City offers businesses programs for conserving water
Going along with growing “green” building and renovation trends, the city of Fort Worth’s water department has a growing list of incentives for businesses and residents interested in saving water.
Some business owners are turned off of environmentally-friendly plumbing and irrigation systems and equipment because of high prices. But, some business officials say in the long-term, “green” plumbing reduces bills and saves on trickle-down prices for consumers.
The city’s water department will give free, high-flow, duel-flushing toilets to businesses with a large number of bathrooms, such as apartment complexes or hotels. Installation and other costs are the business owner’s responsibility, said Mary Gugliuzza, who works on the water department’s public education efforts. The free toilet effort, which started recently, is part of the water department’s SmartFlush Commercial Program.
Business owners can apply for toilets on the water department’s Web site, Gugliuzza said, and those who are approved have to install the toilets within 30 days. The city also does follow-up inspections to make sure the toilets are installed correctly and are working properly, she said.
The toilets use 1.28 gallons of water per flush as opposed to up to seven gallons older models can use, Gugliuzza said, and have a flushing button instead of a handle. The button has options for a partial flush or full flush, depending on the volume of water needed. A partial flush uses 0.9 gallons of water.
In order to qualify for the program, a business’ toilets have to be older and use more than three gallons per flush, she said.
Restaurants, cafeterias and food service establishments also have an opportunity through the water department. As part of the department’s SpraySmart Program, businesses can receive free, water-conserving spray nozzles for sinks. The nozzles often are used for dishwashing, Gugliuzza said.
The “green” versions use 1.28 gallons of water per minute, and instead of spraying in a circular pattern the way older models do, the city’s version sprays a smaller stream of higher speed, more powerful water. The water department will have a contractor install the nozzles for free, she said.
For anyone – residential or commercial – considering redoing their irrigation systems, the water department offers free irrigation system audits. The auditors don’t do any work on the systems, but will evaluate them and give recommendations on how to improve them.
The water department’s conservations efforts started up about a year ago, and city officials are looking to add more programs and incentives in the future.
“It’s a long-term process, and we’re starting one thing at a time,” Gugliuzza said.
In August, Comerica Bank opened a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design-certified branch in Fossil Creek in north Fort Worth, marking the official start of the company’s environmental sustainability program. The U.S. Green Building Council oversees certification procedures and guidelines.
Richard Plewa, the senior vice president and director of corporate sustainability for Comerica, said environmentally-friendly businesses will see lower energy and utility costs over time, which will later trickle down to customers.
The Fossil Creek branch was constructed with an aim for water conservation from its landscaping to its bathrooms.
Native plants were used in the building’s landscaping that will be used to Texas’ climate and not require as much watering as introduced plants, Plewa said. A drip irrigation system is used to water the plants which, as opposed to spraying water on the surface of the pants, drips water to the roots to avoid evaporation.
Low-flow plumbing fixtures, such as faucets and toilets, also were used inside the building to minimize water use, Plewa said.
The Botanical Research Institute of Texas is working on plans for a new building in Fort Worth that will feature water-saving plumbing and irrigation designs. The building – which will be located at the corner of Harley Avenue and University Drive – will be built with a system to save and reuse storm water from an irrigation pond to water plants, which also are planned to be native to Texas.
The incentive to use “green” plumbing “is longer-term,” Plewa said. “Immediately, once you install them, you’re going to use less water, so the water bill will go down. Longer-term, water scarcity is going to drive pricing up, so then you’re putting yourself up to save a lot more money as water bills go up. It’s simple economics. And sometimes, for people who have existing older toilets and other fixtures in place that use a lot more water, the major impediment to moving to a low flow toilet is simply the upfront cost. Giving them away is a great deal.”
On the Web: www.fortworth-gov.org/savefwwater/
