Water Conservation: Be green by saving some blue
Chicagoans are blessed with the vast natural resource that is Lake Michigan, but we must not take our water for granted. Improve your office building by adopting water saving technologies, many of which are available at a very low cost.
Tracking Water Use
Before you explore how to decrease your building’s water use, you first need to understand how much water your building consumes. EPA’s Portfolio Manger can help you with this step.
You will need to gather your water bills from the last 12 months so that you can create a baseline to determine the amount of water your building has used.
After you determine how much water your building uses, it’s time to explore which water saving devices will best fit your needs and budget. This is also an opportune time to discuss water saving habits with tenants and encourage them to install water saving appliances in tenant spaces.
MakING Improvements
Not surprisingly, the greatest opportunities for water conservation in commercial buildings are found in kitchens and washrooms. However, if your property has any major landscaping or water features, you can improve their water efficiency by installing low-drip irrigation systems, drought-tolerant plant species, and water recycling technologies.
Kitchen and Washroom Water Efficiency
Install faucet aerators with a target flow rate of 1.0 gpm.
- Browse EPA approved aerators.
- Research vendors that are within your price range. Consult the Chicago Sustainable Business Alliance for local vendors.
- Install new faucets, and recycle or donate old faucets.
Install water conserving devices on your building’s toilets.
- Brainstorm which devices you want to install to save water. Consider installing WaterSense™ certified toilets and dual-flush toilets.
- Research vendors that are within your price range.
- Install water conserving devices.
- Recycle or donate toilets if they are replaced.
Then measure your water savings with EPA’s Portfolio Manager.
Additional Resources
The Alliance for Water Efficiency is a Chicago-based non-profit, dedicated to conserving water. Visit their Resource Library for useful technical information about water efficiency.