Installing the new low-flow fittings is a good way to start a water-conservation program. The cost of water use, especially hot water, is rising rapidly. In fact, the cost to heat hot water in some facilities can be greater than space-heating costs. Consequently, a modest reduction in water use can result in much lower costs.

Then multiply these savings from these products by the number of patients in a hospital, students in a school, or employees in a commercial or government office building. The result often is impressive savings. And at the same time, the use of well-designed plumbing products adds to the health and comfort of users.

Managers should consider the applicability of these water-saving products and technology:

Water filters.
Water filters can reduce stains on fixtures and corrosion in piping. Stains result from minerals or other chemicals in the water, such as iron, sulfur, chlorine and help alleviate low pH and turbidity. Iron leaves a rust-colored stain on sinks and toilets. Sulfur causes a strong odor and can corrode pipes, drains and appliances that use water. Low-pH water often leaves a bluish-green stain on copper pipes and corrodes pipes and drains. Turbidity, or suspended solids in water, can make it cloudy and foul pipes and drains.

If testing reveals the presence of any of these contaminants in a facility's water, it is wise to invest in a filter system customized to facility needs. It will pay for itself in improved performance, longer piping-system life and lower cost.

Low-flow fittings.
Investing in low-flow aerator nozzles for sinks reduces water use. The volume consumed varies widely from fixture to fixture. For example, up-to-date sink faucets with low-flow aerators can cut water flow rate in half to 0.5 gallons per minute (gpm).

Also, specifying battery-operated, no-hands faucets not only lowers water use. It also creates a healthier environment by eliminating the possible transfer of germs by handling the faucets. No-hands faucets deliver water only when a user places hands under the faucet and breaks a sensor beam that turns on the water. When the beam is restored, the sensor turns off the flow.

Low-flow flush valves.
Low-flow designs for urinals and toilets are also available in flush valves with battery-operated, no-hands operation. Urinal flush-valve volume varies from 1- 1.5 gpm, a 50 percent variation. Toilet flush-valve volumes vary from 1.6-4.5 gallons per minute, a 180 percent variation. By sizing the valves' flow rates for optimum performance, managers can save significantly on the water bill.

A cautionary note: the goal is optimum flow, not minimum flow. A common complaint heard is that low-flow fixtures are not strong enough and, in fact, can cause stoppages by failing to flush completely.

Pending legislation would remove mandatory low-flow rates, so managers should check local codes and talk to building inspectors before finalizing specifications.

Managers can save water and improve cleanliness at the same time by retrofitting existing valves with the automatic, battery-operated, vandal-resistant type, or replacing the old manual valves with the new automatic type.

If the concern is that batteries will fail, causing the units to fail, don't worry. Battery-operated automatic valves continue to operate several thousand cycles after the low-battery warning light comes on, allowing plenty of time to replace batteries.

Water leak awareness.
An often overlooked but effective way to conserve water is to repair leaks in faucets, toilet valves, fittings and pipes right away. Even a slowly dripping faucet or fitting can waste hundreds of gallons. Here is a way to measure the loss and get management's support to upgrade fixtures: Place a 1 -gallon container under the leak, and measure the time it takes to fill. There are 8,760 hours in a year, so if it takes one hour to fill, then the leak wastes 8,760 gallons a year. To calculate the cost of this leak, multiply this number by the cost per gallon rate.

Lower energy use.
Energy-efficient water heaters also save money. In facilities that haven't replaced the water heater recently, managers might be in for a surprise because new models are more energy efficient than existing models. External water-heater insulation can further lower energy use.

Also, if a system uses a 140-degree temperature setting, lowering it to 120 degrees can produce more energy cost savings with no impact on users, especially if this is done by replacing orretrofitting plumbing fixtures with the lowflow products that reduce hot water demand.

A Manager's Role
Managers can support the plumbing program by providing sufficient labor and material budgets for the proper specification and upgrading of plumbing products. In addition, there are two other ways that management can provide support - including all plumbing in the preventive maintenance program and scheduling frequent inspections to ensure proper maintenance and custodial care.

This management support provides motivation for staff to specify improved products, keep plumbing products and systems well maintained and in good condition, and look for ways to continuously improve product technology and lower costs.

Managers also can obtain additional information from many plumbing material sources and guides to optimize the specification process for plumbing fixtures. Supplier catalogs in both hard copy and CD versions contain much useful information about design features and specifications.

Above article appeared previously in the December 2001 issue of Maintenance Solutions.