New Report: California Businesses Could Save More Than
Enough Water to Supply Los Angeles, San Diego and San Francisco
In the midst of a third consecutive dry year, California's water supply
continues to shrink as the state’s population grows, but according to a new
report by the Natural Resources Defense Council, the state’s commercial,
industrial and institutional (CII) sector has the tools to save more than
enough water to meet the annual needs of Los Angeles, San Francisco and San
Diego combined. Some leading California businesses and institutions are
already catching on — saving water and money at the same time.
"After three consecutive dry years and global warming threatening to
intensify California’s droughts, we need smart-water solutions that that
will stop waste and help businesses use only what they need," said Ronnie
Cohen, Director of Water Efficiency Policy for the Natural Resources Defense
Council. "Luckily, 21st-century technologies exist to stretch our water
supply and save money. And some trailblazing California businesses and water
agencies are already showing us how it’s done."
In February of 2008, Governor Schwarzenegger called for a 20 percent
reduction in per capita water use by 2020, and legislation to help reach
that target is currently pending in the State Assembly (AB 49). California’s
CII sector — which includes office buildings, hotels, oil refineries, golf
courses, schools and universities, restaurants and manufacturers — is
responsible for one-third of urban water use, making progress in this sector
essential to reaching this reduction goal. The CII sector uses the
equivalent of more than a million Olympic-sized swimming pools of water
annually. NRDC estimates California businesses could save about 25-50
percent of that water with efficiency measures, or as much as 700,000 -1.3
million acre-feet — the equivalent to 350,000-650,000 Olympic-sized swimming
pools.
Water efficiency improves water quality, supply and ecosystem health by
reducing polluted landscape runoff and the amount of water taken out of
rivers and streams – making it an important tool in managing the troubled
San Francisco Bay-Delta, and restoring the state’s quarter billion dollar
salmon fishery. Water efficiency has also proven to be good for the bottom
line of businesses, as it lowers water bills and energy costs, as well as
wastewater charges and costs for chemicals and water purification.
Payback for investing in water-efficient technologies is between one and
four years. Many water agencies help accelerate payback by providing free
water audits, equipment and technology rebates, and in some cases, free
water-efficient products and installation.
While the CII sector has made some progress over the last decade, there is
still a tremendous potential for improving their water efficiency and
lowering their bills. For example, the report reveals:
* Commercial dishwashers use 25 percent of the water in commercial kitchens.
A water-efficient commercial dishwasher would reduce that water use by 25
percent. Commercial kitchens can also save up to $1,050 a year on energy and
water bills with a water-efficient pre-rinse spray valve, and cut faucet
water use and related bills in half with a low flow faucet aerator, which
run less than $5 each.
* The average hotel will use more than 604,000 gallons of water every year
just to wash bed sheets and towels. If that hotel installs a water-efficient
washing machine, it can cut that number by 38 percent.
* Landscaping, such as at office parks, schools, parks and street medians,
is responsible for one-third of the CII sector’s water use. But with smart
irrigation controllers that adjust for weather conditions, commercial-sized
landscapes can reduce water use by 40-50 percent.
* Restrooms are responsible for 15 percent of CII water use. But low-flow
showerheads, which can be purchased in bulk for $5-12 each, can save two to
3.5 gallons of water per shower, and more efficient toilets and urinals
could save 35,000-64,000 gallons a year.
Performance Leaders Are Already Reaping the Benefits
In this new report, NRDC demonstrates how businesses and water agencies
across California are already taking steps to reduce water use.
Based in Mountain View, Calif., Intel has saved enough water through
efficiency measures since 1995 to supply 180,000 homes for a year. At their
plant in Santa Clara, they developed a recycling system that allows them to
take leftover water and use it for on-site cooling and landscaping. They
also replaced water-intensive air scrubbers with alternative technology to
reduce emissions.
In California’s Coachella Valley, the owners of Desert Willow Golf Course
built a course irrigated almost entirely with recycled water in the arid
area known for its golf. Not only does it use recycled water to replenish
the course, it was designed to need less water, by including less turf grass
and more desert plants. These technologies have saved the business $84,600 a
year, and enough water to meet the needs of 565 families of four.
Fetzer Vineyard in Mendocino County is a water-saving star of the wine
industry, using about 75 percent less water than their competitors. On
average, it takes about eight gallons of water to make a bottle of wine –
but Fetzer has managed to cut their process down to just over two gallons
per bottle. Water meters to regulate their usage help them find and repair
leaks more easily. And they use aeration ponds to treat their own wastewater
and use it to irrigate their organic grapes and landscaping. These measures
allow them to save 8 million gallons of water a year
These are just a few of the examples listed in the report, which provides
case studies and a reference for other CII facilities and urban water
agencies to begin taking advantage of similar savings opportunities.
The Natural Resources Defense Council is a national, nonprofit organization
of scientists, lawyers and environmental specialists dedicated to protecting
public health and the environment. Founded in 1970, NRDC has 1.2 million
members and online activists, served from offices in New York, Washington,
Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Beijing.
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