Office buildings, schools, hotels and other types of commercial buildings use a lot of water in their daily operations. Building owners and managers are becoming increasingly aware of the need to use water more efficiently to reduce their risk due to potential water shortages and increasing costs.
Restrooms are a significant source of commercial building water consumption, but they're often overlooked. With these high-performance upgrades, you can save money by making your restrooms more water-efficient.
High-efficiency toilets
There are an estimated 27 million commercial toilets installed in the U.S., according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). About 26% of these have flush volumes ranging from 3 to 7 gallons per flush (gpf).
If you have older toilets in your facility, replacing them with new, high-efficiency models can lead to substantial water savings. High-efficiency toilets are available with manual or sensor-controlled flush valves. Commercial toilets that meet EPA's WaterSense® label criteria have a maximum flow rate of 1.28 gpf, 20% less than the federal standard. Through our Water Conservation Program, a rebate of $300 is available for a premium high efficiency tank toilet or flushometer valve/bowl combo toilet upgrade. (Must upgrade toilet from 1.6 gpf or greater to a 1.1 gpf or less.)
Ultra low-flow urinals
Urinals can account for a significant portion of indoor water usage in commercial facilities. New Ultra Low Water Urinals use only 0.125 gallons of water or less per flush. These urinals can reduce water consumption by as much as 88%. These fixtures use either a manual or sensor-operated flush valve.
Waterless urinals are also available. These units are able to operate without water, because they use a special trap with lightweight biodegradable oil that lets liquid pass through but prevents odor from escaping into the restroom. A $500 rebate for zero and ultra low water urinal is available through our Water Conservation Program.
For more information about these rebates and other available water conservation rebates visit www.ladwp.com/cwr or call 1-888-376-3314.
Water-efficient faucets
Faucets are another significant energy user in commercial restrooms. The current federal efficiency standard for restroom faucets is 2.2 gallons per minute (gpm), and many older units use much more.
We offer FREE bathroom sink aerators. Change from 2.2 gpm to 1.0 or 0.5 gpm by contacting the Water Conservation Group at (800) 544-4498, then pressing 5. WaterSense-certified restroom faucets use a maximum of 1.5 gpm. By replacing standard faucets with WaterSense products, you can reduce faucet water consumption significantly. by at least 30%
Sensor-operated faucets are also an option. They not only provide touchless convenience, but they potentially reduce consumption by eliminating water waste from faucets being left on when no one is using them.
Maintenance pays off
A leaking toilet can waste 21,600 gallons of water per month, costing your facility more than $2,000 a year, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Leaky restroom faucets can also cost you.
Restroom leaks are not only costly, but they're a bad look for your facility. Fix leaks quickly and implement a preventive maintenance program to regularly check for leaks and other plumbing fixture malfunctions that can cost you.
By combining targeted upgrades with sound restroom maintenance practices, you can save water, energy and money.
