
Business Habits
With an eye on the bottom line, businesses are quick to implement policies that reduce waste and encourage savings. However, there’s always room for improvement. Consider these ways in which businesses waste water:
· Not creating a written water conservation policy. Having a water conservation policy is an important step in reducing the amount of water your business wastes. However, if that policy isn’t written down, it might as well not exist. Creating a written water conservation policy provides concrete guidelines and expectations that employees can refer to and follow.
· Not incentivizing water conservation. While it’s great to inform employees about water conservation measures through written policies and meetings, incentivizing the process will help motivate employees to find more ways to reduce water usage.
· Not getting professional help. There are many resources a business can rely on for help reducing wasteful water usage. A green plumber can perform a water usage audit and pinpoint ways to repair or upgrade existing plumbing to use water more efficiently. Often, there are rebates and incentives available through local water utilities that make working with a Green Plumber even more affordable. Even doing something as simple as spending a few minutes consulting your local water conservation office’s website can yield tangible results.
Residential Habits
At home, it’s easy to do things like only running full loads of laundry or dishes, but there are plenty of hidden ways residential customers unknowingly waste water:
· Not checking lawn and garden irrigation systems for leaks and damage. This one is easy to overlook, especially if you’re watering late at night or in the early hours of the morning. Water running down the sidewalk or driveway might already be dried up by the time you see your yard. Periodically run your system during daylight hours to inspect sprinklers and hoses for leaks or to see if they need repositioning.
· Not replacing old plumbing fixtures with new, water-efficient models. It’s easy to put off upgrading plumbing fixtures, especially if the existing fixtures seem to work just fine and your water usage hasn’t increased or spiked due to hidden leaks. However, the investment in new fixtures will quickly pay for itself with lower water bills. Even something as relatively small as upgrading your old shower head can result in big savings over a relatively short time period.
· Not collecting rainwater from the roof. This is a huge resource often overlooked by homeowners. What could be better than free water for your garden? A variety of rainwater harvesting options is available, ranging from a simple barrel to more complex systems that allow you to store and use water over a longer time period or divert some of it for other areas.
Your Habits
How did you bust your bad habits? Tell us your water-reducing tips, or contact us to help you bust your water wasting habits.