From the Editor
“We have lots of water in this country, except in places where we don’t.”  
— Anonymous water efficiency expert

I love that quote for the wit with which it sums up our water problem. Did you know we have a water problem? Believe it or not, according to EPA, as many as 37 states will experience non-drought-related water shortages by 2013. That’s a frightening prospect, especially given that most people still consider water to be abundant and cheap.

With help from organizations like the Plumbing Manufacturers Institute and Alliance for Water Efficiency, facility executives are beginning to realize the immediacy of the problem and are implementing water efficiency measures at a good clip.

Other initiatives have helped shine a spotlight on the need for water efficiency, as well. USGBC, for instance updated its LEED rating systems this past April to make a 20 percent reduction of in-building water use a prerequisite rather than an optional credit. Even so, many would still like to see more credits for water efficiency. Only 14 of 110 possible points (12.7 percent) in LEED 2009 for Existing Buildings are for water efficiency strategies. 

Additionally, a relatively new EPA program called WaterSense is also helping facility executives make smart choices about water efficient fixtures. Similar to the Energy Star system, WaterSense classifies and labels products that meet certain water efficiency standards.

So, without question, much work is being put into tackling the water problem. Still not convinced? Here’s another quote from another anonymous water expert: “Water is the new energy.” I think that succinctly sums up how facility executives should think about water use in their facilities going forward. The real subtext of the quote is that as water becomes increasingly scarce, it becomes increasingly expensive – so saving blue will save lots and lots of green. 

What have you done to address water efficiency in your facilities?  As always, I’d love to hear your stories. 

Cheers,

Greg Zimmerman, editor  

Green Strategies
State Codes, LEED Tighten Water Efficiency Standards
This article makes the case for the importance of water efficiency and spells out changes to water efficiency codes and standards.

In the News
Report Finds 50 Percent Increase in Green Building Programs
The American Institute of Architect’s Green Building Policy in a Changing Economic Environment report shows that more than 1 in 5 US cities with populations greater than 50,000 have a policy to promote green buildings. Green building programs are present in 138 cities, 50 percent more than the 92 cities that reported programs in 2007.

Green Toolkit
Alliance for Water Efficiency
This site offers news, research, case studies and strategies to help facility executives learn how to be water efficient in their facilities.

 The Economics of LEED-EB

This presentation from GreenTech 2009 by Michael Arny of Leonardo Academy discusses the cost of particular LEED strategies, as well as whole-building LEED costs. The presentation attempts to show that LEED often has an ROI that will fit within most facility executives’ criteria.