Business water saving tips
By reducing your water use, not only are you demonstrating leadership and saving water, but it also helps reduce energy and maintenance cost.
There are many ways businesses can conserve water. Each business is different, and you know your business best.
Here are some tools and resources to consider implementing to help reduce non-essential water use, without compromising safety or quality.
How to get started
Monitor water usage
- Regularly track your water consumption by analyzing water bills over the past two years or more. Note annual consumption and costs.
- Look for trends or patterns, including seasonal variations, to identify areas for improvement.
- Identify essential and less essential water uses and areas of your business where water consumption is highest.
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Best practices to help commercial and institutional facility owners and managers understand and better manage their water use
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A guide for conducting a water audit produced by the Institute for Market Transformation and the Natural Resources Defense Council
Develop a plan to be prepared for drought or a water shortage
- If water restrictions were necessary due to an infrastructure failure or severe drought, consider how you might reduce water consumption by 10 per cent or more, if required.
- Review your outdoor water use and familiarize yourself with The City’s Outdoor Water Restrictions and stay informed of drought conditions at calgary.ca/drought.
Set achievable targets
- Establish a baseline for water use and set achievable targets for water savings.
- Appoint a water champion to check meters and monitor water use.
How businesses can reduce water use
Click through the tabs below for ways to reduce your water use based on your business type.
All businesses
Indoors
- Adjust and lower building temperatures.
- Review and adjust water-based temperature control systems to ensure optimal indoor temperatures. CSA's acceptable range is 23-26 oC
- Fix leaking taps in kitchens, laundry rooms and washrooms, etc.
- Consider installing water-efficient fixtures and equipment.
- Making small investments today, such as retrofitting existing equipment can result in savings when it comes to your yearly operating expenses.
- Consult with suppliers for easy-to-install kits and alternatives.
- Look for WaterSense labelled toilets, faucets and showerheads when upgrading fixtures.
- Identify areas/processes for increased water efficiency for daily operations.
- Work with staff to identify ways to minimize water use and loss throughout their work duties.
- For example: Review cleaning practices to reduce or eliminate water use. Wipe instead of wash and sweep instead of spray.
Outdoors
- Understand your outdoor water use. Irrigation meters provide insight into usage, while monitoring provides insight into appropriate conservation actions.
- If you water an outdoor landscape, ensure maintenance and repairs are up to date. To learn more, visit The City's guide on efficent irrigation.
- Irrigating earlier in the season, (e.g. late April, May or early June), when water tends to be more available in our rivers can help replenish soil moisture deeper in the ground for plants to use later in the summer. It also helps offset peak water demand periods later in the summer.
- Avoid planting grass or trees in July and August when survival is often poor, evaporation is high and irrigation needs increase significantly.
- Collect rainwater and greywater for property landscaping and potted plants.
When to water
- Plan outdoor water use in the early morning or evenings (ideally from 8 p.m. to 10 a.m.) when temperatures are cooler and evaporation is minimized.
- Schedule the timing of outdoor water use to reduce losses and potentially save on your water bill.
Business types
Animal care
This includes vet clinics and groomers
- Ensure all wash basins, hoses, taps and nozzles are in good working order and not leaking.
- Repair equipment in need of maintenance.
- Install low-flow nozzles and fixtures.
- Install recirculating systems for water or a double-tank hydrobath that recycles water.
- Clean premises with non-water methods (e.g. use brooms, especially in non-grooming areas).
Beverage manufacturing
Including breweries, distilleries, bottling companies
- Reuse rinse/flush water within the production line instead of discharging it.
- Plan production runs to minimize water-intensive activities.
- Put posters inside washrooms advising visitors on how to conserve water.
Condos, apartment buildings
- Fix leaking taps and toilets in bathrooms, kitchens, laundry rooms etc.
- Put posters inside shared spaces on how to conserve water.
Food manufacturing
This also includes bakeries, commercial food makers and animal processing
- Track water usage to meet lowered water targets.
- Recirculate cooling water.
- Ensure maintenance is complete on refrigeration condensers/units.
- Minimize water use that is not on the factory floor.
- Plan production runs to minimize water-intensive activities.
Grocery stores
- Plan food preparation activities to reduce water use.
- Plan production runs to minimize water-intensive activities.
- Recirculate cooling water.
- Ensure maintenance is complete on refrigeration condensers/units.
- Cleaning tips (except when required by Health & Safety Regulations):
- Use brooms and brushes over water cleaning methods.
- Cut down use of floor cleaning machines – spot wash when necessary in non-food prep areas.
Hotels, motels, Airbnbs and short-term rental units
- Put posters and cards inside guest rooms and elevators to advise guests how they can reduce their water use during their stay.
- Reduce bedsheet and towel changes for guest stays. Offer incentives for customers to reuse towels and sheets (e.g. meal vouchers, discounts, etc.).
- Run only full loads of laundry.
- Consider closing swimming pools and shower areas.
- Minimize the number of ice machines running or turn them off entirely.
- Ensure maintenance is complete on refrigerators, freezers and other equipment.
- Ensure dishwashers are performing efficiently without leaks or water loss.
- Train staff to minimize water loss during food prep and cleaning.
- Use compostable products where possible to reduce dish washing. See suggested alternatives.
Large retail
This includes shopping malls, office buildings, museums and sporting facilities
- Cut down use of floor cleaning machines – spot wash when necessary, in non-food prep areas.
- Shut indoor fountains.
- Close areas that require frequent cleaning with water and consider using wipes where appropriate. For example, equipment.
- Make onsite visits to tenants to check for water leaks and repairs.
- Provide water education information to tenants and encourage them to make smart decisions about water.
- Reuse cooling water for other purposes.
Laundromats and dry cleaners
- Remind customers about conservation efforts and encourage them to only run full loads of laundry:
- On short cycles, if possible.
- Only washing items required for the week and leaving items that can wait.
- Ensuring all washers and hose lines are not leaking.
- Put posters inside the washrooms, advising visitors on how to conserve water.
Manufacturing
This includes chemical, computer, electrical, energy, furniture, machinery, metals processing, plastic, printing, textiles and wood products
- Complete maintenance and repair of equipment.
- Reduce or eliminate water use when not necessary for core business functions.
- Reuse cooling water for other purposes.
- Reuse rinse/flush water within the production line instead of discharging it.
- Examine where less water can be used without compromising quality/safety.
- Plan production runs to minimize water-intensive activities.
Non-hospital care
This includes childcare, medical clinics, personal care, pharmacies, hair/nail salons/spas
- Use only necessary towels and linens to reduce required laundry.
- Only run full loads of laundry and dishes.
- Use compostable products where possible to reduce dish washing. See suggested alternatives.
- Turn off decorative water features and fountains.
- Offer "dry" haircuts at salons or wet hair with a spray bottle of a full wash.
Recreation facilities, pools and fitness centres
- Put posters inside recreation facilities and pools advising visitors on how to conserve water.
Restaurants, bars, casinos
- Only provide water if asked and consider using bottled water instead of tap water to fulfill these requests.
- Ensure maintenance is complete on refrigerators, freezers and other equipment.
- Ensure dishwashers are performing efficiently without leaks or water loss.
- Train staff to minimize water loss during food prep and cleaning.
- Use compostable products where possible to reduce dish washing. See suggested alternatives.
- Put posters inside the washrooms, advising visitors on how to conserve water.
Schools & Post-Secondary Institutions
- Cleaning tips (except when required by Health & Safety Regulations):
- Use brooms and brushes over water cleaning methods.
- Cut down use of floor cleaning machines – spot wash when necessary.
- Collect rainwater and greywater for property landscaping and potted plants.
- Repair equipment in need of maintenance:
- Fix leaking taps and toilets.
- Address leaks from appliances like refrigerators, freezers and dishwashers.
- Train staff to minimize water loss during classroom activities (water tables, etc.), food prep and cleaning.
Small retail
This includes strip malls and small offices
- Encourage employees to work from home where operationally possible.
- Use non-water cleaning methods if possible.
- Check for leaks in hoses and equipment.