The following detailed information is available on developing a water management plan, checklists and water audit forms for your facility:

Developing a Water Management Program: 6 Steps for Facility Managers

Sample Forms:

• Checklist: Developing a Water Management Plan
• Checklist: Implementing a Water Management Plan, (checklist for managers)
• Worksheet: Recommendations for Water Efficiency Improvements (to evaluate payback on investment)

Sample Forms:

• Worksheet: Inventory of Facility Water Use
• Worksheet: Recommendations for Water Efficiency Improvements (Recommendations from facility & landscape maintenance staff, to management)

Sample Forms:

• Cooling Tower Consumption Log Sheet A (data collection from make-up and bleed-off meters)

• Cooling Tower Consumption Log Sheet B (data collection from system conductivity meter or other means of measuring dissolved solids concentration in make-up and bleed-off water)
  

Irrigation System Inspection and Repair

Sample Forms:

• Landscape Water Use: Checklist for Landscape Staff
• Irrigation System Inspection Form and Inspection Checklist (for spray and bubbler irrigation systems)
• Volume Based Irrigation System Audit Worksheet and Instructions (to estimate system water use)

Efficient operation of a facility is important in many ways, not least of which is saving water and energy resources and money. Heating and cooling of large facilities often uses a great deal of water. Cooling towers are one of the biggest commercial/industrial water consumers. Most cooling towers are used to reject heat from air conditioning systems or are used to cool other equipment (such as refrigerator/freezer cases) with large heat loads.

Additional uses include:

• Evaporative cooler equipment for space cooling
• Humidifiers to add moisture to the air
• Boilers in large heating systems
• Landscaping

• Toilets, faucets, and showerheads, which account for most domestic uses of water in an office setting

  
  

Schools and educational facilities use water in a variety of ways. These uses include:

• Domestic plumbing in restrooms and at drinking fountains.
• Cooling and heating of buildings.
• Kitchens and cafeterias for cooking, dishwashing, ice machines, etc.
• Irrigation of turf and landscaping, and
• Miscellaneous uses in laboratories, shops and for other maintenance purposes.

The majority of a restaurant’s total water use is in the kitchen. In large facilities the kitchen uses a tremendous amount of water to keep food cool or frozen, for meal preparation, and for dishwashing. Toilets and faucets account for additional water use.

Specific uses include:

• Commercial dishwashers, prewash sprayers, garbage disposers.
• Toilets, faucets, showerheads.
• Hot water supply and water softeners.
• Water purification systems
• Cooling towers, evaporative condensers in larger facilities
• Refrigeration/freezer equipment to cool walk-in freezers' compressors.
• Landscaping and outdoor water features
• Mist cooling systems.
• For cleaning the kitchen, dining room, outdoor patios, and other common areas.

ADWR Fact Sheet: Water Efficient Restaurant Technologies (122 KB) applies to any facility or business with a kitchen; including, but not limited to restaurants, schools, hospitals, hotels and resorts.

The resort industry uses water for:

• Domestic plumbing in restrooms in public areas, on-site restaurants and guest rooms Toilets, faucets, showerheads
• Heating and cooling equipment such as cooling towers and boilers
• In kitchens for commercial dishwashers, prewash sprayers, garbage disposals, plate cleaning troughs, hot water heaters.
• Commercial washers to launder guest linens, towels, etc.
• Water softeners
• Landscaping and mist cooling systems
• Swimming pools, decorative ponds, fountains, waterfalls
• General cleaning and maintenance
  

ADWR Fact Sheet: Water Saving Tips and Technologies for Pools and Spas (187 KB)

Hospitals and health care facilities use significant volumes of water in many ways. These uses include:

• Domestic uses in restrooms (sinks with faucets, toilets, urinals, and showers)
  
• Cooling and heating the buildings
  
• Kitchens and cafeterias for patient, employee and visitor meals, and at drinking fountains
  
• On-site commercial laundries
  
• X-ray film processing, if the switch to digital imagery has not been made
  
• Turf and landscape watering
  
• Cleaning and sanitation
  
• Miscellaneous uses in laboratories, operating rooms, shops and for other maintenance purposes
  
• Sterilizers and autoclaves

 

ADWR Fact Sheet: Tips and Technologies for Medical Facilities (166 KB)

Also see Water Efficient Restaurant Technologies and Commercial Laundry Facilities fact sheets and visit the Landscape Professionals section for more information on water efficient landscaping and maintenance practices.

ADWR Fact Sheet: The Commercial Laundry Facility fact sheet provides information on professional laundry facilities, in hospitals, hotels, prisons, etc. (83 KB)  To find out about multi-family laundry facilities, please visit the Residential section of this website.

ADWR Fact Sheet: Tips and Technologies for Commercial and Industrial Car Washes (100 KB)