Sustainable Element-
- Water Efficient Landscaping
- Low-Flow Laboratory Toilets and Faucets
The benefits of implementing water efficiency initiatives in buildings include:
- cost savings in annual water bills, particularly when the price of water is likely to increase, based on the current drought conditions
- adding to the corporate image of a business/organization
- reduced energy costs and greenhouse emissions
- helping to ensure water is available for future generations.
Owners play an important role in implementing water efficiency in buildings, particularly when it comes to base building applications such as cooling towers. Owners can initiate larger projects, such as substituting potable water with alternative water sources, along with technologies that use less water and hence provide a substantial reduction in potable water use in a building. Building owners that have driven successful building greening programs gain a corporate reputation boost, government rebates for energy and the potential to access environmentally screened investment funding. Water savings can equal cost savings for owners and tenants.
Benefits for Occupiers:
Working in an environment where water efficiency and sustainability are incorporated into the building can provide a sense of satisfaction and pride to occupiers. Businesses looking for buildings to lease are increasingly requesting buildings that have ESD principles incorporated into them, including water efficiency. Not only does this support a business' sustainability commitment, but also assists in reducing annual water bills.
Sanitary fixtures:
Sanitary fixtures in public, commercial or industrial buildings include toilets, urinals, basin taps, and shower heads.
Waterless Toilets
Although not very common for commercial buildings, urine-separating
toilets separate the waste at the source, and as in composting toilets,
they reduce the nutrient load on the waste-water treatment system, since
approximately 90% of the nutrients in human waste are in the urine. The main advantages of composting toilets are that they require little
or no water for flushing, thus reducing water demand, and they reduce
the quantity and strength of the waste-water to be treated or disposed
and return nutrients to the environment. Waterless toilets operate by collecting wastes in a chamber, where the
waste is aerated and mixed. Carbon-rich mulch is also added to assist
with the decomposition process. They require significant levels of
ongoing maintenance to ensure correct levels of moisture, oxygen,
temperature and carbon are maintained for efficient operation. Taps
Taps can be replaced with water-efficient taps that have inbuilt aerators and/or flow restrictors. Alternatively, aerators and flow restrictors can be installed in existing tapware to improve efficiency. Sensor taps are automatic shut-off taps, such as push-button or lever-operated taps that shut off automatically after a set time to reduce the potential for taps to be left running too long or not turned off.
Storm Water
'Storm-water can be captured and stored in underground tanks and engineered detention basins.
Groundwater is typically more saline than storm-water, and therefore the storm-water floats on the top of the groundwater' Strategic Planning:
The developement of a water management plan-
- assessment of existing water consumption and end uses — looking at water bills, metering, water-using equipment and systems
- setting targets and benchmarks —provide clearly defined goals to work towards
- identifying opportunities for water efficiency improvements and rectifying losses
- implementing the plan and providing actions, timing, responsibilities, and costs
- monitoring and reporting.
