The Big Difference Between Water Conservation and Water Efficiency

When most people hear these two terms – water conservation and water efficiency - they assume they mean the same thing.

But that is not correct. While both refer to reducing water consumption, each one reflects an entirely different approach.

As to water conservation, a noted water conservation expert and author, Amy Vickers, defined it as follows: “Water conservation is the beneficial reduction in water loss, waste, or use.” The goal, according to Vickers, is to use just enough water at the moment and as needed when brushing teeth, for instance, or using the dishwasher.

On the other hand, Vickers defines water efficiency as the “minimization of the amount of water used to accomplish a function, task, or result.” It’s long-term, says Vickers, not just for the moment.

Let’s use the dishwasher an example. A family has decided only to use their dishwasher when it is full. By doing so, they are not wasting water by cleaning just a few dishes at a time. This is water conservation, and by the way, a very good practice.

However, what if our family selects a new dishwasher that uses a third less water than their current model. Now we are talking about water efficiency. Water efficiency relies on well-engineered products and fixtures like dishwashers that use reduced quantities of water.  It can also apply to fixtures such as low-flow toilets and showerheads, all of which use less water over the long term.

Further, when it comes to water efficiency, we should also add waterless urinals to the list of efficient products and fixtures.  This is because waterless urinals are engineered to work effectively using no water at all.  That is the ultimate in water efficiency.

Along with long-term water reduction, one of the significant benefits of water efficiency is lowered water costs. This is because water use and water costs are closely interconnected.

Each year, water costs are increasing in residential and commercial facilities. Since 2010, water-related costs have gone up more than thirty percent. And now, with inflation, they are expected the go up even faster in many parts of the country in a relatively short time.

This means that water rates in the country will likely double before we know it.  This will have the most impact on those not taking steps now to install water-efficient toilets, urinals, and other water-using devices.

But there is one more thing we need to keep in mind, and this is becoming a growing concern. Using our dishwasher example once again, let’s say that because our family knows they are using so much less water by selecting a water efficient dishwasher, they stop limiting their use of the machine to only those times when they wash a full load. After all, the new dishwasher uses a third less water than the old one, so what’s the big concern?

Here’s the problem with this thinking. While it’s true the new dishwasher uses less water per use, by using it more frequently, over the long term we may actually be using more water than we were using before. We’ve tossed all our water use responsibility out the window.

 This is known as the rebound effect, and it is all too common.  We find this happing when we are trying to reduce consumption, not only of water, but other natural resources.

What we need to remember is this: always have a conservation mindset. Whenever we can use less of any resource, in this case water, and still meet our needs, it’s better for the planet, protects natural resources, and saves money too.

Klaus Reichardt is CEO and founder of Waterless Co, Inc, Vista, Calif.  Reichardt founded the company in 1991 with the goal of establishing a new market segment in the plumbing fixture industry with water efficiency in mind. Reichardt is a frequent writer and presenter, discussing water conservation issues.  He can be reached at klaus@waterless.com.

NEWS: Study Finds Silver Lining in Water Scarcity

The western half of the United States has experienced severe drought conditions for several years.

While 2022 is starting out as a “wet” year, our problems are from over.

According to Klaus Reichardt, CEO and Founder of Waterless Co Inc., “long-term, most water experts predict parts of the country will have chronic water scarcity issues for decades to come. We welcome the moisture, but it’s probably transitory.”

However, water scarcity has produced a silver lining, according to a new study just released by Pennsylvania State University on January 10, 2022. 

According to the researchers, companies that use large amounts of water, for instance, in manufacturing, are becoming much more water efficient.

Water efficiency refers to long-term water reduction, often by eliminating water waste.

Plus, they are releasing lower amounts of toxic emissions into wastewater, which typically ends up waterways, potentially harming marine life and vegetation.

“Most of the prior research has been focused on how companies are negatively affecting the environment,” says Suvrat Dhanorkar, one of the researchers.  

“We flipped that around to see how companies [are responding] to climate change. It opens a new area of research… looking at how… climate change-induced events affect innovation and other economic factors like unemployment.”

The study involved more than three thousand manufacturing facilities in Texas from 2000 to 2016.

Texas was selected because the state has many manufacturing facilities but frequently suffers from long-term dry periods resulting in water scarcity.

“We found that water scarcity can induce manufacturing facilities…to improve their environmental performance by lowering toxic releases into water,” reported the researchers.

“These effects extended into the facilities reducing emissions in other ways, such as into the land and air, too.”

According to Reichardt, this research is one of many indicating how some industries are becoming not only more water-efficient due to water scarcity but reducing their impact on the environment. 

“Fortunately, when it comes to water, new technologies and innovation are helping us reduce water consumption dramatically, all of which benefits our planet.”

It’s Time to get “Water Positive”

We hear a lot now about finding ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.  The goal is to become net-zero – remove as much carbon as possible and other greenhouse gases that can harm the atmosphere and contribute to global warming.

However, we are just starting to hear about programs designed not only to use water more efficiently, but also to make sure not a drop is wasted.  It’s called becoming “water positive” and some of the biggest corporations in the world are getting behind it.  And it’s not a minute to soon. The U.N. predicts that by 2030, just eight years from now, the world will have a 40 percent shortfall of freshwater.

So, what is water positive all about?  It’s a pledge by major corporations such as BP, Facebook, the Gap, Ralph Lauren, DOW chemical, Pepsi, Proctor & Gamble, and other companies, to put every drop of water they use in a specific geographic area back in the area in which the company operates.

You might wonder why the Gap and Ralph Lauren are so involved.  The reason is that it takes trillions of gallons of water per year to dye fabrics.  And unlike government leaders who may pledge this and pledge that when it comes to climate change and the environment, these companies are starting to take real and tangible steps to replenish the water they use.

For instance, Pepsi’s division in Mexico is processing water and treating it so that it can be used for irrigation and washing vegetables.  The program has helped reduce the demand for fresh water in the immediate area by 50 percent.

Proctor & Gamble is taking a different course of action.  They realize that most of the water related to their products is used by consumers, when they shave, wash dishes or laundry, or perform related activities in which they use P&G products.  To address this, they have formed a coalition of companies all working together to encourage end-customers to use less water.

They named the coalition the 50L Home Platform.  This is because its goal is for people in Europe, where the program is most active, to reduce their daily use of water by fifty liters per person. 

Ikea, which is also part of the 50L Home Program, is striving to be water positive by reaching out to its customers. According to IKEA, 15 percent of the company’s total water footprint each year occurs when its customers use their taps, showers, and other water-using fixtures. To address this, Ikea and others in the program are offering their customers water-positive home offers, discounts, and rebates to purchase more water efficient faucets, showers, and dishwashers.

We should note that many of these companies are not only taking steps to replenish the water they or their customers use but use water far more efficiently. All these companies and many more are laser-focused on how much water they are using and what steps they can take to reduce consumption.

As usual, and as you might expect, most have installed more water-efficient restroom fixtures, including waterless urinals.  Whenever the discussion turns to water efficiency and water reduction, expect the installation of waterless urinals to be one of the key topics of interest.

Klaus Reichardt is CEO and founder of Waterless Co, Inc, Vista, Calif. Reichardt founded the company in 1991 with the goal of establishing a new market segment in the plumbing fixture industry with water efficiency in mind. Reichardt is a frequent writer and presenter, discussing water conservation issues. He can be reached at klaus@waterless.com.

Six Ways to Reduce Your Environmental Footprint in 2022

Inspired by the recent climate change meeting, more building owners and facility managers are looking into ways to do their part, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and reduce their overall environmental footprint. At first, many building owners and managers may believe this is an impossible task. However, once they get started, they realize their actions can be meaningful in facing the challenge.  

Here are some little-discussed suggestions to get you started. Some are low-hanging fruit and can be accomplished quickly and with little investment. Others may take more time and cost more, but their long-term payoff can be significant.

Eliminate the Standard Outlet

We don’t want any more traditional power outlets in our facilities. Instead, we want smart outlets that can be turned on and off manually or automatically throughout a facility at specific hours. Why? One of the most significant energy users in the U.S. is what is called “idle electronics.” These are electronics such as copiers, computers, cellphone chargers, and monitors, which use electricity while in the “off” position. These consume as much energy each year as can be produced by 12 typical power plants.

Take a Bright Light Break

We’ve all encountered lights that go on and off based on movement. Walk into a restroom, and the lights go on. Once you leave, the lights typically stay on for about 15 minutes before they go off.  Now, we must take this a step further. Entire floors of a building must be movement activated. 

Say everyone on an office floor leaves at 6 pm. There is no reason for those lights to stay on for hours. If everyone leaves by 6, the lights should go off at 6:15.

Conduct a Greenhouse Gas Emissions Audit

Most building owners and managers are familiar with energy audits, water audits, even security and risk audits. Now we need to start conducting greenhouse gas emissions audits. Just like these other audits, a greenhouse gas emissions audit is designed to find where greenhouse gases are being emitted from a facility and, with this knowledge, eliminate or reduce the emissions. Often these emissions come from building mechanicals like HVAC units. Methane gas, which is detrimental to the environment, may be one of the gases being emitted.

Put a Dent in Disposable Cups

Globally, it is estimated that we throw away about 16 billion disposable cups every year. Not all of these cups are used in work areas, but a large number of them are. Many of these cups are coated with plastic and have plastic lids. The bad thing about this is that when tossed in the trash, they can live for years in landfills before degrading. But the good thing about it is that these cups can often be re-used with simple rinsing. Taking this extra step and re-using disposable cups – or switching to traditional cups - will help make a big dent in how many disposable cups end up in trash disposal centers.

Plastic Straws and Stirrers

Here is all we need to say about using plastic straws and stirrers: say no. Once again, these are invariably made of plastic, take years to disintegrate, and we can get by without them.  

Use Less Water

The days of limitless amounts of water, even in desert areas of the world, are fast ending. As they do, we are finding many ways to reduce consumption. In commercial facilities, the three best methods to reduce water consumption are installing native vegetation, which typically needs less water, re-fitting existing toilets to use less water, and installing waterless urinals. In many cases, installing waterless urinals such as these will result in the biggest reduction in water consumption of all the measures taken.

Klaus Reichardt is CEO and founder of Waterless Co, Inc, Vista, Calif. Reichardt founded the company in 1991 with the goal of establishing a new market segment in the plumbing fixture industry with water efficiency in mind. Reichardt is a frequent writer and presenter, discussing water conservation issues.  He can be reached at klaus@waterless.com.

Four Reasons for Mysterious Odors in Homes and Offices

Photo by LYCS Architecture on Unsplash

Whether it’s in your home, school, or office, there’s a good chance that mysterious odors will someday develop in your home’s bathrooms, commercial facility restrooms, or kitchens. Where the odor is coming from is the big mystery. Looking high and low often does not help. But when you look down — toward the floor — that’s where you often find the culprit.

Many odors in bathrooms, restrooms, showers, and kitchens are coming from floor drains. This happens for a multitude of reasons, including the following:

1.    Gunk build-up. Floor drains are designed to catch and remove not only water and liquids, but also all types of gunk, for lack of a better word. This includes hair, grease, soap, food, and more. Over time, it can begin to lodge onto the sides of the pipes below the floor drain, and the longer it hangs around, the more likely it will start to produce odors.

Photo by Adrian Lange on Unsplash

2.    Bacteria. The reason gunk begins to smell is because bacteria forms. This is really what is causing the odor. Pipes are a perfect setting for bacteria to develop. There is adequate moisture and, in most cases, sufficient oxygen.

3.    Blocked vents. The plumbing systems in homes and commercial facilities are equipped with vents. These allow trapped gasses to travel through the pipes and be released outside, where they dissipate into the air if working correctly. However, if the vent is blocked or somehow clogged, these gasses will leak through the drain, releasing odors into the home or facility.

4.    Sewer gasses. Under every drain is a P-trap, a U-shaped pipe designed to hold a small amount of water. However, this water can and frequently does evaporate. For instance, this traditionally happens when schools are closed for the summer or prolonged periods of time. And due to COVID and building closures, this has been happening much more frequently. Further, we must add that when sewer gasses are released from drains, it can be dangerous, as these fumes are often toxic.

Of all the issues just mentioned, the only one that requires calling a plumber is if a vent is blocked. But for all the others, there are some very easy and quick steps you can take without calling a plumber. Among them are the following:

Boiling water. Never underestimate the power of boiling water when opening clogged drains. Dishwasher maintenance specialists often use boiling water to unclog drains from dishwashers. This happens frequently, especially with older dishwashers. You can do the same to eliminate odors from drains. Carefully pour boiling water down the floor drain and then wait. It may take time for the odor to disappear, and you may need to repeat this procedure a couple of times before determining if it was effective.

Vinegar. Vinegar can be very effective at eliminating drain odors, especially if it is heated. This is the part many people are unaware of. While it should never be boiling, the added heat improves the effectiveness of the acetic acid in the vinegar, which helps it eliminate bacteria and remove the gunk and bacteria in the pipes.

Sewer gasses. Once again, this is a very inexpensive and easy fix.

What most commercial facilities use, and this product can be used in homes as well, is EverPrime. What EverPrime does is fill the U-trap we mentioned earlier with a biodegradable liquid. EverPrime lasts for months, does not evaporate, is little impacted by extreme cold or heat, and prevents sewer odors from being released from all types of drains, including those in floors, sinks, showers, and more.

So there you have it. Now we know where that mysterious odor is coming from and, even better, we now know how to fix it.

Scientists search for causes of western water woes high in the Colorado Rockies

New study of snow, ice, and rain aims to improve Colorado River flow forecasts

In a historic first, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation earlier this month declared a water shortage on the Colorado River, triggering emergency measures that will require farmers in Arizona to cut their use of irrigation water by 20% next year. The immediate cause of the declaration is record low water levels in Lake Mead, the largest reservoir fed by the river. But scientists say the crisis has been years in the making—and could soon get worse. For reasons they don’t completely understand, but that are related to the West’s changing climate, snow that falls in the Rocky Mountains—the source of about 80% of the Colorado—has been providing the river with less and less water. “This is an existential water crisis for the Southwest,” says Jonathan Overpeck, a climate scientist at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.

Next week, researchers will begin an innovative campaign to better understand the fundamental processes—from the behavior of tiny particles that become snowflakes to weather patterns that influence how snow vanishes into thin air—that determine how mountain precipitation becomes surface water for 40 million people. “What gets us going in the morning is the large number of people that really rely on this resource,” says atmospheric scientist Daniel Feldman of the Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), who leads the effort.

For the more than $8 million project, called the Surface Atmosphere Integrated Field Laboratory (SAIL), researchers are deploying dozens of instruments that will measure wind, rain, snow, solar radiation, and atmospheric particles in a high-elevation Colorado watershed. Hydrologists have already been studying the streams and bedrock there for years. But the additional equipment will collect data intended to sharpen models that produce a variety of critical forecasts, including short-term predictions of seasonal stream flows and long-term scenarios of how climate change might alter regional water supplies. SAIL is “going to make advances in mountain precipitation and snow studies that would just be impossible without this level of instrumentation,” says Jessica Lundquist, a mountain hydrologist at the University of Washington, Seattle. “It’s really exciting.”

To read more of this article by Erik Stokstad on science.org, click here.

Water conservation doesn't get old with Community Agriculture

A new name has been coined for the prolonged drought condition in the Colorado River Basin: Mega drought. Water conservation in the home and business can be part of the solution.

Here are some basic water conservation practices worthy of remembering as we navigate through prolific drought.

General rules of thumb to improve efficiency and reduce waste in the home include:

• Leak detection and repair: Even small leaks can add up to significant water loss. Look for and repair leaks frequently.

• Replace or retrofit appliances and fixtures: Install high efficiency plumbing fixtures and appliances. A large percentage of water is flushed down the toilet. Retrofit to code, 1.6 gallon toilets, or install ultra-low flow or dual flush units. Only run clothes and dishwashers when full. Install on-demand hot water heaters or hot water circulating pumps.

To read more about how to conserve water in the home or business, click here to visit www.steamboatpilot.com.

Why the Cruise Industry is Taking a Much Close Look at Waterless Urinals

In the past year, the cruise industry has had a chance to reflect on their business operations and determine what steps they can take to get the sector roaring back after the pandemic as well as steps they can take to reduce operating costs. As you can imagine, after a very tough 2020, both are noticeably significant concerns for the cruise industry.

One of the items getting much more scrutiny is switching out the old, flush-valve, water-using urinals with no-water or waterless urinals. When looking into this, one of the first things cruise owners/operators realize is that, in most cases, a waterless urinal has virtually the same "wall print" as a traditional urinal. This means if water-using urinals are swapped out with no-water urinals, there are few if any remodeling or construction issues to grapple with.

So, that makes installing waterless urinals easier to consider, but what are some of the actual benefits of installing waterless urinals? Here is what some cruise ship owners/operators are discovering:

·       Urinals, just like toilets, have overflows. The flush handle, manual or automatic, becomes stuck and water keeps rushing out. This is not an issue with waterless urinals.

·       Most ships use a combination of fresh, treated, and saltwater while out at sea. Saltwater is often used for urinals and toilets. The problem is that this can cause hard encrustations in the drain line. Repairing this can be costly, and should problems develop while at sea, these urinals must be closed for use, something no owner/operator wants to do.

·       Urinals are designed to last for years. However, the part that does not last and often needs repair is the flush valve. When heavily used, they may need to be replaced every two to five years. Furthermore, they frequently need to be repaired. This can get costly. There are no flush handles or any mechanical parts on waterless urinals. So, this cost is eliminated.

·       By law, ships must treat water before they can deposit it in the ocean. With waterless systems, there is less water to pump out because no water is used in the system's operation. This helps reduce wastewater storage needs and, along with it, sewage disposal costs.

·       Waterless urinals tend to be more hygienic than water-using urinals, keeping restrooms cleaner and helping to eliminate odors. This is due to a few reasons, but most importantly, when a flush urinal is flushed, it releases bacteria-filled droplets into the restroom, especially on floors. This can cause odors, and because of the humid conditions in some vessels, this can accelerate odor problems.  Another point related to this is that urine is essentially odor-free, but when it mixes with water, odors can develop.  This is not an issue with waterless urinals. They stay dry, helping to keep restrooms odor-free.

·       Weight is a big concern on cruise ships. Anything that can help reduce onboard weight can translate into fuel savings. Some urinals manufactured by Waterless Co., Inc. weigh as little as ten pounds. By comparison, a conventional water-using urinal can weigh more than 60 pounds. If a cruise ship has 200 urinals onboard, that means owners/operators can cut onboard weight by about 10,000 pounds – if not more - by going waterless.
And let’s not forget, the flush valves, water supply lines, trap components all add to the weight of a water-using urinal.  This means even more onboard weight will be cut.

·       Finally, restrooms have been going touch-free for years. But now, in a post-COVID world, this trend has been accelerated considerably. With no water urinals, there is nothing to touch. You might say this is true with sensor-controlled urinals. However, those controls still must be touched regularly by housekeepers, and all too often, they do not work. In such cases, the user must manually touch the flush valve.

The Gamechanger Has Arrived – Now, What Are We Going to Do About It?

Once again, California and many other western states are experiencing severe drought conditions. This is becoming a broken record, as it seems to be happening every year.  Some measures are taken each year to address the situation; we all cut back 15 percent or more, and then once winter comes, we go back to our old water-using habits. In California and most of the west, it is during the winter months that the most rain falls.

But this year is different. Not only are drought conditions building, but the western half of the country is also experiencing scorching weather, hotter than ever before. This is climate change. Whether man’s behavior causes it or not is no longer an issue. It’s here, and we must deal with it.

This means we are now in a true gamechanger, and to help us get through this challenging period, we must think big about water savings, reducing water consumption, and using water more efficiently. Before going further, let’s look at where things are now with regard to water in California, our most populous state:

• More than 85 percent of California is in extreme or exceptional drought, two of the highest drought classifications.

• Marin County, north of San Francisco, has declared a state of emergency.

• Sonoma County, just north of Marin, is on the verge of doing the same.

• While most of the state’s residents are being asked to reduce water consumption, mandatory water restrictions are now being considered.

• The state’s more than 1,500 reservoirs are 50 percent lower than average.

We could list more challenges, but the bottom line is that California and much of the west are facing a parched summer, and we—each and every one of us—must do something about it. These are some of the actions we can take:

Think Big

Daniel Burnham, credited as being the city planner of Chicago back in the 1800s, said, “make no small plans. They have no magic to stir men’s blood and probably will not themselves be realized.” As individuals and as a society, we must think big about reducing water consumption so that we can “stir men’s blood” and make it happen. 

Charge More

As we have mentioned before in other posts, water charges in most areas of the country have rarely matched how much it costs to treat, deliver, and remove water. Instead, water charges have been kept artificially low. That must change now, and one reason for this is our next point.

Repair Infrastructure

Charging more will help pay for much needed water infrastructure. Water infrastructure in the U.S. has been ignored for decades. Yes, there have been some improvements here and there, but large sections of the entire system must be updated and/or replaced in many cities. There are about 240,000 water breaks annually in America. When it happens, a single break wastes thousands of gallons of water. 

But here is something more we should know. The repair bill for those 240,000 water breaks is now approaching $1 trillion annually. 

This means that if we invested the estimated three trillion dollars we need to fix water infrastructure, we would be saving money in the long run, along with thousands of gallons of water.

Grey Water

In California and other states, treated wastewater can be used for irrigation. We need to find even more and better uses for grey water. When treated, it can be used for various purposes except for human consumption.

Go Waterless

Finally, we need to find ways not just to cut water consumption but to eliminate it altogether. One that has proven highly successful is the installation of no-water urinals. You’ve probably heard this before, but since we are thinking big and trying to “stir men’s blood” about reducing water consumption, if just one waterless urinal saves 35,000 gallons of water per year, consider how much water would be saved if thousands of waterless urinals are installed.

Getting Rid of the Need to Go Barriers

Restaurants anxious to get their doors open and operating – safely – may be interested in an article published in the Washington Post in May 2020.  

That article, "The need to go is a big barrier to going out. Why public bathrooms are a stumbling block for reopening," suggests that one of the main reasons people are concerned about going out to restaurants, even in a post-COVID world, is because of their restrooms.

According to the author, Marc Fisher:

The idea of a return to life in public is unnerving for many people. But it turns out that one of the biggest obstacles to dining in a restaurant is the prospect of using a public restroom—a tight, intimate, and potentially germ-infested space.

If this is the case, what can restaurant owners do to turn things around so that patrons are comfortable using their restrooms?  Here are some things we at Waterless Co., Inc, recommend:

Install Toilet Lids

Toilet lids were removed in public restrooms decades ago. It helped reduce the cost of the toilet and provided one less thing that needed to be cleaned. However, toilet lids serve an essential purpose. They block aerosolized contaminants from being released into the air when the toilet is flushed. This is called "plume" and is even more critical now because traces of COVID have been found in human waste. 

While there are plans to develop toilets that will not flush until the lid is in the down position, if possible, the fastest and easiest way to handle this situation is to install lids on toilets. That should block the plume from being released.

Install Waterless Urinals 

Urinals also have plume issues. Plus, urinals typically have no enclosures or are in a stall such as a toilet. This means that if contaminants become airborne, they can easily be inhaled by anyone standing nearby and land just about anywhere in the restroom.  Most observers now feel we have two options to prevent urinal plume:

1. Enclose urinals into separate stalls, like toilets, or install floor-to-ceiling partitions.

2. Change to waterless urinals. Because there is no flushing, plume is not an issue with waterless urinals.

Waterless urinals also help promote sustainability and tend to be less costly to purchase and install than traditional water-using urinals. 

Paper

Studies have found that some people are washing their hands as much as 16 times per day. This pattern developed during the pandemic and appears to be continuing.  After washing their hands, most patrons prefer to use paper towels to dry them. While purchasing large amounts of paper towels can be costly, installing electric hand dryers - at this time - may not be a wise idea in restaurants.

Touchless…. Everything

There should be no need to touch any fixtures or dispensers in restaurant restrooms. Further, if possible, restrooms should be designed with doorless entries. It is just one less thing patrons must touch.

Antimicrobial coatings

Restaurant owners should also consider applying antimicrobial coatings to their restrooms. These are not new but are getting a much closer look due to the pandemic. Antimicrobial coatings can be applied to counters, walls, partitions, doors and door handle, and other high-touch areas, even HVAC vents. Some paint manufacturers are now adding them to wall paint and primer products. They inhibit the growth of pathogens on walls and are one more way restaurant owners can make their restrooms healthier and safer for patrons going forward.

* "The need to go is a big barrier to going out: why public bathrooms are a stumbling block for reopening," by Marc Fisher, Washington Post, May 18, 2020.