Making the Switch to Cold Water Taps
Could a simple, yet effective method of adopting the simple principle of foregoing hot water for handwashing significantly reduce the amount of energy and water operational costs? Supplying cold water to the typical floor amenities of an office building is a sustainability innovation that surpasses current best practise in world leading commercial building design.
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ased on a 25,000m2 high rise building in Sydney, running costs are anticipated to be 1000kL of water and $3,500 in energy costs per year, as well as an avoided $3,000 in annual system maintenance, including labour and parts. Additionally, expected 10 yearly capital replacement costs are avoided. Up to $200,000 in initial capital outlay can be re-coupled through deletion of domestic hot water plant, riser and water reticulation. Sometimes during the pursuit of sustainable buildings, we miss some of the easiest fruit to pick. This article explores an initiative that in the author’s experience, has failed to gain traction, but is about as passive a strategy as they come. The financial savings headline this article, however, the argument for why this initiative is viable follows. Australia is the driest inhabited continent and water scarcity issues have always been a concern. From a construction context, steps have been taken to reduce water consumption in buildings through the creation of the WELS2 rating scheme. Federal and state governments have legislated water conservation using various mechanisms, including via the National Construction Code (NCC). The adoption of aerated taps allows the effective delivery of water to users within commercial applications whilst substantially reducing the flow of water through these
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