Water

Pointers

Nearly all offices have hot water available for hand washing, general kitchen use and in some cases for showering. There are plenty of ways of reducing demand for hot water:

Layout and design

• See if installing a hot water heater close to the point of use will improve the service and be more efficient.
• Where possible, design for dual plumbing to use recycled water for toilet flushing or a grey water system that recovers rainwater or other non-potable water for site irrigation.
• Minimise wastewater by using ultra low-flush toilets, low-flow shower heads, and other water conserving fixtures.
• Often hot water temperatures are set at over 70oC. Set the temperature to 65oC.
• Insulate hot water pipes between the cylinder and the tap to reduce heat loss.
• Showers use the most hot water; so specify low-flow shower heads. Specify low flow taps to conserve both hot and cold water.
• Stack kitchenettes, showers and toilets above each other to reduce the pipe runs and heat loss.
• Install a mixer valve to reduce the temperature of the water at the tap (also a good safety feature).
• Meter landscape water usage separately from buildings. Use micro-irrigation (which excludes sprinklers and high-pressure sprayers) to supply water in non-turf areas.
• Use state-of-the-art irrigation controllers and self-closing nozzles on hoses.

Use alternative energy sources

• Consider solar water heatersto supplement electricity. They can be cost-effective in buildings with high-use facilities such as gyms.
• Heat pumps, which use a compressor, can heat water far more efficiently than conventional heaters.

Use it wisely

• Ensure pipes and cylinders are insulated to reduce heat loss.
• Ensure the plumbing system is maintained to reduce wastage (leaky pipes and taps).
• If a dishwasher has heating elements, make sure the incoming water supply is cold (unless you have gas fired or solar hot water).
• Always do full dishwasher loads.