Saving water can save money and energy. Improve the water efficiency of your gym or athletic club with help from the Portland Water Bureau. From budget-friendly swaps to long-term investments, the tips below can help your facility become more water efficient. And don’t miss out on our rebates and free water-saving devices!
Low-effort, high-impact changes
If you want to make a small investment with a big impact, showerheads and faucet aerators are where it’s at. Changing out these inexpensive fixtures for high-efficiency models can save your business a lot of water.
- Replace high-volume showerheads with efficient WaterSense-labeled models. Showers can use a lot of water, and hot showers also use a lot of energy. Save water and energy by replacing high-volume showerheads—which can use 2.5 to 5 gallons per minute—with more efficient showerheads that use 1.5 gallons per minute. Worried about how members might react? Choose several high-efficiency models and test one of each so you can ask for member feedback.
- Install high-efficiency faucet aerators. Standard faucets use 2.2 gallons of water per minute. Installing high-efficiency aerators that use only 0.5 gallons per minute on your public restroom faucets can cut that water use by almost 80 percent. For private sinks or faucets frequently used by members for shaving, consider installing 1.0 gallon per minute faucet aerators—which will still cut faucet water use in half!
Showerhead savings success story
There’s nothing like a real-world example to help bring the big impact of a small change into focus. A local full-service athletic club replaced 14 showerheads that used 2.5 gallons per minute with models that used 1.5 gallons per minute. This one switch saves the club 600,000 gallons of water a year, leading to a cost savings of $18,000 per year!
Bigger investments for bigger savings
While some water-efficient upgrades require more up-front investment, they can lead to noteworthy water savings.
We offer rebates on new WaterSense-labeled toilets. Replace older toilets and urinals. Older, inefficient toilets can use 3.5 or more gallons per flush, and leaks in older toilets can also be a major source of water waste. New WaterSense-labeled models use less than 1.3 gallons per flush! Avoid choosing sensor-operated units, as manually flushed models are efficient, reliable, and durable.
- Eliminate water-cooled equipment. Replacing water-cooled equipment like ice machines and keg coolers with air-cooled models can save thousands of gallons of water per day. Depending on the age and efficiency of the equipment being replaced, you could also save energy.
Condenser case study
Wondering if making a bigger water-efficiency investment will really pay off? One Portland athletic club replaced five water-cooled condensers with efficient air-cooled models. These condensers provided cooling for refrigeration units. The new air-cooled condensers save the club a whopping 1,200,000 gallons of water and $36,000 per year!
The Water Bureau can help!
The Water Bureau provides several water-efficiency services for commercial customers. From water use consultations to rebates and free water conservation devices, let us help you use less water!
Upgrading old and inefficient water-using equipment is a great way to save water at your business, and our rebates can help you save money in the process. Rebate restrictions apply, so check with water efficiency staff to make sure your project is eligible.
Rebates for commercial customers:
- Commercial toilet and urinal rebate: $50 per toilet or urinal for high-efficiency WaterSense-labeled models
- Irrigation controller rebate: Up to $500 for WaterSense-labeled models
- Sprinkler head rebate: $3 per head for qualifying multi-stream rotator nozzles
- Commercial ice machine rebate: 50 percent of the cost (up to $3,000) when replacing a water-cooled ice machine with an ENERGY STAR–certified air-cooled model
- Incentives for replacing other water-cooled equipment
The Water Bureau also offers free water conservation devices, including high-efficiency showerheads and faucet aerators.
If you want to use less water at your gym or athletic club but you’re not sure where to start, try a water efficiency consultation! Water Bureau staff can assess your facility’s water-using equipment and processes, identifying potential opportunities for you to save water—and money on your bill.
For help with any of the services above, or for more ways to save, contact the Water Efficiency team at conserve@portlandoregon.gov or 503-823-4527.