commercial conservation

Commercial, industrial and institutional buildings consume nearly 20 percent of the drinking water in the U.S. Cutting back on commercial use by a mere 10 percent could save more than 2 trillion gallons of water a year. Conserving water is both good for the environment and your bottom line.

The first step is to determine where most of the water use occurs in your facility. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) offers an online Portfolio Management auditing tool to track your indoor and outdoor use and wastewater.

Next, prioritize your list of water efficiency improvements and take action.

Inside improvements include:

• Replacing toilets, urinals, dishwashers, clothes washers, ice machines, or sink faucets and sprays with more efficient models
   
• Relying on Energy Star guidelines, which frequently factor in water savings along with energy conservation
   
• Making water savings a high priority in contracts with vendors

...more