Delivering water efficiency in commercial buildings: A guide for facilities managers

BRE (Building Research Establishment) is an independent, research-based consultancy, testing and training organisation, operating in the built environment and associated industries.

Delivering water efficiency in commercial buildings: A guide for facilities managers (IP 6/14) was written by Tom Taylor and published by BRE on 13 June 2014.

This information paper provides guidance about how to deliver water efficiency savings through improved facilities management. It is part of a series of BRE publications providing guidance for facilities managers, maintenance contractors and building owners about issues relating to the operation and management of commercial buildings.

Whilst sometimes considered secondary to energy efficiency, the importance of water efficiency should not be underestimated, particularly with water shortages on the increase as a result of growing demand and the increasing variability of weather patterns. Reducing demand through water efficiency and sourcing water from alternative supplies alleviates pressure on water resources, improves resilience, and helps cut costs.

This 8-page publication provides an overview of how to determine water consumption and establish a building’s water efficiency performance. It offers guidance about how to ensure water systems are operating as intended and how to identify causes of poor water efficiency. It will help the reader gain an understanding of some of the key issues that impact on water efficiency and to identify opportunities for making water efficiency savings.

Its contents are:

• Water-consumption monitoring and benchmarking.
• Water efficiency and maintenance.
• User engagement.
• Investing in water efficiency.
• Conclusions.
• References.

--BRE Group

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