Businesses of all kinds use a lot of water, no matter what industry they might be a part of. No matter what your business does or where it’s located, your water bill takes a good chunk out of your monthly budget on a consistent basis. Water conservation is also a big concern of a majority of your customers, especially if you operate in dry western states like California, Arizona, or Colorado.
The key to water conservation for businesses is finding ways to green your operation that not only give you serious street cred with your customers but also add green to your bottom line. The nice thing about water conservation is that it takes minimal investment to realize some pretty serious savings.
Here’s 7 tips to help you save water in your business:
Fix leaky faucets. That little dribble coming out of the faucets probably doesn’t seem like a big deal, especially since you’re probably working hellish hours as it is. But looks can fool you. That dribble can add up to thousands of gallons of water each month, and if it’s the hot side of the faucet that’s leaking, that’s hundreds of dollars in energy bills going down the drain as well. Faucet parts are easy to replace and extremely inexpensive, and there’s really no excuse for letting those dollars leak down the drain.
Retrofit break room and bathroom sinks. Aerators make both bathroom and break room faucets use less water and are easy to install. In the kitchen, install a three compartment sink for washing dishes because the scrape, wash, rinse technique is much more efficient than doing it all in one compartment under a constantly running stream of water. In the bathroom, install automatic faucets that shut off when not in use and retrofit old toilets and urinals with newer, more efficient ones.
Train employees. In the end, all the best water-saving equipment in the world doesn’t do you a bit of good if your staff doesn’t take conservation seriously. Make it an ongoing issue in staff meetings and during employee training.
Use a foot pedal for handwashing sinks. Foot or knee pedals serve two purposes: they allow your staff to turn water on and off without contaminating their freshly washed hands, and they shut off automatically, which can save an astounding amount of water.
Compost food waste. Instigating a compost program means staff must scrape food bits into your compost bin instead of washing it into the garbage disposal. That means significant water savings. A compost program has the added benefit of giving you additional green credentials for your customers as well.
Landscape with conservation in mind. Many businesses not only use water inside the building but outside as well. If you have any landscaping going on outside, follow water conservation best practices to keep water usage down. This includes watering during the coolest times of the day, using plants that are from the region and therefore can survive in the local climate with minimal watering, and minimizing big water users like grass.
Sweep and mop instead of spray. It may seem easier to just spray down dirty floors and outside areas to keep them clean, but it’s certainly not cheaper. Investing in some good old fashioned janitorial cleaning supplies like mops and brooms means some major water savings. It might be a little more work for your staff, but those savings on the water bill will also help you pay their salary.
Finally, after you’ve put all the time into using the above tips to make your business one lean, green, water-saving machine, make sure you tell your customers all about it! You’ve worked hard to cut water usage, and perhaps the biggest reward you deserve is appreciation and increased loyalty from your customers. Incorporate your efforts into your marketing campaigns. It’ll surprise you just how effective a green message is in improving your name in the eyes of customers.
