The growing
worldwide water shortage problem is a large one. California is
currently in the fourth year of its worst drought in recent
history. Governor Jerry Brown recently issued an
executive order mandating water use restrictions aimed toward
reducing water consumption by 25%.
This means that only low-flush
toilets and low-flow sinks will be available for sale after
Jan. 1, 2016. Retailers will not be permitted to sell
showerheads, toilets, urinals, bathroom, and kitchen faucets
that violate the new standards. These provisions apply to
commercial building owners installing new fixtures as
well. Other states are experiencing similar water
shortages and are expected to enact similar increasingly
stringent restrictions.
Washington Governor Jay Inslee
recently declared a statewide drought emergency expressing
concern about the difficult decisions that must be made in
allocating water among users. A 2013 survey of the world’s
largest companies by Deloitte Consulting found that 70% of
respondents identified water as a substantial business
risk. With drought conditions threatening businesses in
western regions of the country, managers are increasing their
conservation efforts in order to boost their bottom line.
Like other naturally occurring
events, water shortages can create large risks and
opportunities for businesses. Recognizing the problem, most
large consulting and accounting firms have published extensive
coverage of the issue. These professionals can help
their clients meet new legal mandates, reduce operating costs,
and obtain available government rebates by conserving water.
Water
conservation approaches generally fall into two categories:
1. Engineering
practices based on modifications in plumbing, fixtures and
technology
2. Behavior
practices based on changing water use habits
The first approach involves
innovative design techniques as well as cutting edge
technology. Dual flush toilets, for example, have two
separate flush options, one for solid wastes and another for
liquid wastes. With this technology, both flush options
are efficient but the liquid one uses even less water. A
flush for solid waste uses about 1.6 gallons of water per
flush while the liquid waste option only uses about 1.1
gallons.
For commercial building owners,
this means reduced flush water usage of about 32% according to
a recent study by the Department of Agriculture. Realizing
this, managers of large corporate buildings are dramatically
reducing water consumption. The Staples Center, for
example, home to the Los Angeles Lakers and Los Angeles
Clippers, conducted an energy audit and found that each of its
178 urinals used 44,000 gallons a year. By replacing them with
waterless urinals, it has saved more than seven million
gallons and $28,200 annually.
In addition, more cutting edge
technology involves big data analytics, smart devices, and
GPS. Irrigation software systems allow superintendants
and groundskeepers to efficiently operate the entire
irrigation system from their office. With the
click of a mouse and the assistance of graphic screen displays
you can adjust run times, cherry pick individual sprinklers,
and adjust water pressure/distribution on a per sprinkler
basis.
Setting the system so that it
turns itself off automatically when it rains also saves
water. Sensors not only have the ability to sense rain
but also to gauge the level of rainfall or moisture in the
soil and adjust water distributions accordingly. Other
systems collect data from radio receivers that continuously
gather precipitation and humidity data from weather
stations. The data helps the computer make a decision on
how much water to distribute at any given time. GPS and
aerial photography allow users to simply tap a screen in order
to activate the area that needs irrigation.
Technological innovation as
discussed above is not the only way managers conserve
water. The second approach involves behavioral
practices. Some practical approaches for business
include the following:
• Detecting and
fixing leaks
• Making sure
water pressure is not above 65 psi
• Using
reclaimed water
• Instituting
an employee water conservation awareness and education program
• Conducting a
facility audit to quantify water use
• Dry sweeping
or using a water broom instead of a hose to clean floors,
sidewalks and other hard surfaces
Many of the water conservation
techniques described above are being incentivized by federal
and state governments. In many western states, typical
commercial rebates are available for the use of water
efficient technology such as, high efficiency toilets,
low-flow faucets, grass replacement, rotating sprinkler
nozzles, and other efficient water use and irrigation
technologies. In many regions, commercial interest in
such rebates has been so overwhelming that applications have
been limited to a first-come first serve basis.
With the growing worldwide water
shortage problem, businesses around the globe are conserving
water to save on operating costs. The need to conserve
is forcing innovative developments in water technology while
managers are beginning to think about organizational behavior
to reduce water usage. Rebates are available to commercial
users for water conservation efforts.