATL airport is part of the Green Stormwater Infrastructure (GSI) Plan. They developed a stormwater management system designed to filter water through the subsoil to limit water table reductions.
Other projects include:
- Water-saving fixture installation
- Infrastructure upgrades
- Reduction in potable water usage
1. San Diego International Airport (SAN)
In San Diego, airport officials at SAN approved the Air Conditioning Condensate Recycling Program, which collects air conditioning condensate water. The water gets recycled and used by the local power washing station responsible for cleaning runways, service vehicles, and other roadways.
The Impact of Healthy Buildings (Like Airports) on the Environment
Here are some of the significant advantages that came from airports making these water-saving advancements:
- Reduced passenger water usage: Airports saved between 6 and 24% in overall water usage by implementing smart tech water-saving strategies over the last ten years. Experts expect these numbers to increase in the coming years and beyond.
- Achieved potable water conservation: Water-savings projects decrease potable water consumption in airports. Most of that savings are due to water-conserving restroom fixtures installed throughout the facility.
- Met irrigation needs: SAN saved 100,000 gallons of condensate water to reuse for pressure washing around the airports in 2016, and the amount continues to climb each year.
- Reclaimed water for landscaping needs: Roughly half of LAX's landscaping gets watered with reclaimed water.
- Saved on operational costs and utilities: Experts estimated that BNA saved more than $430,000 a year with its geothermal cooling project. It reduces energy usage by 6,000 kilowatts for a yearly savings of 1.3 million kilowatt-hours.
Public water systems (PWS) are how municipalities ensure safe water for everyone within their area. However, water is scarce. Only about three-quarters (74%) of the global population has a safely managed drinking-water source. The chart below shows you how water treatment systems work to deliver usable water to homes, businesses, and other urban and suburban infrastructures. An effective water-conservation project helps to keep more of this water available.
The Environmental Impact of Sustainable Fixtures
At Chicago Faucets, we develop durable and sustainable plumbing fixtures that are environmentally responsible and eco-friendly. We do not simply want to put out the best plumbing products for our customers.
We want to make the world a better place by conserving our precious natural resources. There is less than 0.5% fresh water available worldwide, and everyone needs to do their part to reduce water waste.
Airports across the nation (and worldwide) are doing what it takes to save water. Are you?
Is it time to upgrade to sustainable, water-saving fixtures at your facility? Help us in our efforts to design and develop healthy buildings by contacting us today to learn more.
