A few years back, the City of San Jose's Environmental Services Department conducted a study to determine where water is most frequently used in public and private buildings in the city. This covered usage in office skyscrapers as well as schools, small office buildings, medical centers including hospitals, retail outlets, and more. 

Studies like this have been conducted in other municipalities, but they all tend to be slightly different. One of the key reasons for this is climate. 

For instance, San Jose has a relatively mild climate. While it does get cold and it does get hot, compared to other parts of the country, the cool temperatures and the hot temperatures are relatively mild.

But this does impact how much water is used in facilities. In San Jose, specifically because of the mild climate:

· A larger amount of water goes for cooling facilities year-round than it does in other parts of the country.

· Because many facilities in San Jose are landscaped, with vegetation growing year-round, San Jose facilities use more water for landscaping than comparable facilities in a cold winter climate.

However, even when these climate issues are factored in, the study found that San Jose buildings consume water in many of the same ways as other comparable buildings around the country.  

Here is what they also uncovered:

• In most office buildings in San Jose, and around the country, most of the water consumed in the facility, approximately 40 percent, is used in restrooms.

• About a third is used for cooling.

• Twenty percent for landscaping, and the rest was listed as "other."

• In hospitals, 40 percent of the water is used in patient bathrooms and public restrooms, 13 percent for cooling and heating, and the rest is evenly divided for laundry use, landscaping, kitchen, and medical uses. (Note: Water used for cleaning was not factored into the water-consumption in the study.)

• In hotels and motels, 30 percent of water is used in guest rooms and public restrooms, once again the most significant area of water consumption. Kitchens, laundries, and landscaping follow. Interestingly, cooling and heating came in at about 15 percent each. This percentage was expected to be higher.

So, what does this tell us?

Very simply, if a facility is looking for ways to reduce water consumption, the first place to look – and what may be the only place they need to look – is in the restrooms. With that said, by now most of us know the two big steps that need to be taken:

1.   Install aerators. Very inexpensive, yet amazingly effective at reducing water consumption.

2.   Fix leaks.

Leaks are one of the number one ways water is wasted in virtually all facilities. But here are two more ways you may not be aware of that have the potential to reduce water consumption significantly:

Create a Restroom Fixture Replacement Program. Instead of taking a reactive stance, and replacing restroom fixtures when they wear out, take a proactive stance, and replace them before they wear out. This saves water, is a cost-savings, especially now, because many communities offer tax rebates to upgrade restroom fixtures,  and prevents emergency water situations.

Select fixtures based on water consumption. Let's face it. Most restroom fixtures look pretty much the same. Further, most are made well.  However, unless décor is a paramount issue, the deciding factor when selecting restroom fixtures should be how much water the fixture consumes. 

Taking this a step further, no-water fixtures, such as waterless urinals, should always be considered because they are the ultimate water savers. In fact, many building owners and manager find the most significant step they can take in reducing water consumption is accomplished by simply installing waterless urinals.