Don’t let huge water bills increase your business’s overhead costs. Cut them down. Start with an energy audit. With an energy audit, you can identify cost-saving opportunities. It helps you identify areas your company is wasting water. Before switching to a new supplier via Utility Bidder, conduct a comprehensive audit. So, what’s a water audit? How does it work? Keep reading to find out more about water audits for your company.
Importance
An energy audit can help you identify potential ways of minimizing energy use in your company or home. It provides you with a deeper insight into how energy is used within your facility. The same process can also be utilized to reduce water use.
Water Audits
Carrying out a water use audit is an important step toward understanding how water is used within your facility. Plus, it allows you to determine effective ways of reducing wastage. Your auditor will carefully assess water use from the entrance through its discharge into the sewer.
They’ll identify all points of water use within your facility and estimate the amount of water consumed at each of these points. And this will make it easier for you to quantify unaccountable losses and potential leaks.
Deeper Insights
A water-use audit simply provides you with a deeper insight into potential savings and implementation costs. Not only do these audits consider water quantity, but they also delve into water quality. One way of reducing water bills is recycling or tapping rainwater.
Water use audits often examine mechanical systems, irrigation systems, sanitation, building processes, as well as the maintenance department.
Steps
Step One: Water Inventory
As a facility executive, you need to know exactly how water is used within your facility. To achieve this, you must develop an inventory of all water points together with their respective flow rates.
Walk through the facility and identify all water points. The inventory should typically include the location, as well as its flow rate. Don’t forget to check your building’s mechanical systems. According to research, mechanical systems account for almost thirty percent of the water used in an average building.
Start with a walk-through of the facility, identifying every point in which water is used. For items such as toilets and faucets, the inventory should include the item, its location, and its flow rate. If the facility has low-flow fixtures or if flow restrictors have been installed, identify them on the inventory.
Refrigeration units and irrigation systems are other major sources of water wastage. Cooling and heating systems can be very heavy consumers of water. Your inventory record should include the item installed, its location, and its flow rate.
Step Two: Metering
Don’t just rely on a single master meter. Reading from such meters will only indicate how your facility compares to other companies. However, it won’t show where and how to reduce water use. To identify possible areas of water use reduction, opt for submetering.
Ideally, the submeters should be installed in individual zones and floors. Cooling towers and heating systems will each require a separate submeter. It’s imperative to note that each meter reading should be taken every month. If you think that a certain meter reading is high, then it’ll be advisable to check the meter reading at least twice every day. Doing this will provide you with a baseline on how to minimize water use in your facility.
Step Three: Practices
Preventive maintenance practices can play a significant role in reducing your company’s overall operating costs. However, most facilities haven’t yet implemented preventive maintenance steps to specifically address water use. When was the last time you checked your faucets or flush valves for leaks? Do you often test your cooling systems to determine if the flow rate is appropriate? Do you have a mechanism in place for reviewing water use within your facility?
Well, if you haven’t done that yet, then it’s time you invest in preventive maintenance. This is the only way you can save water and lower your water bills.
Step Four: The Plan
Devise a water efficiency plan. Once you have gathered information regarding how water is used in your facility, go ahead and create an action plan. The plan should include specific water use reduction goals. Plus, the goals should be measurable and realistic.
The water audit should pinpoint potential areas of water savings. Even more, it should outline the priorities for implementation based on the benefits and available workforce.
The Benefits
Reducing water consumption will directly result in lower utility costs. Identifying and eliminating potential leaks can help in creating a better work environment for you and your employees. Above all, it can reduce damage to various building components and enhance the public image of your facility.
Reward Employees
As a facility executive, you should recognize and reward those involved in reducing water use in your company. Installing motor sensors can significantly improve your company’s image and foster productivity. During the rainy season, you may want to consider operating in the rain and minimizing your irrigation costs. This won’t just lower your utility costs, but it will also go a long way in creating a positive impression about your brand.
Be Careful
Remember, those around you are carefully watching your steps. They’re keenly watching every move you make. Your actions can either drive them toward or away from your brand. So, be sure to invest in water-saving measures. When people see that you’re mindful of the surrounding environment, they’ll be more attracted to your brand. They’ll want to associate themselves with your facility. And this will directly translate to improved productivity and profitability.
Key Takeaway
Conduct regular water audits to bring down overhead costs in your business. Hire the right auditor. Roll out all the recommendations. Track the results. Hire the right energy manager to help you realize your goals. Involve your employees in decision-making. Reward those employees who save more water.
The Bottom-Line
Carrying out regular water audits has helped many businesses cut down water bills. A water audit will trace or identify areas where you are wasting water. It will reveal why your water bills are so high. The above guide will help you understand all things water audits.