The Basics of a Water Audit

The Basics of a Water Audit KLAUS

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hen a person hears the word audit, the first thought that usually comes to mind is tax related. However, there are many types of audits other than tax and financial audits. They may deal with issues from quality control to energy consumption. I n fact, auditing or benchmarking the use of energy and natural resources is a growing trend as a result o f the greening of the building industry. One type of audit that used to be fairly rare but is becoming more common is a water audit. I n the simplest of terms, a water audit involves analyzing a building's water use, discovering where potential water savings are possible and implementing a cost-effective plan to turn those possible water savings into reality. There are many reasons water audits are garnering greater attention. However, the bottom line is this: longer and more sweeping water shortages are predicted for the United States in the 21st century. Some experts say these shortages w i l l have as much impact on communities, industry and economies as oil shortages d i d in the 1970s.

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There is also a likelihood that water shortages w i l l impact many more areas of the world as well. The primary reason for this is the growing world population. Consider the following: • The world first reached 1 billion people in 1804; • By 1927,123 years later, i t passed 2 billion; • Sixty years later, in 1987, the world population was 5 bilhon; and • Twelve years after that, in October 1999, it passed 6 billion. Based on these growth patterns, by 2025, the world's population w i l l be nearing the 10 billion mark. Many experts also believe global warming and climate change will play a role in causing more droughts around the globe. I t is likely that some typically dry areas will receive far more water than normal, at least for a while, and wet areas—which usually receive morethan-adequate amounts of water—will have shortages for several years. This is, in fact, already happening.

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One way astute facility managers can address this situation and help make their facilities more sustainable at the same time is to find out where water is being used in their buildings, where it can be saved and how they can make savings happen. The first step in doing this is to appoint water officers i n charge of a water audit.

In addition to conducting the actual water audit, the officers will be in charge of implementing the water conserving measures revealed in the audit. This may include everything from having leaks repaired to installing low-flow/no-flow restroom fixtures.

The audit process Water officers For facility managers starting a green cleaning program, typically the first step is to appoint a green team. Similarly, when starting a water audit—which often becomes an ongoing water conservation p r o g r a m — the first step involves appointing water officers. One of the first duties of the water officers is to understand the water audit process. They then should discuss the process with building users, including sharing the reasons for the water audit, and encourage them to be the "eyes and ears" of the water audit process. Some of the most effective waterconserving measures are often the result of building user input.

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The following should help managers of large facilities understand how a water audit is conducted. For such large locations, i t often is best to call in engineers, plumbers or other building professionals that offer water audit services. However, those w i t h smaller facilities often can conduct water audits in-house. These may be even more effective at reducing water use because an in-house water audit often encourages building users and staff to get on the water-saving bandwagon. They may know where water is being mismanaged or can suggest where water can be saved. The first step in a water audit typically involves analyzing the plumbing layout for a facility. The plans should identify where water is brought into a facility, the

piping/plumbing, location of water fixtures and systems as well as drainage systems. Invariably these plans must be filed with local building departments, so i f one is not immediately available, your city or county building department may have one on file. The next steps involve collecting the following information: • Billing information indicating how much water is being used in the facility for a period o f 24 to 36 months. Your local water department can help you with this. This provides a benchmark, indicating how much water is used in the facility on monthly, quarterly and annual basis. • Check employment records. I f your building has had fewer users than in the past, for example, this will i m pact water use and may be a reason less water is being used today. • Conduct a walkthrough of the building w i t h the plumbing plans. The goal here is just to locate the pipes, fixtures and other water-delivering or waterremoving systems in your facility.

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Other key steps in a water audit include: • I n a manufacturing facility, identify where water is being used and ask why it is being used. I n many cases, manufacturers are using water based on assembly line needs that no longer exist or where it is no longer necessary. • I n landscaping, identify how vegetation is being irrigated and see i f a dripirrigation system, which uses considerably less water, could be installed. Additionally, using the water billing information collected, look for water spikes where water use suddenly has increased significantly. This is often due to leaks or ruptures in irrigation pipes, • Take a look at the restrooms. I n most facilities, next to landscape irrigation, restrooms are where the greatest volume of water is used. A final area of concern is the building's mechanicals, specifically the heating, ventilation and air-conditioning ( H V A C ) system. Cooling towers and boilers can consume as much as 25 percent of all the water used in a facility. This is often one area—whether the facility is big or s m a l l — where a professional should be brought i n . www.fmjonline.com

N o t only can he check i f water is being used properly, he often can suggest systems to help reduce water consumption or convert the gray water that may be bled from the system for landscaping purposes.

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Three buckets for water W i t h the audit conducted, invariably the water officers w i l l have discovered areas where water-reducing strategies can be incorporated. As referenced earlier, i n manufacturing facilities, they often discover that water is being used where it is no longer needed. Simply turning that water off is all that is necessary for savings to begin. Typically, the findings are more complicated. The water officers must decide what watersaving measures can be taken now at little cost, in times at moderate cost, and in the near future at greater cost. These three components are called the three bucket approach to water conservation.

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The system works as follows: First bucket: Include all the items that can be addressed immediately by building maintenance personnel. Examples include turning water off where i t is not needed.

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Water savings equate to cost savings. Water has to be treated and then pumped to a facihty and pumped away. This takes energy. I n Cahfornia, it is estimated that 19 percent o f the state's electricity use and 23 percent o f its natural gas use is just for moving water from one location to another. In addition, i t costs money to heat water. Running a conventional hotwater faucet for five minutes is the equivalent of running a 60-watt bulb for more than 10 hours. These costs can be mitigated by reducing the amount of hot water that faucets release, A study in Massachusetts found that replacing conventional urinals with waterless systems i n a building used by 1,000 males can save 1.6 million gallons of water annually. This translates to a savings o f US$21,000 per year based on 2008 water charges.

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fixing leaks and looking for gray water opportunities to irrigate indoor plants and landscaping.

even decide to re-landscape their properties, installing more native vegetation that typically requires less water.

Second bucket: Includes items that can be scheduled in the next 12 to 24 months at moderate cost. These invariably focus on one key area: restrooms. I t might surprise many facility managers to know just how many old restroom fixtures, such as toilets made before 1992 when water-conserving regulations were first put into place, are still in use. I t is now time to replace these. I n addition, low-flow faucet aerators are inexpensive and should be installed in all faucets and showers. As to urinals, some older systems may use as much as three gallons of water per flush. Many managers are jumping past low-flow urinals and installing no-water or waterless systems. As

The water conservation journey

the name implies, these urinals use no water and can save as much as 40,000 gallons of water per urinal per year. T h i r d bucket: Address mechanical systems and landscaping irrigation. Older H V A C systems may not use water responsibly. They require water to operate properly, and newer systems recirculate and then discharge water to be used for gray water. Although an H V A C system can be a costly investment, i f the current equipment is more than 10 years old, the savings in energy and water use can be so significant that the new system pays for itself in a relatively short time. As to irrigation, drip systems use far less water than sprinkler systems. Some facility teams

Green cleaning is considered a journey. New products, methods and technologies constantly are being introduced to further reduce cleaning's impact on the environment. This means there is a starting point but no final destination. The same holds true for water conservation. Invariably, the water officers and building users will find new ways, systems and technologies that help further conserve water. The water audit is the first step in a process that is evolving forever to not only help continue to reduce water consumption but make your facility greener and more sustainable as well. FMJ

A frequent speaker and author on water conservation issues, Klaus Reichardt is founder and CEO of Waterless Co. Inc, Vista, Calif. Reichardt founded the company in 1991 with the goal to establish a new market segment in the plumbing fixture industry with water conservation in mind. Reichardt has been a member of the U.S. Green Building Council since 1999 and joined the University of California Santa Barbara EcoEntrepreneur Advisory Board in 2008. He may be reached at [email protected].

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