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Best Management Practice: Other Water Intensive Processes
Many water using processes beyond the previously covered best management practices (BMPs) are found at Federal facilities, including vehicle wash systems, maintenance services, cleaning/laundry services, single pass air conditioners, water softening systems, and others. Identify and analyze all water intensive processes for potential efficiency improvements.

This page outlines best management practices for other water intensive processes across:
- Overview 
- Operations   and Maintenance 
- Retrofit   and Replacement Options 
- Resources 
- Case   Study 
Overview
Laundry facilities are often found at Federal facilities. The laundry facility may be a self-serve laundry where residents and personnel wash their own clothing, a commercial-type laundry service where residents drop off laundry to be washed or dry cleaned, or an industrial laundry facility where large volumes of Government-owned linens and uniforms are cleaned. Large amounts of water are regularly used in industrial laundries, making them highly suitable for a water efficiency program.

Evaporative coolers, also known as swamp coolers and desert coolers, work on the same principle as cooling towers. Air is cooled and humidified as it passes through porous pads that are kept moist by water dripped on their upper edges. Un-evaporated water trickles down through pads and collects in a pan for either discharge or recirculation. Since cooling relies on evaporation, these coolers work best in arid climates.

When water evaporates, it leaves behind scale and mineral deposits on the pads, reducing the volume of air flowing through the pads and compromising cooler performance. Bleed-off water serves to dilute the mineral concentration of pan water and reduces scale and dirt build-up on the pads. There are two types of bleed-off systems: once-through and recirculating. The once-through, or pumpless, type is simpler and less expensive than the recirculating, or pump, type but consumes more water and requires constant drainage.

In many areas of the country, additional water softening should not be necessary for most operations. When water softeners are required, look for systems that generate a minimal amount of waste brine per gallon of water softened.

The military maintains facilities for washing and rinsing aircraft and vehicles. These washrack facilities are an excellent candidate for water efficiency. There are five typical washrack groups based on the type of wastewater emitted:
- Aircraft rinsing   
- Aircraft washrack platform   
- Automotive vehicle washrack   
- Tracked vehicle washrack   
- Automotive vehicle maintenance 

The amount of water used per item washed varies from approximately 100 to 3,000 gallons. Newer, commercially available washrack equipment usually includes some retrofit and recycling options that significantly reduces the amount of water used per item washed.

Get expert advice to help determine if water efficiency improvements of other water intensive processes are appropriate. New system designs and improved materials can significantly reduce water and energy requirements. However, since this may involve significant capital costs, first investigate every retrofit or operations and maintenance option. Your first resource should be local or headquarters engineers, but do not overlook input from experienced contractors or other Government agencies.

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Operation and Maintenance
To maintain water efficiency in operations and maintenance, Federal agencies should:
-  If practical, consider metering or otherwise measuring the amount of water   used in other water intensive processes. 
-  As with all water-using equipment, locate and repair leaks in plumbing   connections. 
-  If applicable, ensure procedures are in place to turn off the water supply   when equipment is not in operation. Some equipment allows water to constantly   run even when the equipment is turned off. 
-  If applicable, check flow rates to ensure they are within manufacturer   recommendations. For maximum water savings, the flow rate should be near the   minimum allowed by the manufacturer. 
-  To reduce water used by evaporative coolers, keep a tight rein on bleed-off   water amounts. For most small coolers, bleed-off volumes should be less than a   few gallons per hour for each 1,000 cubic feet per minute of air flow. Also   replace worn or torn pads and inspect the recirculation pump and reservoir   level controls periodically during warm months when the system is running. 
-  For water softeners, set the controls to start softening and regeneration   processes only when needed. Softeners with timers should be avoided. 
-  For existing washing machines, encourage users to wash only full loads. If   the water level is able to be set by the user, encourage using only as much   water as needed for that load. Also consider separating laundry by the number   of cycles needed. 
-  Large commercial laundry equipment should be easily programmable to use no   more water than required for the degree of soiling of the items being   washed. 
-  For washrack cleaning facilities that use detergents, use high quality   detergents to shorten the length of time required to clean each vehicle or   aircraft. 

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Retrofit and Replacement Options
The following retrofit and replacement options help Federal agencies maintain water efficiency across facilities:
-  If applicable, replace water-cooled equipment with air-cooled equipment or   the best available technology for achieving energy and water efficiency. 
-  Avoid single-pass or pumpless coolers. Recirculation saves water and   increases thermal efficiency. 
-  New water softener models may come with water-efficient regeneration   cycles. 
-  For existing washrack cleaning facilities, there are several low-cost   measures that can save significant amounts of water. Timers and automatic   spray heads are useful in aircraft rinsing facilities, but not for washrack   units since each vehicle or aircraft must be washed until sufficiently clean.   Automatic shutoff nozzles are designed for facilities with manual rinsing.   Since water is usually left on during the entire time a vehicle or aircraft is   washed and rinsed, the automatic shutoff spray nozzle can save tens to   hundreds of gallons per run. Low-flow and high-pressure hot water units can   reduce the amount of water and solvents used by facilities for cleaning engine   components. Pre-wash areas are recommended for tracked vehicle washracks with   recycling systems to eliminate a majority of the coarse dirt so that it will   not enter into and clog up the treatment system. Where feasible, include water   reuse equipment on vehicle washing equipment. Also consider using self-closing   valves on chamois wringers. 
-  For washrack cleaning facilities, choose new rollover and conveyor   equipment that uses less than 35 gallons per vehicle for automobiles and light   trucks and less than 75 gallons per vehicle for bus and large truck washes. 
-  The costliest but most highly effective way to reduce water usage at wash   and rinse facilities is to implement a wastewater recycling system (see BMP #14). Where possible reuse reverse osmosis or   nanofiltration reject water for vehicle washing in rollover and conveyor type   systems. 
-  Replace old commercial clothes washers (vertical axis) with high-efficiency   washers (horizontal axis) that use significantly less energy, water, and   detergent. Look for ENERGY STAR®-labeled washers with a water factor of 8.5   gallons of water used per cubic foot or less. Most full-sized ENERGY   STAR-labeled washers use 18-25 gallons of water per load compared to the 40   gallons used by standard machines. These efficient washers have the potential   to reduce combined utility costs by as much as 50%. 
-  For large industrial or commercial type laundries, consider replacing old   washers with tunnel washers or ozone laundering. Tunnel washers, also known as   continuous batch washers, are heavy-duty, multi-tank systems for use in large   industrial laundries. They are capable of handling up to 2,000 pounds of   laundry per hour. Tunnel washers use counter current wash methods to maximize   water efficiency. These are costly to install, but are capable of saving up to   70% of the volume of water used with a washer-extractor and require less   operating and maintenance labor. Tunnel washers typically use two gallons of   water or less per pound of laundry. 
-  Technologies for reducing water use in laundry operations include ozone   laundering. Ozone laundering is suited for light-to-moderately soiled laundry   and uses no detergent, uses only cold water, and recycles water.   Ozone-generating equipment is attached to the washer as a closed-loop   system. 

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Resources
The following resources provide guidance on water best management practices. Some of the following documents are available as Adobe Acrobat PDFs. Download Adobe Reader.
-  Air Force Water Conservation Guidebook (PDF 1.7 MB):   Resource developed by the Air Force Civil Engineer Support Agency to assist   base-level personnel in reducing potable water usage through life-cycle,   cost-effective water efficiency programs. 
-  Military Handbook: Water Conservation (PDF 580 KB):   Military guide on maximizing the efficient use of water resources to support   military options and lessen demands placed upon existing water supplies. 
-  General Services Administration Water Management Guide (PDF 3.6 MB):   Comprehensive approach for facility managers explaining new water conservation   requirement under Executive Order 13123. 
-  Water Conservation Guide for Commercial, Institutional, and   Industrial Users (PDF 2.2 MB):   Overview of water conservation strategies and benefits presented by the New   Mexico Office of the State Engineer. 

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Case Study
Sandia National Laboratories developed an extensive water efficiency program at its Microsystems and Engineering Sciences Application (MESA) complex following FEMP Best Management Practice #13. The program saves the complex 80 million gallons of water annually.

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