Reducing water utility bills is likely a goal of most building managers. More than that, water issues, especially in Southern California, represent a crucial front in the battle for sustainable building practices.
With water such an essential part of cleaning, the ICS family does a lot to ensure conservation is taken seriously for our janitorial services in Los Angeles, CA. If facility managers are looking for more to do to reduce water consumption, take a look at the following tips:
Equipment
For most buildings, water conservation centers in the bathroom. There have been a number of great innovations that cut back on water use, prominently the waterless urinal. Able to save thousands of gallons per urinal, per year, they are a big hit with facilities and customers. Other installations that can save are aerated faucets, which clean hands more efficiently, with less water wasted per wash.
In the kitchen, too, old equipment can be a culprit. Dinosaur dish washers can stand to be replaced, as each year, technology gets more efficient. Ice machines that cool with water are also big wasters, using roughly two gallons of water to produce one gallon’s worth of ice. Air-cooled machines minimize this water waste.
Leak Detection
A slightly leaky toilet can still waste at least 30 gallons of water per day—potentially much more for larger leaks. Making sure irrigation systems are sub-metered helps you ensure that leaks are detected before you find out from the shocking water bill. There are smart and online solutions being pioneered, which can allow meters and transceivers to instantly communicate when a leak occurs.
Benchmarks
Setting goals is essential to gaining improvements in water conservation. Depending on your area, the State, county, or municipal water districts may have water use benchmarks, to which you can then compare your building’s use patterns. For instance, the City of Los Angeles has recently gone about ramping up its water use benchmarks. If your area is yet to adopt resolutions like this, keep it in mind, because pressure to track water use on a larger scale will continue to rise.
Graywater
Graywater, or water that hasn’t been treated, but has not come into contact with sewage or toilet waste, is another addition to the arsenal of conservation tools. Buildings use this greywater for non-potable applications, like flushing the toilet and irrigation. It’s a good idea to get informed about greywater use in your area, and see if can be an option for your building.
Efficient use of water is crucial, not only for janitorial service in Los Angeles, CA, but for any stake holders in the operations of a building. Taking the necessary steps to optimize water use is an ongoing task, but one that secures our resources for the future.
