Best practices for water conservation July 22nd, 2015
Since 2009, a number of states have reported water stress as a worsening trend in water supply. Water stress and scarcity greatly affect water pollution, utility bills and the greater ecosystems. Water conservation is a simple practice to save money while helping your community.
10 ways to practice simple water-savings:
- Check toilets, faucets, and pipes for leaks
Even the smallest drip can waste almost 20 gallons of water every day. Larger leaks can waste hundreds of gallons.
- Insulate water pipes
Pre-slit foam pipe insulation will provide hot water faster, while avoiding water waste and lowering water-heating costs.
- Install low-flush toilets
Older toilets use nearly 3.5 gallons of water per flush. A low-flush toilet uses 1.6 gallons or less, which includes either a single-flush or dual-flush model.
- Use faucet aerators
Aerators use a strong flow of water with fine droplets to reduce at least 60 percent of water used by a faucet.
- Reduce water pressure
A reduction in water pressure will reduce potential leaky water pipes and water consumption.
- Conduct a water audit
A water evaluation of your building will reveal excessive water consumption and specific areas you can implement water conservation measures.
- Use real-time metering
Water used by HVAC systems consist of more than one-third of a building’s water consumption. This can increase greatly if you don’t track the amount of water used for mechanical purposes.
- Install waterless urinals
In a busy office building a waterless urinal will save more than 6, 500 gallons of water a year. The outflow pipes send the liquid waste to a water treatment plant that is connect to the facility’s plumbing system.
- Use a re-circulating water system
HVAC units use chilled water to generate a cool airflow. A re-circulating water system recycles water to perform cooling operations and reduces water consumption.
- Install faucet motion sensors.
Running water continuously while washing your hands wastes water. A motion sensor-activated faucet only supplies water when a pair of hands are directly in front of it.

Efficient buildings – from insight to action.
Posted by Green Per Square Foot in Sustainability Education
Tags: Water Conservation