Enough rain drops fell this spring to lift Georgia’s drought restrictions, but a good dose of rain doesn’t mean we have a green light to open the faucets. Water is a critical component in our economy, as well as our ecology. Every business utilizes water to some degree. And while the rain fell this spring, there is no guarantee that next year will be all sunny (or should I say cloudy) skies. Ongoing conservation measures are critical for both environmental and business health.

Water conservation is not only about cutting back on water use, but also about maximizing the efficiency and effectiveness of the water that is used. The Georgia Department of Natural Resources developed the Water Conservation Implementation Plan (WCIP) as a resource guide outlining the state’s seven major water use sectors to help state residents and businesses more efficiently use water (www.ConserveWaterGeorgia.net). While that plan is specific to Georgia, the lessons contained in the guide still apply – no matter what your locale.

Following are business-critical (and environmentally sustainable) tips with regard to optimizing water usage:
Track your usage: Water systems are, in increasing numbers, adopting “conservation” rate structures with higher rates for higher water use. It makes good sense for facility managers to track water usage monthly to identify any unexpected increases or decreases in water usage, as well as identify patterns in use. And while it is typically the accounting department that handles the bills, those invoices should be reviewed by facility managers. Independent meter readings, through the recording of the authority’s meter or from a separate sub-meter, can help confirm that the facility is being property charged. Mistakes do happen. Case in point: we worked with one Georgia university to uncover an ongoing $1,500/month charge for water usage on a building that had been torn down.

Rein in sewer charges: Sewer charges are typically three to four times higher than water usage charges. For facilities with equipment that consumes water that does not return it to the sewer (such as a cooling tower), there can be considerable cost savings if the water authority offers sanitary sewer credits. Each water authority determines sewer credits differently with some requiring separate meters and others requiring calculations certified by a professional engineer. As an example of potential savings - Energy Ace worked with a large public university recommending the addition of sub-meters to the university’s cooling towers as a means to record evaporative loss (i.e., water that evaporates in the cooling towers, and therefore does not go down the sewer). The result was a savings of more than $300,000 annually.

Reduce use: Utilizing water-efficient products is one area where businesses can immediately impact water use. The EPA’s WaterSense program identifies water-efficient products and programs that meet EPA efficiency and performance criteria. Currently, specifications have been developed for faucets, flushing urinals and toilets and irrigation controls. Ensuring your water-using equipment is working properly also helps to reduce water usage. A single dripping faucet can waste more than 3,000 gallons of water a year. Keeping tabs on your water usage can help stem considerable operational and products costs.

For companies working towards LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification, the U.S. Green Building Council (awards up to 4 points toward LEED credits for water use reduction. For buildings with more complicated water-using equipment, such as cooling towers and commercial dishwashers, detailed water audits are recommended to ensure equipment is operating efficiently. Sub-meters can be a valuable tool for tracking water usage on large pieces of water-using equipment or in specific areas of buildings. Many sub-meters can be installed externally on pipes so that installation costs are minimal. These tips and techniques are by no means overly complicated or expensive – in fact; they are basic, common-sense solutions. But we often take such solutions for granted – that is, until we are faced with a 100-year drought. Georgia and the Southeast learned some important lessons, and the example they set in the aftermath of their drought issue can be a model for us all to follow.

Adrienne Thorpe is an environmental engineer guiding the Gulf Coast office for Energy Ace, a sustainability consulting working with clients to design, create and operate sustainable environments. She is Six Sigma Green Belt Certified, Systems Approach, and was previously the lead water efficiency expert for the State of Georgia.