A PRESENTATION FOR

Building Operating Management

Addressing Water Conservation in Commercial

Facilities

Water

• As many areas across the country experience water shortages, water authorities are promoting the need for water efficiency through mandates as well as rebates.

• Facility executives are recognizing the problem as well and are taking on water conservation projects more frequently and with better success. 

• Partly due to better technology and partly due to the public relations value of sustainable strategies, water conservation is slowly catching up with energy on facility executives’ priority scale. 

Skeptics

• Can new plumbing methods and technologies really save money?

• Can the return be measured accurately enough to justify an upgrade?

• The answer to both questions is an unqualified yes.

Where to start?

Before water efficiency measures can be employed, however, facility executives should understand:

• How water is used in their buildings

• What technologies are best suited to create water, energy and costs savings

Intent of today’s webcast

• Approach to Sustainable Facility

• The role of metering in understanding water use

• The new LEED prerequisite mandating a 20 percent reduction in water use

• Water and energy

• Water efficiency opportunities beyond the bathroom (cooling tower reclaim, or graywater recycling)

Facility Sustainable Goals

Aggressive Approach

Code MinimumApproach

Moderate Approach

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Aim High

Metering

• How can you know how much water a building is using without a monitoring system

• The role of metering in understanding water use

• Facility cash register

• How can you know if water and money is flowing down the drain?

Metering - Green Lease

Many owners lease their facility with no way to track energy and water cost. To respond there is a trend for green leasing that will help tenants reap rewards for reducing water and energy.

• Radical departure for most Landlords and Tenants

• Data that shows that tenants will use less water and energy when they have meters and pay their own water and energy bill

• Green Leases should provide for metering or submetering electricity and water use

BOMA’s new Guide to Writing a Commercial Real Estate Lease Including Green Lease Language www.boma.org

Metering - Green Lease

• Address the cost and responsibility of installing the meters, periodically reading the meters and sharing the data

• Landlord and Tenant should have the right to actual usage data – agree on how the data can be used

• Reward the party who bears the costs with some or all of the benefits so there is an appropriate ROI and payback period.

ModerateApproach

What to Meter

• Municipal water to building• Irrigation• Mechanical system water• Cooling towers• Boiler/Heating system• Domestic hot water• Food service water heater• Food service domestic water• Other non-potable water uses

(process water) sterilizers,

air compressors, water filtration systems, laundry, vehicle wash

• Rainwater catchment • Graywater - from showers,

lavatories and washing machines 1• Blackwater - from flush fixtures 11

Meter system should have electric capabilities to connect to a building management system with data collection and leak detection capabilities

ModerateApproach

Meters are a great benefit to the Building operator when they know what to meter.

Public Meter

Install a public meter at the building entrance

• Public display showing water use

• Compare water usage with a similar building

• Government buildings give taxpayers a way to monitor water usage

• List water efficiency strategies at work in the building

• Work with building management system

• Provide a contact with building operations when they see problems

Aggressive Approach

Meter Measure and Verification

• Operations set up a M+V program

• Refer to USGBC LEED Existing Building Operations and Maintenance Rating

• Conduct regular water audits

Water Alarm

• Develop an alarm program

• Cooling tower make up

• Sticking flush valve

• Monitor and locate building water leaks

Benefits of Sub-metering

• Minimal installation cost on New Construction

• Easier to lease space

• Monitoring cost reduces costs

• Minimize water damage from leaks

• Reduces building mold

Benefits of Sub-metering

• Move operations cost to department cost

• Organizations departments are responsible for water and utility costs

• Organizations departments are rewarded with water and energy reductions

USGBC LEED 20% Pre-req.

• The new LEED 2009 prerequisite mandates a 20 percent reduction in water use

• New baseline calculations make it harder to get Water Efficiency Credits when compared to LEED 2.2

LEED 2009

Comparison of Water Use Reduction in LEED-NC v2.2 and LEED 2009

In LEED-NC v2.2, projects that achieve:

• a 20% reduction in water use earn 1 point,• a 30% reduction in water use earn 2 points, and• a 40% reduction in water use earn 3 points

LEED 2009 makes the 20% water use reduction a prerequisite, and credits are then awarded as follows:

• a 30% reduction earns 2 points• a 35% reduction earns 3 points• a 40% reduction earns 4 points

Review Technologies

Newton’s Law of Flushing

• It takes 1.6 gallons of water to flush a toilet

• It takes 1 gallon of water to flush a urinal

• It takes two gallons a minute to wash hands

• Showers shall use a minimum of 2.5 gallons per minute to wash off a large American body

• Let it be said – Let it be done – Let it be so for ever and ever. So says the Newton’s Law of Flushing

Low Flow Water Closets

• Recent advancements have allowed toilets to use 20 (1.28 gpf) percent less water than the current federal standard, while still providing equal or superior performance

• Piston type valves

• Spec valve and bowl

AggressiveApproach

Dual Flush Water Closets

• Two methods of flushing

• One option will flush the same 1.6 gallons of water as the conventional water closet

• The full-flush option only when flushing solid wastes out of the bowl

Low Flow Lavatory

• The base design for LEED allows for 2.2-gallons-per-minute lavatories. Low-flow lavatories are rated around 1.8 GPM

• Some low flow lavatories are rated at .5 gallons per minute and work well in public applications

Low Flow Showers

• The Clean Water Act of 1991 requires that the maximum flow is 2.5 gallons flow per minute A code minimum building will use 2.5 GPM showers

• A Moderate Sustainable Approach is to use a shower systems that uses less than 2.5 GPM

• An Aggressive Sustainable Approach could use a 2.0 GPM shower system but not less

Aggressive Approach

Shower System

• Use a shower system that includes a shower head and mixing valve

• Do not install a low flow head on a mixing valve not rated for low flow because of scalding issues

• Staff will have to keep shower heads clean of debris that reduce flow

Low Flow Urinals

• Standard Urinals use 1 gallon per flush

• Low flow urinals use .5 gallons per flush

• What you need to know○ Installation same as standard○ Maintenance same as standard○ Cost is usually the same as

standard fixtures

• Ultra low-flow urinals will use as low as .125 gallons per flush○ Urinal and flush meter have to be used together as one unit○ Cost more○ Installation the same as standard○ User will not notice difference○ Sensor operated

Ultra low-flow urinal

Aggressive Approach

Non-Water Urinals

• Use virtually no water

• Not connected to the building potable water system

• Because they use no water they add very little flow to the building sewer flow

Aggressive Approach

How they work

• Looks like a normal fixture with no flush valve• A special trap seal liquid material • Urine pass through • Sewer gasses does not enter into the toilet room

What do I need to know?

• Check local requirements

• Try one out first

• Wipe clean daily – wash out – replace

• Install Hot water hose bibb near fixtures

What do I need to know?

• Install downstream of regularly used fixture

• Renovation check for two seals

• Renovation long bolts install tight to wall

• Renovation – Slope rough in back to main

Water Sense

• WaterSense, a partnership program sponsored by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, makes it easy for Americans to save water and protect the environment. Look for the WaterSense label to choose quality, water-efficient products.

• http://www.epa.gov/watersense/

Water and Energy

• Will reducing water usage reduce energy usage?

20% California Energy used in Water Systems

www.energy.ca.gov

2005 IEPR, Chapter 8 Integrating Water and Energy Strategies

http://www.energy.ca.gov/2005publications/CEC-100-2005-007/CEC-100-2005-007-CMF.PDF

California’s Water-Energy Relationship-Final Staff Report

http://www.energy.ca.gov/2005publications/CEC-700-2005-011/CEC-700-2005-011-SF.PDF

Water-Related Energy Use

Electricity (GWh)

Natural Gas (Mill. Therms)

Diesel (Mill. Gallons)

Water Supply and Treatment Urban 7,554 19 ?

Agricultural 3,188 End Uses

Agricultural 7,372 18 88 Residential

Commercial Industrial

27,887 4,220 ?

Wastewater Treatment 2,012 27 ? TOTAL 48,012 4,284 88 2001 Consumption 250,494 13,571 ? Percent of Statewide Energy Use 19% 32% ?

Water Use Cycle Energy Intensities (kWh/MG)

Collection, Extraction & Conveyance

Water Treatment

End-useAgriculturalResidentialCommercial

Industrial

WaterDistribution

Wastewater Treatment

Wastewater CollectionDischarge

Recycled Water Treatment

Recycled Water Distribution

Source

Source

[0-14,000]

[100-16,000][700-1,200]

[400-1,200]

[1,100-4,600][0-400]

Preliminary Total = 1,900 to 36,200 kWh/MG

Imbedded Energy

• If you reduce both water and wastewater use through conservation, the imbedded energy from the utility standpoint is 2.73 kWh/kgal

• If you reduce water only, it is 2.34 kWh/kgal (1.78+0.56 kWh)

• Example: Toilet retrofit vs. irrigation savings

Beyond Fixtures

Water efficiency opportunities beyond the bathroom

• Cooling tower • Reclaim• Graywater • Recycling• Rainwater

Mechanical Heating and Cooling

• Plumbing fixtures are not the only systems that use water and create waste water in a building.

• 28% of the water used in a typical office building serves the heating and cooling equipment.

Source – Water Smart Guide Book East Bay Municipal Utility District.

Cooling Tower Options

• Water meters should be placed on the cooling tower make-up connection to the domestic water feed.

• A second water meter should be

connected on the cooling tower blow down. Meter systems shall connect to the building management system or to a system from which the building operator can collect water meter.

Aggressive Approach

Cooling Tower Options

• Where condenser water is being lost to the atmosphere, drift eliminators should be used

• In other cases, combination sensible and evaporative type cooling towers are applicable

Cooling towers

• Drift eliminator

• Calculate a preliminary water balance on the proposed water demand to the cooling tower and possible water sources other than municipal water that can supply water to the cooling towers.

• Efficient type facilities should monitor and improve the cooling tower’s "cycles of concentration". This is calculated as the ratio of the concentration of dissolved solids (or conductivity) in the blowdown water compared to the make-up water. The more solids and minerals in the water result in a higher blowdown rate.[1]

[1] http://www1.eere.energy.gov/femp/water/printable_versions/water_bmp10.html U.S. Department of Energy - Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Federal Energy Management Program – Water Efficiency BMP #10 - Cooling Tower Management

Cooling towers

• The goal should be to use no more potable water than 2.3 gallons per ton hour for cooling tower make-up.

• Concentration cycles in cooling towers around the country usually range from 3 to 7. Most systems should have a goal of 5 cycles.

• The plumbing engineer or the mechanical engineer can specify a

conductivity meter in the blow down system that will reduce the amount of water used in the blowdown system. These activities will help achieving the USGBC LEED EB Cooling Tower Water Management Credit.

Water Softeners and Water Filtration

OBJECTIVE• Reduce the amount of potable water wasted with backwashing of water filtration

equipment

BENEFIT• Reduces water usage in cooling towers• Reduces soap usage in large laundries

BACKGROUND• Water flowing through the natural environment collects minerals, and the

amount of minerals in the water is referred to as hardness.

• Mechanical systems require softer water than that received through the city distribution system. If the water is not softened, the minerals can damage mechanical systems Therefore, mechanical chilled water and boiler water systems can have softeners.

Aggressive Approach

Water Softeners and Water Filtration

BACKGROUND Cont.

• Salt is most commonly used as a water softener. When water softeners are used, it is necessary to include a backwash cycle to clean the system. Typically, a timer activates the backwash system at regular times, even if the unit has not been used. As a result, thousands of gallons of water and salt are introduced into the waste stream. Most manufacturers now provide sensors that will activate the backwash only when required by monitoring the hardness of the discharge water. The backwash water is of high quality and can be fed into a graywater or water reuse system.

• Some buildings will require a higher quality of water that will filter out chemical and some biological materials in the water. A common method is using a Reverse Osmosis (RO) system. These systems are used when pure water is required in facilities such as labs and healthcare. These systems will backwash water through the filter system and dump the water into the building drain. This water is relatively high quality and should not be wasted to drain. Specifying a sensor system on these filters will reduce building water consumption.

Graywater Systems

Graywater systems collect rain water or waste water from air conditioning systems, showers, laundries, building process or lavatories and reuse it for landscaping irrigation or the plumbing flush fixtures.

Aggressive Approach

Water BalanceOBJECTIVE• A water balance tracks the water sources and usage on a site.

BENEFIT• Monitoring water sources and uses is a key task to aid the building user to

develop and monitor water saving activities.

• Developing a balanced system will ensure water reuse systems have source water available when there is demand.

• Peak loads can be reduced by moving demand times.

LIMITATIONS• Building operations will need to develop a data reading process.

• Water systems in a building are dynamic. Data used in the design phase to size equipment may need to be fine tuned based on actual building operation. Adjustments to storage systems and pumps may be required.

• Water filtration systems add front end costs and maintenance costs.

Aggressive Approach

Water Balance

BACKGROUND• A building water system -- water flows and uses -- will change throughout

the life of a building. Equipping the building operator with the tools to monitor the water system enables the operator to change the water flow when demand changes.

• Data acquisition begins in the design phase with the calculation of projected flows and continues into operations when real data are collected. As a result, the building design team must incorporate tracking points in the building.

• In buildings with water reuse systems, the water balance calculates the proposed rate of water flow from a building source and balances this with the proposed water flow to a water use. In the design phase, the data are used to size the reuse water filtration, storage, pumping, and piping system. During operation the real data are used to monitor and adjust system storage and pumping needs.

Graywater

• Some codes require blue dye in the gray water system

• Some areas require that the system is built as per purple (Pantone 522C) pipe standards contained in EPA 2004 guidelines for water reuse, the National Standard Plumbing Code and the Uniform Plumbing Code Appendix J

http://www.twdb.state.tx.us/publications/reports/RainwaterHarvestingManual_3rdedition.pdf

RAINWATER CATCHMENT DESIGN AND INSTALLATION

STANDARDSAmerican Society of Plumbing

Engineerswww.ASPE.org

For more information, please contact:www.ssr-inc.comwww.megreenyougreen.comMe Green You GreenLEED CREDIT DATA BANK

Speaker’s contact information:Winston Huff, CPD, LEED® APPlumbing/Fire Protection/Project Manager/Sustainable Coordinator2995 Sidco DriveNashville, TN 37221Smith Seckman Reid, Inc.615-383-1113fax 615-386-8469

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