![]() |
Best Practice Guide |
|
Commercial Office Buildings |
||
![]() |
|
Water UseBathroom FixturesWithout question, replacing high-volume plumbing fixtures is critical. That said, most water savings occur through proper maintenance of existing fixtures and plumbing, rather than through upgrades in technology. Even the most expensive, technologically advanced toilet is a waste if a leak goes without repair. A small leak wastes about 20 gallons of water per day; a large leak can waste hundreds of gallons. Left unchecked, the price of minor leaks leads to major costs. Water audits that detect leaks and identify outdated fixtures offer fast - and often free - savings. Check with your local water utility to see if this service is provided. Ultra-Low Flush Toilets If toilets were installed in the 1980s, they probably use 3.5 gallons per flush (gpf); if older, they may use as many as 7 gallons. Compare this to new, federally mandated ultra-low flush toilets (ULFTs) that only flush 1.6 gallons - saving up to 77 percent of water used. Admittedly, early versions of the ULFT were poorly received because of problems with clogging and double-flushing. Since then, manufacturers have all but eliminated these concerns; today's ULFTs perform even better than their high volume counterparts. These new toilets save water, are better designed, more durable, and have improved flush performance. When calculating annual water savings from low-flow toilets, chances are good that the payback period will be relatively short. Local utilities offer great rebates, reducing the cost of upgrading your plumbing fixtures and increasing the rate of return on this no-risk investment. Flushometer (Flush Valve) Toilets High-Efficiency Toilets (Dual Flush and Pressure-Assisted) We can thank Australia - the world's driest inhabited continent - for pioneering the dual flush toilet. Dual flush toilets, as the name implies, have two flush modes. The solid mode acts much like a ULFT, using only 1.6 gallons per flush. The liquid mode only uses 0.8 gallons per flush. Total water savings over a comparable ULFT are about 30 percent. While the first-cost is marginally higher than a ULFT, most water agencies offer rebates to help offset this. ULFTs and dual flush toilets both rely on gravity to pull waste through the system. With pressure-assisted toilets, a tank in the internal chamber traps and compresses air, which is released as the water is flushed through the bowl at a rate of 70 gallons per minute-three times faster than a gravity toilet and twice as fast as one with a flushometer. These toilets are easy to identify by the powerful flushing noise. New models use only 1.0 gpf and are becoming increasingly quieter. Waterless Urinals End users will appreciate the waterless urinal. Since there is no water, bacteria and ammonia odors are minimized. Since there is no flush, it is not necessary to handle or touch the urinal. Maintenance is also reduced because of the elimination of stoppages, overflows, and leaking flush valves. This is especially true for areas with hard water, which tends to encrust pipes and valves over time. Faucets and Showerheads Business ExamplesSwinerton, Incorporated, replaced old plumbing fixtures at its San Francisco headquarters that consumed five gallons per flush. The new fixtures use only 1.5 gallons, reducing potable water used for flushing by 70 percent. All showerheads and faucets have low-flow aerators. At the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) offices in Santa Monica, dual flush toilets are installed, using only 0.8 to 1.2 gallons per flush, depending on the mode selected. One of two 1,000-gallon cisterns that collect rainwater provides flushing water so that no potable water is wasted. NRDC also installed waterless urinals and a high-efficiency dishwasher to help keep water use low. Glenborough Realty Trust continuously searches for ways to reduce water consumption and utility expenses. Glenborough has approved use of Technical Concepts products throughout its property portfolio. Water-efficient products include Surround Sensor faucets, urinals, and water closet flushers. These devices reduce water use by more than 50 percent. Inefficient and high volume plumbing and bathroom fixtures are replaced as new tenant space is built out or as part of regular building upgrades. At Adobe Towers in San Jose, the facilities management company Cushman & Wakefield installs water conservation technologies whenever possible. Recently, every urinal onsite was converted to a waterless unit, saving an estimated 295,000 gallons of water each month. Adobe saves an estimated $14,896 each year from the resulting reduction in water and sewage costs.
Resources Flex Your Power Product Guide: Ultra-Low Flow Toilets U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Using Water Efficiently: Ideas for Commercial Businesses. California Department of Water Resources, Office of Water Use Efficiency. |