Saving Water (and the Bottom Line) at the Workplace

Often times, water usage at the office can be an afterthought. However, water heating alone can account for nine percent of the total energy load. The energy costs themselves are fairly modest, but hot water savings can affect your bottom line more than you might think. It costs you to a) buy the water b) heat the water and c) dispose of the water through sewage charges. So saving this water can have a compound benefit across three different bills. Other hot water savings opportunities to consider are:

Think smaller. Many small offices have the same 50-gallon water heater that hides in your basement or garage. But do you need that much capacity? No showering, laundry, and light dishwashing, might mean you’re ready for a smaller tank. Smaller tanks reduce the “stand-by” losses from your water heater, and the new tankless water heaters cut standby losses even further.

Go with the (low) flow. By adding aerators to your existing office faucets, you can cut faucet water consumption in half. They also save hot water heating energy. These super simple devices are available in most hardware stores, and are surprisingly inexpensive.

If you have a shower at your office, use a low-flow showerhead. A 2.5 gpm showerhead will cuts energy and water usage from a standard showerhead in half, with no reduction in comfort. The efficient, new 1.5 gpm showerheads cut the water and energy use by another 40 percent.

Here’s a thought for you. Toilets and urinals account for about one-third of all water consumed in US buildings. To reduce this cost significantly, and where allowed by plumbing code, no-flush toilets are an option. Efficiency standards for new toilets require them to use only 1.6 gallons or less per flush – a fraction of the consumption of older models.

Don’t be a drip. Leaky or dripping toilets and faucets can waste thousands of gallons a year and cost you almost as much. Plus, if you’re leaking hot water, you’re throwing away energy, too. A leaking faucet is relatively easy to fix with the right tools – it’s often the result of a bad washer or seal. Repairing water leaks will always save you money.

Likewise, toilet leaks can be super-spendy if you wait too long to fix them. Even a very small leak can easily increase water and sewer costs, and large leaks can cost much more. Fortunately, most toilet leaks are relatively easy to fix, but waiting to fix them rarely pays off.

Over-watering lawns is a leading cause of water waste. If it’s going to rain, let the rain do the watering for you. If you have an automatic sprinkler, turn it off in the fall. Replant landscaping in the fall and spring. Over watering also promotes microorganisms, lawn disease and leaches helpful nutrients. One inch of water per week during July and August is all you need. Grass actually grows better when the root zone partially dries out between waterings. Avoid frequent shallow watering, which causes shallow rooting. Water slowly, or start and stop, so the water permeates the soil rather than running off. You should also water early or late in the day to minimize evaporation loss.