Use this information to identify practices that can improve your water use efficiency and improve your bottom line. Remember, water savings often bring energy savings, too.
Bathrooms and Restrooms
- Replace toilets and urinals with ultra-low-flow models that use 1.28 gallons per flush (gpf) and .0128 gpf, respectively. Select WaterSense labeled products to ensure best performance.
- Replace faucets that use as much as 2.5 gallons per minute (gpm) with low-flow models. In many instances, existing faucets can be retrofitted with low-volume aerators.
- Replace showerheads with low-flow models.
Building Maintenance
- Develop a proactive plan to prevent leakage as much as possible. A single leaking toilet can waste more than 50 gallons of water each day, and a dripping faucet or showerhead can waste up to 1,000 gallons of water a week.
- Ensure facility is equipped with one or more private shut-off valves. They can be used when emergency repairs are needed, and they also can be used to isolate areas to assist with identifying leaks and equipment malfunctions.
- Shut off water supply to any areas or any equipment not in use.
- Monitor monthly water meter reading to assist with identifying leaks or other use issues as quickly as possible. The Tampa Water Department can assist with establishing a general water use baseline number that can help with using monthly demand as an alert to possible leakage.
Cleaning
- Avoid “wet” carpet cleaning methods; switch to steam or “dry” powder methods.
- Change window cleaning from periodic schedule to “as required.”
- Use a broom or sweeping equipment rather than a hose to clear sidewalks, driveways, loading docks and parking lots.
- Wash vehicles only as needed.
Heating and Cooling
- Operate your cooling tower with six or seven cycles of concentration for best water efficiency.
- Consider installing a pre-treatment process, such as softening, for cooling tower make-up water to reduce total demand.
Kitchens
- Turn off continuous flow used to wash the drain trays of beverage dispensers. Clean as needed.
- Adjust ice machines to dispense less ice if ice output not being fully used. Consider replacing older model ice makes with water-efficient models.
- Replace automatic pre-rinse spray nozzles with low-volume models using no more than 1.5 gallons per minute (gpm).
- Turn off food preparation faucets when not in use. Consider installing foot triggers for efficient on-offs.
- Recycle water from steam tables for other uses, such as floor clean-up or flushing of garbage from disposal units.
Landscaping
- Apply Florida-Friendly Landscaping™ practices, including right plant, right place.
- Irrigate according to local restriction allowances, and avoid irrigation during windy periods.
- Use low-volume irrigation for all irrigated non-turf areas. Ensure that low-volume irrigation is not mixed with irrigation for turf areas.
- Adjust irrigation schedules and landscape maintenance practices for seasonal changes. Excessive or unnecessary irrigation can result in plant damage.
- Ensure automatic irrigation equipment includes a state-required working rain shut-off device.
- Avoid excessive run-off, misdirected sprinklers and obstructions that may prevent water from reach the intended location within irrigated areas.
- Be sure all hoses are equipped with automatic shut-off nozzles.
- Investigate the use of reclaimed water for irrigation.
Swimming Pools
- Lower pool levels to avoid splash out.
- Change back-flush schedule from periodic to “as required.”
- Use a pool cover to reduce evaporation and heat loss when pool is not in use.