Water

Water Conservation

1. Conduct a water use audit to identify conservation opportunities.

• Water Audit Guidelines
• Water Efficiency Manual for Commercial, Industrial and Institutional Facilities

2. Install water efficient equipment, appliances, and plumbing fixtures.

• Visit WaterSense for information on low-flow plumbing fixtures, aerators, on-demand faucets, dual flush toilets, waterless urinals and other water efficient plumbing fixtures.

3. Optimize water use for heating and cooling systems.

• Eliminate single pass or once-through cooling systems.
• Minimize water loss from cooling towers.
• Ensure that boilers and steam-generating systems operate efficiently.

4. Eliminate non-critical cleaning processes and maximize dry cleanup where feasible.

• Optimize production sequencing and scheduling to reduce cleaning.
• Where feasible, use dry cleanup processes (sweeping, squeegees, etc.) rather than hosing down floors and other surfaces. Use high-pressure, low-volume water nozzles when you do need to use water for cleanup.
• Wash fleet vehicles only when necessary and use a car wash facility that recycles water.

5. Use harvested rain water for non-potable use (e.g. flushing toilets) or landscape irrigation.

• Building a Rain Barrel

6. Landscape with native and drought-resistant plants and minimize turf.

• BayScaping Guidelines

7.   Optimize irrigation systems.

• Limit irrigation areas.
• Identify and repair leaks.
• Adjust irrigation schedules to account for seasonal rain variation or use rain gauges.

Stormwater Management & Site Design

(Note that for some facilities, stormwater and spill prevention plans and measures are a regulatory requirement.)  

1. Reduce stormwater runoff through landscape design, reduction of impervious surfaces, and green infrastructure.

• Green infrastructure to manage stormwater (including rain gardens, rain barrels, green roofs, permeable pavement, and harvesting rainwater)
• EPA Educational Stormwater Video:   Reduce Runoff: Slow It Down, Spread It Out, Soak It In
• Maryland Stormwater Design Manual

2. Plant vegetative buffer strips along streams and other bodies of water.

• Low interest loans for shoreline erosion control
• Funding and technical assistance for conservation and restoration services

3. Keep pollutants out of storm drains and waterways.

• Store equipment and materials indoors or undercover.
• Routinely check paved surfaces for possible oil leaks from company vehicles.
• Educate employees to ensure “Only rain down the drain!”
• Plug floor drains in maintenance shops so that spills don’t discharge to stormwater drains or check with your local government about redirecting drains to the sanitary sewer system.
• Keep spill containment kits on site and accessible. Include them in your fleet vehicles if appropriate.

4. Implement Integrated Pest Management (IPM) practices.

• IPM uses preventive strategies and natural predators as an alternative to pesticides and herbicides
• University of Maryland Extension
• Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay

5. Apply fertilizer only when necessary and at minimum rates.

• Use native plants to minimize use of fertilizer.
• Limit fertilization of grass to once a year (summer for Bermuda and zoysia grasses, fall for all other grass types.)
• Keep fertilizer off of paved surfaces to prevent it from entering a storm drain.
• Advice from the University of Maryland Extension
• Maryland Master Gardeners
• Bay-Wise Landscape Management

6. Use best management practices to control ice on paved surfaces.