SOLUTIONS
Water Harvesting Services
Rain Water Harvesting
A rainwater harvesting system collects water from a roof and diverts it to a storage tank where it is then used either inside or outside a building or home. Designs range from a simple rain barrel at the bottom of a downspout for watering a garden to extensive cistern systems that can provide a substantial amount of the water for cooling tower make-up, irrigation systems, water features, and vehicle washing.
Air Conditioning Condensation Harvesting
Cooling systems rely on evaporator coils through which refrigerant fluid changes from liquid to vapor, cooling the coils in the process. Air blowing past the coils cools off as it goes by, and moisture from the air condenses on the coils. Condensate drains carry away the water, usually into the sewer. Instead of wasting it, more and more buildings, especially in parts of the country with hot, humid summers, are capturing that condensate for reuse.
Grey Water Re-Use
As the term is most commonly used, gray water refers to wastewater from clothes washers, showers, bathtubs, and lavatory faucets—and not water from toilets, kitchen sinks, and dishwashers Gray water is collected with separate drain lines (requiring a building to be dual-plumbed for gray water and other wastewater drainage), filtered to remove large particles, and stored until use for landscape irrigation—usually below ground.
Storm Water Management Services
Rain Gardens
A rain garden is a garden which takes advantage of rainfall and stormwater runoff in its design and plant selection. Usually, it is a small garden which is designed to withstand the extremes of moisture and concentrations of nutrients, particularly Nitrogen and Phosphorus that are found in stormwater runoff. Rain gardens are sited ideally close to the source of the runoff and serve to slow the stormwater as it travels downhill, giving the stormwater more time to infiltrate and less opportunity to gain momentum and erosive power.
Green Roofs
A green roof is a roof of a building that is partially or completely covered with vegetation and soil, or a growing medium, planted over a waterproofing membrane. Benefits of a green roof include: reducing heating and cooling loads on a building, increases the roof life span, reduce stormwater runoff, and filter pollutants. A concentration of green roofs in an urban area can reduce the city’s average temperature during the summer months.
Permeable Paving Systems
Permeable paving is a range of materials and techniques for paving roads, parking lots and walkways that allow the movement of water and air around the paving material. Although some porous paving materials appear nearly indistinguishable from nonporous materials, their environmental effects are qualitatively different. Whether porous asphalt, concrete, paving stones or bricks, all these pervious materials allow precipitation to percolate through areas that would traditionally be impervious and instead infiltrates the stormwater through to the soil below.
Irrigation Services
Smart Control Systems
“Smart” irrigation controllers work by monitoring and using information about site conditions (such as soil moisture, rain, wind, slope, soil, plant type, and more), and applying the right amount of water to the landscape based on those factors. Once the “smart” controller is installed and set up, the “smart” controller automatically takes care of seasonal weather/site specific adjustments, and allows for remote access for daily updates of the onsite conditions via the internet.
Efficient Designs
Our design team has certifications from the Irrigation Association as Certified Irrigation Designer (CID) and is recognized by the EPA as a Water Sense Partner. When an irrigation design is required for a site a thorough evaluation is done to include, water pressure readings, soil analysis, plant water requirements, micro-climate, flow rates, water meter inclusions. We design to meet or exceed the United States Green Building Council (USGBC) Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) water efficiency credit by integrating, rainwater, smart controls, pressure regulation, subsurface drip tubing, flow sensing.
Proper Management
Management of the irrigation system is the one of the most vital aspects of water conservation for an irrigation system. Our team is trained to audit existing irrigation system to determine operating efficiency and recommending upgrades to make improvements. We evaluate soil type, precipitation rates, head and drip spacing, pressures, pump curves, flow rates, and existing schedules. Our program of upgrades includes retrofitting control systems to a central control, improving distribution systems, and managing the systems onsite and remotely via web-based controls.
Renewable Systems
Photovoltaics
Our experience includes projects coast-to-coast of all sizes, from under 10kW to over 1MW. We provide clean, sustainable and reliable solar electricity solutions for businesses. Solar power combats the rising and unpredictable cost of energy, increases the reliability of your energy supply and helps offset the damage caused by global warming. We work with you to evaluate, address and simplify your electric needs and offer engineering, design, project management and financing services.
Solar Hot Water
Reliable solar hot water (SHW) systems reduce your energy use, providing independence from traditional heating sources. A solar hot water production system can provide enough energy to meet 70% of your hot water needs, even in cold climates. Ideal solution for swimming pools, and small electric storage hot water heater replacements.
High Performance Daylighting Systems
Bring the sun indoors with High Performance Daylighting System (HPDS). Ideal for large warehouses, retail, and workshop spaces, pools, and gymnasiums, our HPDS is available in standard sizes 4'x4', 2'x4', and 2'x2'. Custom sizes can be built to suit any project.
Domestic Water
Toilets and Urinals
A large majority of a building’s consumption can be attributed to use of toilets and urinals. Older inefficient equipment can be retrofitted or replaced with new vitreous china and new piston-type valves providing several benefits including decreased water consumption, more precise flow, lower maintenance costs, and product durability.
Lavatory, Kitchen, and Lab-style Faucets
Innovative technology has provided a simple way to reduce water consumption from showers. A pressure-compensating low-flow showerhead can effectively reduce shower consumption by as much as 50%. The new pressure-compensating technology eliminates low pressure problems typically found with first generation low-flow showerheads, by drawing in air from the perimeter of the showerhead in order to boost the force of the spray.
Showers
Existing faucets can typically be retrofitted with new flow controls to effectively reduce water consumption by as much as 80%. These simple retrofits are available in a variety of different flow rates and flow types. Water Savers, LLC can match the perfect faucet flow control based on the primary use of each individual faucet.
Commercial Kitchens
Dish Machines
Many large dish machines use far more water than is necessary for completing the wash cycle. Furthermore, the water supplied is heated by the DHW system and then again by booster heaters located at the dish machine. Installation of an efficient dish machine, will realize not only water savings, chemical savings, but an even larger energy reduction.
Garbage Disposals
Garbage disposals, pot washers, and pulpers require water during the grinding process. Many times, the flow rate of water supplied greatly exceeds the manufacturer’s recommendations. Simple flow restriction retrofits can be installed to reduce water consumption. There are also many instances where simply changing the way food waste is disposed of saves water and energy costs.
Pre-Rinse Sprayers/Tray Wash Stations
Pre-rinse sprayers present another opportunity for water conservation in most food service environments. These sprayers are used for a variety of functions, including removing food debris from dishware, vegetable washing, and general cleaning. Tray conveyors and tray wash stations will often incorporate stationary sprayers designed to pre-wash trays and other dishware as they pass through the station. Each of these systems can attribute a substantial portion of a food service facility’s overall water consumption.
Healthcare Solution
Reverse Osmosis Systems
Reverse osmosis is used in healthcare facilities for the production of purified water. During the purification process a portion of incoming water containing all the filtered particulates is discharged to the drain. This water, though high in mineral content, often remains potable and can therefore be recirculated or recovered for alternative uses.
Sterilizers/Autoclaves
Sterilizers use water in two different areas. Since discharged steam condensate leaves the sterilizer at approximately 200oF, tempering water must be supplied before discharging to sewer drains. This is often achieved by a constant flow of fresh water. Water is passed through a venturi to produce a vacuum in the sterilization chamber of vacuum type sterilizers. Each of these areas can be retrofitted to dramatically reduce water consumption.
Lab and Process Equipment
Healthcare facilities contain many pieces of lab and process equipment that can be water-cooled, including linear accelerators, film processors, high powered microscopes, lasers, stills, medical air compressors, and medical vacuum pumps. Each of these systems present opportunities for replacement or retrofit that can reduce or eliminate water consumption all together.
HVAC and Process Equipment
Boilers and Cooling Towers
Cooling towers use fresh make-up water to replace what is lost through evaporation and blow-down. Likewise, boilers use fresh make-up water that is lost through general system operation and small distribution line leaks. In many cases, sewer charges are billed for all make-up water, even though lost water does not enter the sewer drains.
Side Stream Filtration
When water is evaporated in a cooling tower or heated to steam in a boiler, mineral content within the water is left behind creating scale buildup on internal water feed lines. Side stream filtration systems will filter out unwanted particles from make-up water reducing the scale buildup. This, in turn, improves system efficiency and increases cycles of concentration, reducing both water and energy consumption.
Pumps, Compressors, and Condensing Units
Pumps, compressors, and air conditioning condensing units can be water-cooled, using once-through fresh water. Often times, the water supplied for cooling greatly exceeds the required amount, generating fresh-water waste. Replacements or retrofits are available that can reduce the flow of the water, or eliminate it completely.
Laundry
Ozone Systems
Ozone systems are retrofits that can be added to existing high volume commercial washing facilities. Essentially, ozone systems pre-treat the water supplied to laundry washers/extractors. The benefits of ozone systems include: shorter wash times and reduced water consumption due to eliminated cycles, reduced energy consumption due to elimination of hot water for sanitization, and reduced operating costs due to reduction of chemical usage.
Front Load Washers
Traditional top load washers use a large amount of water during the wash and rinse cycles. Furthermore, 40-50% of the time this water is heated, associating an energy component to the washer consumption as well. New front load washer models use approximately 50% less water and 30% less electrical energy than their top load counterparts. The reduction in water also provides a reduction in water heating energy.
High Efficiency Dryers
Typical residential dryers use heat and air flow to dry clothes. Many older dryers are inefficient at their drying process, utilizing the high energy electric heating coil for 60-75% of the dry cycle. Newer high efficiency dryers utilize less heat from the electric coil, and more air movement through the machine. This process allows clothes to dry faster and at a lower temperature, thereby using less energy and prolonging the life of clothing fabric.
