Save Award 2010 Ideas

Install rain barrels on the flat roofs of federal buildings to collect water. This collected water can be used to water the plants or lawns on federal property. The water can also be used for flushing toilets which would save our water resources, the government’s utilities bills and also be good for the environment.

limit inmate shower usage, showers can be put on a 15 minute block, inmates will turn the showers on and walk away, burning hot water and fuel to heat it, after an inmates showers and turns it off, have it set where it wont work for 2 minutes until the next inmate, we must regulate water usage...

We should be using gray water (sink/shower) to flush toilets. I don't know how much it would cost for parts and installation but we could choose a facility to test and see if it's worth the saving of gallons of water. We really don't need fresh water to flush human waste, right?

Tap water is just as healthy as bottled water and, in fact, is more strictly regulated. There is no need to waste money on buying bottled water. San Francisco has banned bottled water and it is estimated that it will save $500,000. Buying bottled water also destroys our environment. 38 billion PET bottles are not recycled annually. If everyone were to bring their own cup (BYOC) to work, government dollars would never... more »

I suggest you install water efficient toilets and waterless urinals with chemical odor devices. This would produce an appreciable cost savings in the area of utilities

recycle irrigation water in landscaping and encourage the use of brownwater. This will result in water savings.

recycle irrigation water in landscaping and encourage the use of brownwater. This will result in water savings.

I suggest you begin using waterless urinals to save thousand of gallons of water a year in all government facilities. Falcon, Kohler, and numerous other restroom facility companies manufacture these products that ease cleaning, reduce plumbing costs, and save money. Wired did an entire expose on the issue at http://www.wired.com/magazine/2010/06/ff_waterless_urinal/. In addition, mandating the use of e-mail for correspondence... more »

We need to install waterless urinals at the highest visited national park sites, and for that matter, at any other federal building with high traffic. Obviously places with low annual rainfall and high bathroom usage should be converted to waterless urinals first (i.e. federal buildings in Phoenix). I've seen these at a few national parks including Chaco Culture NHP in New Mexico and they claim to save tens of thousands... more »

Install timers on all inmate showers, sinks, and toilets to conserve water and money. Currently general housing units have no limits on inmates use.

In the men's room nearest my office, there are three sinks, and all three of them leak water continuously, 24/7, in streams, not just drips, because the old faucets simply can't be shut off completely. Multiply that by all the restrooms in all eight floors and nine corridors of the HCHB, and you have potentially the worst waste of good potable water I have ever encountered. I like the sense of history I get from walking... more »

Install rainwater-collection facilities in all Federal buildings, starting with the biggest buildings with the most roof-space, such as the HCHB and the Pentagon. This will both save money for the US Government, and set an example of leadership in resolving water-scarcity issues, which are already getting worse all over the Earth and will surely get still worse before they get better.

Replace standard urinals with waterless urinals, either as the old ones need replacing, or proactively (if there is an environmentally reasonable way to dispose of existing urinals).

Environmental savings is more important than dollar savings, as water generally is not charged at real value but is artificially low. It is foolish to use drinking-water-grade water in our toilets. Plus, it adds that much more volume into... more »

Reduce lawn areas in drier regions, replace with native vegetation.

Lawn 2.35 c.f. per square foot
Other Landscaping 1.0 c.f. per square foot

[figures from www.cornerstonesmud.com/id46.htm]

Reduce water use, and lawnmower use, and chemicals (fertilizers, grass feed, broad-leaf herbicides, etc.) that are petroleum-based, and undesirable in groundwater and surface water runoff.

There is a potential big savings in water... more »

Generally speaking, watering lawns early in the morning is better than during midday. Watering during the day keeps a lot of water from ever making it into the ground, due to evaporation. By watering early in the morning, before it gets warm (especially in the south, like at Johnson Space Center), you end up using far less water for the same effect; this reduces costs and drains on local resources, makes government... more »