Site search
sponsored by
Home
News
Strain from the drought could be felt almost everywhere in 2002, the state’s driest year in recorded history, and water restrictions were plainly visible. Businesses did their best in the water emergency.
Coloradans probably remember finding signs at restaurants stating politely but firmly that water is “only available upon request.”
Other restaurants framed then-Governor Bill Owens and the Colorado Restaurant Association’s stopgap plea not to serve complimentary water more colorfully—“Save Water…Drink Margaritas.”
A new website made possible by northern Colorado water providers, engineers and conservation non-profits aims to help businesses implement more effective long-term water conservation strategies.
The online resource is directed at the so-called Industrial, Commercial and Institutional water-users—categorized on the website as restaurants, hotels, schools, retail and medical and nursing and assisted living facilities—and includes “tools to help businesses estimate their own water usage, benchmarks to compare their usage to others in their industry, best practices for conserving water resources and saving money, and additional resources to assist regional water providers and users in conservation initiates,” according to the website.
Users are guided through a water usage self-assessment to identify opportunities to save both water and money. The site also features information on potential water-saving technology upgrades and can be found at http://ici.coloradowaterwise.org.
Efforts at water conservation have historically focused on residential and irrigation water-users and the research on commercial water consumption—a sector that proportionally uses the most water—is the largest project of its kind.
The Brendle Group, a Fort Collins-based engineering consulting firm, developed the methodology to break down water consumption data into industry benchmarks, or average usage levels, so that northern Colorado businesses can gauge and compare the amount of water they use relative to similar businesses. Restauranteurs, for example, can read the benchmarks in terms of water usage per seat; schools now have data on water usage per student.
“We’re excited about the prospect of offering good benchmark data and conservation resources to a wider commercial audience,” said Laurie D’Audney, Water Conservation Specialist at Fort Collins Utilities, in a press release, “In particular, these will be helpful for smaller businesses that don’t have the resources to conduct a facility water use assessment.”
The data is useful to water providers in addition to water consumers. Previously there was no mechanism to allow water providers to share information on customer usage patterns. Benchmark data helps these providers understand how their customers use their water, which in turn can help make existing conservation initiatives more effective.
Participants plan to continue their work and expand the Northern Colorado pilot program under the auspices of the Colorado WaterWise Council, an organization that promotes water conservation projects.
The initial research to collect consumption data from numerous water providers was made possible through a grant by from the Colorado Department of Health and Environment’s Pollution Prevention Advisory Board, while development of the website was handled by The Brendle Group through a grant by Northern Colorado Water.
Coloradans probably remember finding signs at restaurants stating politely but firmly that water is “only available upon request.”
Other restaurants framed then-Governor Bill Owens and the Colorado Restaurant Association’s stopgap plea not to serve complimentary water more colorfully—“Save Water…Drink Margaritas.”
A new website made possible by northern Colorado water providers, engineers and conservation non-profits aims to help businesses implement more effective long-term water conservation strategies.
The online resource is directed at the so-called Industrial, Commercial and Institutional water-users—categorized on the website as restaurants, hotels, schools, retail and medical and nursing and assisted living facilities—and includes “tools to help businesses estimate their own water usage, benchmarks to compare their usage to others in their industry, best practices for conserving water resources and saving money, and additional resources to assist regional water providers and users in conservation initiates,” according to the website.
Users are guided through a water usage self-assessment to identify opportunities to save both water and money. The site also features information on potential water-saving technology upgrades and can be found at http://ici.coloradowaterwise.org.
Efforts at water conservation have historically focused on residential and irrigation water-users and the research on commercial water consumption—a sector that proportionally uses the most water—is the largest project of its kind.
The Brendle Group, a Fort Collins-based engineering consulting firm, developed the methodology to break down water consumption data into industry benchmarks, or average usage levels, so that northern Colorado businesses can gauge and compare the amount of water they use relative to similar businesses. Restauranteurs, for example, can read the benchmarks in terms of water usage per seat; schools now have data on water usage per student.
“We’re excited about the prospect of offering good benchmark data and conservation resources to a wider commercial audience,” said Laurie D’Audney, Water Conservation Specialist at Fort Collins Utilities, in a press release, “In particular, these will be helpful for smaller businesses that don’t have the resources to conduct a facility water use assessment.”
The data is useful to water providers in addition to water consumers. Previously there was no mechanism to allow water providers to share information on customer usage patterns. Benchmark data helps these providers understand how their customers use their water, which in turn can help make existing conservation initiatives more effective.
Participants plan to continue their work and expand the Northern Colorado pilot program under the auspices of the Colorado WaterWise Council, an organization that promotes water conservation projects.
The initial research to collect consumption data from numerous water providers was made possible through a grant by from the Colorado Department of Health and Environment’s Pollution Prevention Advisory Board, while development of the website was handled by The Brendle Group through a grant by Northern Colorado Water.
