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FROM THE EDITOR
Comedians joked — that was all the water we had left! — but the disastrous water main break near the UCLA campus last week provided opportunity to raise awareness about how dire the water situation in drought-affected California has become.
Last month, California implemented an unprecedented “water waste” law that basically criminalizes wasting water, carrying up to a $500 fine for certain offenses, like letting irrigation water spill into streets.
For facility managers not in California, all this should serve as a bit of a wake-up call for how vital water efficiency is becoming — especially for high-performance buildings. Even in areas where water is still considered abundant and cheap, clearly that won’t always be the case.
At the very least, consider water efficiency a risk-management strategy to future-proof your facility (and bottom line) against future droughts, rate increases, or even water main breaks.
The new LEED — LEEDv4 — includes much more stringent requirements for water efficiency, both interior (kitchens, restrooms, etc.) and exterior (cooling towers, irrigation, etc.), so if facility managers are looking for guidance, that might be a good place to start.
As always, I’m interested to hear from you — have you ramped up water efficiency efforts in recent years? What was the main motivation for your water strategies? (Money? New regulations? Drought?)
Cheers,
Greg Zimmerman, editor
HIGH-PERFORMANCE STRATEGIES
New Era of Water Efficiency
Plumbing codes, technologies, and rating systems are driving water efficiency.
IN THE NEWS
California Waste Water Law Takes Effect
The new water conservation regulations apply to both residents and businesses.
HIGH-PERFORMANCE MULTIMEDIA
Florida College Reduces Potable Water Use with Well-Water System
In this short audio podcast, Yohannes Asgedom, the energy management systems manager at Broward College in Davie, Fla., discusses the system that reduces water use on campus.
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