11Simple tips for apartment owners and managersto save water and money
Following these 11 simple tipswill help Long Beach deal with the permanent reduction in Southern California water supplies. The Long Beach Water Department thanks you for all of your efforts!
Conserving water in apartments and condos is very important. Did you know that 35% of the City’s water supply is consumed in apartments and condos?
1. Showerheads: the greatest money-saving action we can take is to install new water-efficient showerheads in our bathrooms. New styles use as little as 1 gallon per minute yet generate a very pleasing and effective high-pressure spray. And they lower our energy bills: people spend about 25% more on natural gas just to heat water for the shower than they pay for the water itself. New showerheads are a low,one-time cost that save you money year-after-year. A 161-unit building in Long Beach reduced water usage by an incredible 49% when they installed new showerheads and toilets!
2.Toilets: if your building doesn’t have the newest high-efficiency toilets, consider using our REBATES to install them now! These very effective toilets use as little as 0.8 gallons per flush. News Alert: about 7% of the water used indoors is “used” by leaks, and most of these leaks are from near-continuous leaks from the toilet tank into the toilet bowl. So installing new very low-flow toilets may also reduce the water being wasted from leaking toilets. For information on these rebates go to our website and click on “Conservation.”
3. Landscape: use our REBATES to install beautiful drought-friendly landscapes that thrive naturally in our semi-arid region; reducing the landscape’s need for water by about 75% when replacing grass! We offer $3.00 per square foot of grass that you replace. See our award-winning website for program details:
4. Landscape: use our REBATES to install high-quality sprinkler nozzles that can reduce water use by 15% to 25%. These nozzles not only use less water, but they do a better job of irrigating your landscape – for a real “win-win.” For information on these rebates go to our website and click on “Conservation.”
5. Landscape: A landscape’s need for water changes as often as the weather. Use our REBATES to install a high-quality irrigation controller that automatically waters more or less as the weather changes. For information on these rebates go to our website and click on “Conservation.”
6. Landscaping crews: one of the biggest problems with over-use of water is this: the landscape maintenance crews feel they are judged by how lush they keep the landscape and how clean they keep the sidewalk, not by how much money they save the property owner when they save water. Consequently landscape crews tend to over water the landscape and waste too much water hosing down concrete. Our TIP to you: communicate with your landscape crews that using only enough water needed to keep the landscape healthy is a priority; work with them to install and understand the water-efficient equipment such as the nozzles and irrigation controllers we offer rebates on.
7. Hosing down walkways and other outdoor areas: It is a violation of the City's water-use restrictions to hose down walkways and other outdoor areas because it wastes tremendous amounts of water and causes many kinds of pollutants to flow into our storm drains. However, certain pressure washers are allowed because they use very little water and they clean these outside areas very well. Click here for information on qualifying pressure washers.
8. Leaks: leaks are a real money waster. They provide no benefit to you or your tenants, can damage your property, and drive up your water and sewer bills. Implement a monthly preventive-maintenance program: check the irrigation system for leaks, repeatedly ask tenants to report leaks to you, and track your monthly water bill for spikes in usage that might indicate a leak.
9. Clothes washers: do you have common-area clothes washing machines? Like the newer showerheads, newer models of clothes washers greatly reduce water use AND the energy needed to heat the water wasted by older machines. For information on these rebates go to our website and click on “Conservation.”
10. Involve your employees by teaching them water awareness. Post signs throughout your buildings. Once employees start thinking about their water use, water consumption usually decreases.
11. Set a conservation goal. It is important to have realistic goals, but goals high enough to require substantial effort. Allow these goals to serve as performance measures. They will illustrate the effectiveness of your water conservation program.
The Long Beach Water Department is here to help. If you would like more information, or would like to schedule a water audit for your property, please give us a call.
Joyce Barkley
Water Conservation Specialist
(562)570-2311
1800 E. Wardlow Road
Long Beach, CA 90807