1. Better water management: “It’s no longer ‘optional’.”

Even though the Earth is covered mostly with water, only 1% of it is fresh, usable water. And as the supply of usable water decreases while demand steadily increases, the cost of water, waste-water treatment and sewer service continues to rise.

For today’s business owners and building managers, better water management is no longer optional; it is a crucial factor in keeping risks low and operations afloat.

2. Commercial and institutional buildings could be consuming a lot less water.

There are over 500 million commercial and institutional buildings in the U.S., most of which may be able to reduce their water consumption by as much as 40 percent! There’s simply a lot of water (and money) that’s literally being flushed away.

In the U.S. alone, about 70 billion gallons of water per day is withdrawn from public water resources to be used by hotels, restaurants, schools, hospitals, government buildings and offices. Just how much water is that? Well, try to picture the amount of water that flows over Niagara Falls during an entire day – and then add another 7 billion gallons to that!

3. In addition to cost savings, better water management has many additional benefits.

A better water management plan will not only result in cost savings for water, but could also lead to savings in energy; if water doesn’t need to be used, it doesn’t need to be cooled or heated. There are many additional benefits, too, such as:

• Prolonging the operational life of equipment and reduced maintenance costs
• Earning financial incentives, rebates, tax credits, etc. for eligible retrofits
• Qualifying for green certifications and enhancing public opinion of the company’s or institution’s commitment to the environment

4. A water audit is the crucial first step to a better water management plan.

Developing the most effective water management program requires informed planning. An onsite water audit is the first step in developing any water management improvement plan. It’s basically a thorough inspection of all of the various ways a facility or campus uses water – specifically searching for any unintentional water losses (i.e. – any water that’s being paid for, but not being used.) Water audits also reveal opportunities to better conserve and use water more efficiently.

But water is just a single part of your facility’s larger energy picture. It is important to look at the entire energy picture of your facility, since changes to one system can impact the performance of other systems in your building. An integrated energy management plan should be your overall goal.

And before you install a single low-flow toilet, be sure you begin with an onsite water audit first! Contact AUS to start.