Quick Facts On Water Consumption In Businesses and Organizations

You care about the environment and the sustainability of your business or organization, but you are also very busy. To save you time, we’re going to focus on some quick facts about reducing your water consumption to make saving water and money easier.
Fact:
A cleaning hose like those people use to clean floors every night can use over 5 gallons per minute.
Fix:
Encourage employees to use a mop and bucket whenever possible. Water brooms are also more efficient than a plain hose, requiring less time and water. You could encourage more dry sweeping as well.
Fact:
When left on, hoses can waste 8-12 gallons of water per minute.
Fix:
Equip all hoses with an automatic shut-off.
Fact:
Many machines in a business use water without you realizing it, typically for cooling purposes.
Fix:
Educate yourself on the machines in your business or organization to see how you might reduce their water usage and whether they should be replaced with a more water-efficient model.
Fact:
Toilets manufactured before 1992 use up to 3.5 gallons each time they are flushed as opposed to water-efficient toilets that use as little as 1.28 gallons each time.
Fix:
When upgrading, replace toilets with WaterSense labeled toilets.
Fact:
Showerheads installed before 1992 have flow rates as high as 5.5 gallons per minute.
Fix:
Install a water-efficient showerhead. Some have flow rates as low as 2.5 gpm.
Fact:
Leaks waste a lot of water.
● A leaking faucet easily goes through 500 gallons in a month.
● An improperly running toilet can waste 200 gallons in a day.
Fix:
Have leaks checked as soon as possible.
Bonus Tips:
● Have employees run the dishwasher only when it is full.
● A WaterSense labeled faucet can reduce each sink’s water flow by 30 percent.
● Change aerators in faucets as an inexpensive and efficient way to reduce their flow rate.
● Use native and low-maintenance plants in landscaping.
● Use non-potable water when potable isn’t necessary (this cuts down on the energy used in purifying the water).
● Energy efficient dishwashers can use 50% less water than other models.
● Research industry benchmarks for water consumption and look into ways your competitors have successfully reduced their water use.
● Provide employees with a suggestion box or opportunities in meetings to supply their own ideas for water conservation. This will allow them to feel invested in the process.
● Use a reporting tool like JadeTrack to help you efficiently track and manage your water consumption.