Water conservation at Koerner's Pub using faucet aerators
Creators: name: Madsen, Andrew
name: Davidson, Glenn
name: Islam, Moonis
name: Kabir, Shadman
name: Watanabe, Thomas
Publisher: name: The University of British Columbia
Year: 2016

description: A Triple Bottom Line (TBL) assessment is conducted for faucet aerator implementation at Koerner’s Pub. The pub is located in an old building, built with little concern for sustainability. The stakeholder, Tim Yu, would like to implement a water saving solution at the pub to become more sustainable and that would only require a small capital investment. There are two sinks in the kitchen on the main floor with faucets that do not have aerators and are the main focus of the analysis. One faucet has a double sink used for washing pots and cleaning dishes while the other faucet is a hand sink. Aerators are attached to faucet outlets to decrease water consumption and improve the water stream while still maintaining pressure by partially obstructing the flow of water and introducing air into the stream. In order to attach an aerator to a faucet, the faucet must have threads so that the aerator can be screwed on. The two sinks analyzed at Koerner’s Pub have threads and therefore it is possible to attach aerators. In order to perform an accurate TBL assessment, data collection at the pub was required. The volumetric flow rates were obtained through the use of a bucket, a 500 mL graduated cylinder and a stopwatch. The maximum possible flow rates (valves fully opened) of the double sink and hand sink are 11.7 GPM and 8.49 GPM, respectively. Since it is unlikely or very rare that restaurant employees use the faucets at their maximum flow rates the water savings and economic analysis for each sink is conducted based on an assumed flow rate of 4 GPM. The aerator chosen for the analysis based on pub requirements that it has a maximum output flow rate of 1 GPM and costs $6.00. This means that on average there will be a water savings of 3 GPM while the faucet is in use for activities that do not involve filling. Furthermore, it was calculated that it would take roughly 333 days to recover the capital investment of one aerator. The installation of aerators in the hand sink and double sink is recommended, while monitoring how the reduced flow rate affects employees. The Tri-Max aerator stands out as a possible pick due to the cheap cost and the adjustable flow rate, which could be beneficial in the double sink where a higher flow rate may be required. In addition to economic and environmental benefits, aerators also filter debris, prevent splashing, reduce faucet noise and prevent faucet leakage. Conserving water even in small amounts, such as through the use of aerators, aids in the protection of the precious resource and those who depend on it. Disclaimer: “UBC SEEDS provides students with the opportunity to share the findings of their studies, as well as their opinions, conclusions and recommendations with the UBC community. The reader should bear in mind that this is a student project/report and is not an official document of UBC. Furthermore readers should bear in mind that these reports may not reflect the current status of activities at UBC. We urge you to contact the research persons mentioned in a report or the SEEDS Coordinator about the current status of the subject matter of a project/report.”