Water: The Third Utility (and an efficiency goldmine)

Increasingly, current and prospective Octus clients have inquired about how they can reduce their water and sewer bills. We have deployed a number of energy-centric solutions -- including industrial ozone washing machines for hotels and our proprietary Wickool evaporative cooling device for rooftop HVAC units -- that both reduce energy costs and conserve water. These solutions fill specific needs for specific customers, but there is a more grand and growing opportunity to help building owners conserve water and reduce costs.

Here's our general logic: The thirst (demand) for water is increasing, and the supply of water is decreasing. Conversely, demand for energy -- electricity, in particular -- is increasing, albeit at a slower rate, but the supply, with renewable generation proliferating, is increasing too. If you own or manage a property, you are not myopically concerned with reducing your energy or water use; you care about slashing your utility bills.

From Buildings.com:

Major advancements in the technology and reliability of water equipment in the last 10 years have made the investment in water conservation very cost effective. While water and sewer rates vary, the process is worth your time for a variety of reasons:

• Water conservation is an investment with attractive ROI potential.
• Water rates are increasing.
• Sewer rates are increasing dramatically due to higher EPA mandates on municipal sewer plant operators (100 percent to 400 percent over the past 10 years).
• Droughts are requiring water conservation for businesses, or you face major water cost increases. Atlanta required a 10-percent reduction or a charge of an extra 25 percent.
• Water conservation and sewer plant operations benefit from water conservation since it directly impacts billion-dollar capital investments to address peak loads (like electricity).
• Some cities have demand-side management (DSM) rebates to incentivize water-conservation investment.
• Fresh water is a major element in our lives and the viability of our communities and, ultimately, the earth.

The article highlights that the U.S. government alone owns or leases 500,000 buildings that use 350 million to 500 million gallons of water per day. Water-conservation efforts in federal buildings have produced savings of more than 30 percent with no cutbacks in operations or service levels. These water-conservation projects have included high-efficiency toilets (HETs), high-efficiency urinals (HEIs), and other improvements.

And, it's a threefold savings opportunity: When you reduce water consumption, your reduce sewer charges. (Sewer charges can be one-third to two times the cost of the water, depending on local rates.) When you reduce hot-water use in showers and clothes washing, you’re also reducing your natural gas or electricity bill since the volume of hot water needed has been reduced.

Furthermore, with the Octus/Five Star Bank Building Energy Savings project financing program, building owners can implement energy- and water-saving initiatives with no up-front or ongoing costs.