Be green by saving some blue! Houstonians are blessed with the vast natural resources that comprise our beautiful bayous, wetlands, and prairies! We must not take our water resources for granted. Improve your office building by adopting water saving and stormwater treatment technologies, many of which are available at a very low cost.
View presentations on Reducing Water Use and Alternative Energy from 2011, given by HGOC Sponsors Shell and Siemens.
Click logos below to download presentations.
Tracking Water Use
Before you explore how to decrease your building’s water use, you first need to understand how much water your building consumes. EPA’s Portfolio Manager can help you with this step.
- You will need to gather your water bills from the last 12 months so that you can create a baseline to determine the amount of water your building has used.
- After you determine how much water your building uses, it’s time to explore which water saving devices will best fit your needs and budget. This is also an opportune time to discuss water saving habits with tenants and encourage them to install water saving appliances in tenant spaces.
Making Improvements
Not surprisingly, the greatest opportunities for water conservation in commercial buildings are found in kitchens and washrooms. However, if your property has any major landscaping or water features, you can improve water efficiency by installing low-drip irrigation systems, drought-tolerant plant species, and water recycling technologies.
Kitchen and Washroom Water Efficiency
- Brainstorm which devices you want to install to save water.
- Browse EPA approved aerators and research vendors that are within your price range. Consult the Green Building Resource Center for local vendors.
- Install faucet aerators with a target flow rate of 1.0 gpm.
- Install water conserving devices on your building’s toilets, and consider installing WaterSense™ certified toilets and dual-flush toilets.
- If you install new faucets or toilets, please recycle or donate the old ones!
- Be sure to measure your water savings with EPA’s Portfolio Manager!
