Don't Flush: 3 Ways to Your Profits From Going Down the Drain

[David Schwartz]

As it relates to residential water usage, it’s better to save more by flushing less.

Case in point: Demand has wiped out the low-flush toilet supply in Boulder County, Colorado, the nonprofit Center for ReSource Conservation has reported. The center and county offered a discount on high-efficiency toilets, which reportedly use 50 to 70 percent less water than normal models, and requests came flooding in.

Today, installation appointments are three months out, and the tide hasn’t ebbed on Boulder County’s water conservation demands.

As the United States consumes more water per capita than any other nation — more than 2.9 trillion gallons per year — the need to replace normal toilets with their more conservative counterparts is a real one: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimates that toilets consume 27 percent of indoor water usage.

Property managers and landlords sink 25 to 35 percent of their operating costs into utilities, while water costs, in particular, are up an estimated 200 percent in the past 15 years.

Meanwhile, small, barely noticeable leaks may add $900 to yearly water statements, with larger leaks totaling, in some cases, $4,000. If the toilet isn’t running, then tenants don’t catch the small leaks, which are easily overlooked and barely audible. Simply put, even if you don’t hear or notice a leak at first, it’ll certainly make its presence known on your next utility bill.

Stop Running, Start Saving Money

Many landlords cover all water costs because some localities won’t issue separate water meters, while others don’t want the hassle. Statistically, one in every five toilets is leaking, so you’re losing money on every unit.

So how can you minimize your losses? Property managers and landlords would be wise to utilize the following methods:

1. Have the tenants buy in. If water isn’t collecting around the toilet’s base, how can tenants spot a small leak? Show them how to check for water leaks when you sign the lease.

Post fliers at the mailboxes — “Got a leak? Hear a drip? Save the planet. Call us now!” When tenants know that you’ll respond, they’re more likely to conserve water and make reports. It’s in their best interests and in yours.

2. Regular inspection and maintenance. Your lease should allow routine plumbing inspections. Check water pipes, systems, and faucets before the tenants move in or when problems arise. Otherwise, inspect every six months.

An easy test for toilet problems? Add food coloring in the tank. If any color runs into the bowl, the toilet’s flapper should be replaced.

With a little training, you can identify leaks in minutes with toilet tank detection tablets or other systems. According to the EPA, increased vigilance toward leak maintenance can save as much as $170 per unit annually. Leaks in the typical housing unit account for more than 10,000 gallons of water each year — mostly from the toilet.

3. Invest in low-cost water conservation strategies. As you make drip inspections, go ahead and install more efficient toilets, meters, and implement other simple strategies to lower your water bills.

Low-water toilets reduce flush amounts from 3.5 to 1.6 gallons per flush, but other cost-efficient options are available. Installing a diverter in the water tank is a welcome asset, considering up to 27 percent of water in the toilet tank empties into the bowl.

A diverter is a simple fix for this problem and, depending on the type of toilet, can be your best option.

A sub-meter in every dwelling unit can spot high usage from leaking faucets and running toilets. You’ll catch a problem as soon as it happens, rather than waiting for a tenant to notice.

Putting a special device on each appliance gives a live reading and pays for itself in the long run. Property managers may also implement a wireless toilet usage monitor. Like a sub-meter, this device detects leaks and other toilet malfunctions while also recording abnormal usage and abuse by tenants.

Concern about water use is a worldwide issue. As landlords and facility managers, you can’t solve this resource crisis, but you will be challenged to control water waste.

By taking the initiative to flush less water down the toilet, you can do more for your facilities’ overall usage.

[Bill S.]

This is a bit of a pet peeve of mine as a Civil Engineer. Water "wasted" is not lost like energy that is wasted (leaking toilet water remains in the hydraulic cycle where as the light on in a room no one occupies is gone forever). Water used or "wasted" is cleaned and reused in many cases. I am not advocating ignoring leaks and not beneficially using water but it's not the same as wasting energy. The truth is that wasting water wastes energy. Cleaning water costs and uses energy to do so, but the actual water is not technically lost forever like wasted energy. In many cases, down stream users rely on used and "wasted" water for their water supply. If the upstream users were 100% efficient with their water there would be no water for the downstream users. The Mississippi River would be dry.

The costs of not using water beneficially are real and should not be ignored but in many many cases the costs sited above are way over stated. The example of costs are based on the highest water rates in the US. People in those markets know what saves water already and have implemented the low hanging fruit. Live readings on an individual water device are not cost effective in most cases. Technology has come a long way but there is still a huge gap in the cost of water compared to the cost of technology. Water is commonly sold for a few dollars for a thousand gallons. Right now it's just not costly enough to pay for technology that monitors it by the drop. The technology will wear out or become obsolete before it will catch a leak that could pay for itself.

A huge cost of water is the delivery system. In most areas that system is sized not based on consumption but on the ability to deliver water to fight a fire. The fixed costs must be paid for so reducing water usage really only increases the water rates because the water companies need x amount of revenue regardless of the amount of water they have to treat and deliver.

That said, it matters how much each individual uses but right now the economics are not such that the cost to the consumer drives that in the right direction in most markets. So a leaking toilet looses a few thousand gallons in a month. In most cases this costs less than $10. Folks might notice it and fix it but if it takes a month or two it certainly won't crimp their eating out budget.

Just my nerdy 2 cents.