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    Water Conservation for Property Managers

    As a property manager, I became interested in saving water around 1999 when I started to get the “green bug”. Sharing my experience will hopefully help others in their quest to save water, energy and money on properties they may own or maintain.

    The first step is to share a conservation vision with as many people as possible, especially those who will be part of the conservation program including tenants, property and facility managers, and also those who make the purchasing decisions. Although going green was not as popular back in 1999 as it is today, rarely will anyone argue with saving money.

    For tenants, I explained their new upgrades can help keep their rent or utility bills down, and then they embraced the change. Water/sewer is often included in rent and some tenants consider this as a free utility. Of course it’s not free since the rent is calculated by considering all of its parts – taxes, mortgage, insurance, maintenance and utilities. As a property manager, educating the tenants helps them to understand the contributing factors to their rent.

    While water/sewer is sometimes included in the rent, the hot water heater is more often the tenant’s responsibility. Hot water heaters are commonly electric or gas and make up a good part of the bill. Once I explain that the energy to heat water costs 3-5 times that of the water/sewer itself, most tenants begin to see that they do have something to save/gain by starting to conserve.

    The easiest place to start the water conservation program is in the bathroom. Within less than an hour, you can cut the water usage by 20-50% or even more. Here are my quick and easy steps. Check the toilet for leaks Lift the lid off the tank and drop in one leak detection dye tablet. Wait about 10-15 minutes for the dye to disburse throughout the water. While you are waiting ………..

    Check out the shower

    The shower is a very personal place and some folks can grow very attached to their showerhead. I like to do a before and after test; turn on the shower full blast and check out the flow quality, then switch out the existing showerhead for a lower flow model. If the tenant is watching, get their reaction. Make sure you check the existing flow rate, marked somewhere on the showerhead, so you can measure the savings.

    The last thing you want is for someone to torpedo your conservation effort the minute you walk out the door. If you have chosen a good showerhead, this should become a positive. If the tenant doesn’t like it, find out why and: explain and educate again, try a different low flow model, install a tamperproof model or ask them to just try it for 2 weeks and if they don’t like it they can switch back to their old showerhead. The best time to install a new showerhead is when the unit turns over.

    Some tenants will require a handheld showerhead model. Handhelds are a nice upgrade, offering added height for tall people, and are useful for washing kids and pets or if your tenant is disabled.

    Note on flow rate

    The federal government passed the Energy Policy Act of 1994 which required caps on flow rates in gallons per minute (gpm). The gpm cap for showerheads is 2.5 gpm. Typical flow rates before 1994 were 3-7 gpm.

    Check the Tub

    Now is a good time to make sure the tub spout is not leaking when the shower is on. If there is water coming out of the tub spout while the shower is on, repair or replace the tub spout or diverter.

    Check the Bathroom & Kitchen Sinks

    I check for leaks at the faucet and underneath at the drain. While a leaking drain doesn’t increase the utility bill, it does cause water damage. The trap fittings loosen up over time or get knocked around so make sure all is well. If the faucet is leaking, repair or replace it. Drips add up quickly.

    Next change the faucet aerator to a 1.5, 1.0 or .5 gpm flow rate. Aerators are so inexpensive and readily available. Make a habit to always stock them and install them in all faucets. No one has ever complained about a low flow rate in the bathroom. I use either 1.0 or .5 gpm.

    In the kitchen, where filling pots and washing requires a higher flow rate, 1.5 or 1.0 gpm works best. If the tenant has a swivel sprayer and you replace it with a plain aerator, chances are it will be back on right after you leave. If they don’t have a swivel sprayer, now is a good time for a low cost upgrade. Tenants love upgrades.

    Back to the Toilet

    So it’s been 10-15 minutes now and the dye tablet has turned the toilet water blue. Check the bowl. If it’s blue, even just slightly, the flapper is probably leaking.

    The flapper is the flexible seal that is attached to the chain that is attached the flush lever. When you flush a toilet, the flapper lifts up and the water in the tank moves to the bowl, and then down the drain. Depending on water quality and whether your tenant uses a toilet bowl cleaner in the tank, flappers may last from 2 to 7 years. I always stock flappers and other toilet parts because toilets are notorious for causing high water bills or overloaded septic systems.

    Flappers are the most common cause of toilet leaks but there are other possible problems: fill valve, ball float, overflow tube, chain and handle. Look around and make sure everything is working correctly. If not, consider replacing the parts inside the tank. These parts are readily available at any retail or online hardware store.

    A side note - I once purchased a bank owned property with a “failed septic system”. The bank estimated the repair at $20,000 and, since no one would buy this otherwise fine piece of real estate, I got it below market value. Guess what? Both toilets in the house had bad flappers that I fixed for under $10. The septic was just overloaded and after a few days was back to normal. How’s that for instant equity?!

    Toilet retrofit devices or toilet water savers will help your older toilet to use less water! The two most popular, which I use all of the time are volume displacement bags and fill cycle diverters. Both can be used together to achieve maximum savings.

    Volume displacement bags are pvc or vinyl bags, manufactured for this exact purpose, that are filled with water and hang from the side of the tank. We carry the toilet tank bank, also called a toilet tummy.

    A toilet fill cycle diverter, is a simple plastic device that fits onto the end of the flexible hose and clips over the fill tube. By diverting some of the water that would normally fill the bowl to the tank, up to .5 gallon can be saved. This reduces the water in the bowl only and does not negatively affect flushing.

    Toilet replacement – the most expensive fix – but only in up front costs. I consider the new low flow toilets I install an investment in efficiency. 1.6 gpf is really not necessary when 1.28 or 1.0 gpf models are available. The HETs (high efficiency toilets) can pay for themselves in less than 1 year depending on water/sewer rates. Less maintenance - look for a flapperless or pressure assist toilet to eliminate the problems associated with flapper toilets. I have had water/sewer bills in the hundreds and once over a thousand dollars from running toilets! Even if the tenant is supposed to be responsible for the water/sewer bill they are always reluctant and sometimes unable to pay for a cost spike.

    Recap

    Check for leaks regularly and fix them right away even if it is a just a minor leak. I compare flow rates of existing fixtures and switch to lower flow rates wherever possible.

    I explain and educate tenants, building managers and everyone else who wants to listen. That’s my water conservation story. I wish you success with your water conservation quest!

    Jeff


    Customers Say...
    • I have already recommended you to a friend who is visiting. She is wowwed by the shower and can't wait to get home and see what kind of faucet aerators she has so she can place an order too. Thank you for providing people with such wonderful conservation options. read more>

      - Margarate, CT

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