Blog

At Water – Use It Wisely, we are proud to see that our website is the top-ranked site for popular search terms such as “water conservation” and “water saving tips,” but did you know that a single query on Google consumes a tenth of a teaspoon of water?

Image courtesy of Argonne National Library

Just when you thought that saving water was as easy as turning off the water when brushing your teeth, experts are trying to get another point across to consumers… saving energy can also save water! The electrical power industry is one of the largest users of water in the United States. However, we can’t forget that the opposite is true too… that the delivery and treatment of water also consumes a lot of energy (see Arizona examples below).

This estimate of water use for data centers such as Google is noted by Liew Yien Phin, from Black & Veatch, a global environmental engineering firm. Check out his fascinating blog, The Nexus of Water and Energy, where he discusses the serious implications of this relationship.

Perhaps Water – Use It Wisely should add a new water saving device to our lineup…. Water Saving Device # 113, A Dictionary. Next time you need the definition of a word pull your dictionary off the shelf instead and save a tenth of a teaspoon of water every time. But since you’re already on our page, be sure to learn about our other 100+ ways to conserve water.

Arizona Examples of the Water – Energy Nexus

Water Needed for Energy: Did you know that our local Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station uses 50 to 80 million gallons of water each day to meet its cooling needs? Fortunately, almost all of it is effluent (treated sewage) from several nearby municipalities.

Energy Needed for Water: Have you followed the controversy of the Navajo Generating Station coal-fired plant in northern Arizona? The EPA and conservationists are concerned about environmental impacts from emissions, especially since the plant is located near National Parks, monuments and wilderness areas. Power from the plant is needed to deliver Colorado River water through the Central Arizona Project system that delivers the water to the state’s more populated areas.

You can promote your own contribution to smart water use and management by advertising on WaterUseItWisely.com, the number one water conservation website on the internet. If you’re interested in being a guest blogger, contact us.

Water conservation can serve as an integral part of corporate sustainability practices, or the “greening” of a business.

Many often think of “greening” as a technique that focuses on energy savings, but it is important to not forget the importance of saving “blue.” Not only is water a limited natural resource, but there is also a fundamental water-energy connection.

The treatment and delivery of water requires a great deal of energy, but it takes a lot of cooling water for energy production too. The electrical power industry is one of the greatest consumers of water, using more than 200,000 million gallons of water per day, according to the most recent U.S. Geological Survey for water.

Saving Water is Good for Business

Environmental issues are becoming increasingly important to businesses, as customers are becoming more environmentally savvy. In fact, as reported in the UN Global Compact-Accenture CEO Study: A New Era of Sustainability, in 2008, 91 percent of consumers said they had bought a product or service from a company they trusted—showing a direct correlation between profits and public image.

Being an active water steward is one more way to enhance a company’s image and improve employee pride and motivation. Besides positive PR, an organization will benefit with cost savings, including lower maintenance and equipment replacement costs, in addition to reductions in energy and water bills.

Ways Businesses Use Water

The ways a business may use water are as varied as the types of businesses that use it. Is the organization a simple office setting or a manufacturer? A food processor, school, hospital or motel? All have different ways of using water, from simple bathroom and kitchen use to cooling towers, landscape irrigation, water purification, scrubbers or rinsing processes. Water use may range from a few thousand gallons a month to millions of gallons.

Ways Businesses Can Save Water

Simple steps can be taken like fixing leaks, installing low-flow showerheads, installing high efficiency toilets, xeriscape landscaping and recycling process water. However, the best savings will occur if a business creates a water management plan.

Three best practices for all organizations:

1. Have a goal to save water
2. Identify and implement water efficiency measures
3. Monitor savings and progress

Donna DiFrancesco is a Conservation Specialist with the City of Mesa, Environmental & Sustainability Division where she educates Mesa, Arizona residents about xeriscape, water conservation, living green and sustainability. She is also a member of the Water – Use It Wisely regional campaign steering committee.

Water – Use it Wisely and GreenNurture, the software solution for incorporating sustainability into the office environment, announced today an official partnership to bring the award-winning conservation outreach campaign into businesses.

GreenNurture has collaborated with the campaign, known for its 100 Ways to Conserve list for water use at home, on targeted co-branded conservation messages for the workplace titled, “We’re All in the Business of Saving Water.”

The messages will be used on such educational collateral as GreenNurture office prompts, newsletters and weekly e-mails, which are distributed to their client base, and on marketing materials. The co-branded collateral will be featured on the Water-Use It Wisely website as an added dimension to their overall mission and be seen in such offerings from their campaign as a Water-saving Widget.

Since its inception in 1999, Water – Use It Wisely has focused on water conservation in the home. The program started in Mesa, AZ, and has since grown to be the world’s largest water conservation outreach effort with more than 400 private public entities using the campaign materials, primarily throughout North America.

“We are extremely excited to be partnering with GreenNurture offering water-saving tips in the office, which will help keep water conservation among the employees top-of-mind at home,” said, Donna DiFrancesco, Water Conservation Specialist for the City of Mesa.

The partnership kicks off today, with a special radio show tonight at 7 pm (PDT) on KFNX called, “Your Triple Bottom Line.” You can listen to a live stream of the show and call in with questions toll free at 866-536-1100. You can also Tweet your questions to @your3bl.

Tune in to hear Donna DiFrancesco and GreenNurture CEO, Derrick Mains, share insights on how to save water and money with your business. Also joining the show is Park Howell, whose sustainable marketing firm created the Water – Use It Wisely campaign. He will offer insights on how to motivate your employees through communication to get them to embrace micro eco-actions, the incremental behavioral changes that are at the heart of the GreenNurture concept.

“Water is one of the most overused resources, and it’s costing businesses millions of dollars a year. Thanks to the Water-Use It Wisely campaign over the last ten years, people have become much more water-conscious in their homes. Now it’s time to extend that mentality to the workplace,” said Derrick Mains, CEO of GreenNurture. “This partnership gives GreenNurture an intelligent, effective way to bring important information to our customers about water conservation and adds yet another layer to the Water-Use It Wisely mission.”

About GreenNurture

GreenNurture helps companies incorporate the value of sustainability into daily practice, catalyzing corporate culture and harnessing the collective intelligence of employees to drive greater long-term financial, social and environmental performance. Visit www.greennurture.com for more information.