How to Conserve Water Using Demand Management

Despite a 500 percent population increase since 1957, Arizona’s water use has stayed the same with demand management — a water management strategy that involves policies that help control consumer demand without specifically asking consumers to use less water, says Klaus Reichardt, CEO and founder of Waterless Co., manufacturer of no-water urinal systems.

Demand management is based on three principles:

1. Public awareness: While not specifically asking people to conserve water, an understanding as to why water must be used more efficiently is necessary.
2. Regulatory: Requiring the use of low-flow and no-water fixtures; for instance, waterless urinals are now required in many Arizona state buildings.
3. Pricing: Adjusting the costs of water to reflect the true costs of acquiring, treating and delivering it.

In an October Environmental Leader column, Reichardt says commercial facilities can use water more efficiently by tracking water use as well a replacing older toilets with fixtures that meet or exceed Uniform Plumbing Code (UPC) and International Plumbing Code (IPC) requirements: 1.6 gallons of water per flush, replacing existing faucets or installing restrictive aerators to reduce water use from approximately 2.2 gallons per minute to 0.5 gallons per minute, and replacing older urinals with newer models that use less water (1 gallon of water per flush or less).

He cites a study by the Rand Corporation that says waterless urinals often provide significant savings due to their lower annual maintenance costs, in addition to the benefits incurred from reduced water use.