While the cost and impact of water use in the built environment are well understood, the enormous amount of energy required to supply water for the construction and operation of buildings is often overlooked.

Water treatment and delivery in the U.S. accounts for 13 percent of the country’s total electricity consumption. In many municipalities, water is the single greatest energy investment. The carbon emissions related to water treatment, heating and distribution add up to an estimated 290 million metric tons a year – approximately 5 percent of total U.S. emissions and equal to the carbon output of more than 60 coal-fired power plants. In California alone, water-related consumption of electricity, natural gas and diesel fuel resulted in carbon emissions equal to 7 million passenger vehicles. 

Commercial facilities are responsible for a large percentage of that energy expenditure. In the U.S., 17 percent of the public water supply is consumed by commercial buildings such as schools, hotels, retail, offices and hospitals. Even worse, much of the water in the built environment is simply waste. Approximately 25 percent of all water entering residential and commercial buildings, construction sites and industrial facilities is ultimately wasted.

The opportunity for proactive water management

While these figures reflect a massive challenge for building operators, the situation also presents an unprecedented opportunity for proactive and forward-thinking organizations. Innovative approaches to water management in the built environment offer facility management professionals a unique chance to reduce water waste and carbon emissions while also saving money.

Water waste, inefficiency and energy consumption are related to a range of business costs, from property damage, repair and remediation, unnecessarily high utility expenses, lost time, customer inconvenience and increased insurance rates. Investors, consumers, regulators and other stakeholders are also increasingly focused on the climate and business risks associated with carbon emissions and other climate impacts.

Until recently, industries related to the construction and operation of commercial buildings accepted that the costs associated with water waste were an unavoidable part of their business. Simplistic tools such as leak sensors or visual inspection offered limited returns.

But innovative applications of artificial intelligence and machine learning are transforming how construction, building operations, and property and FM professionals deal with water waste. Innovations in IoT and AI make it possible to mitigate water waste and meet sustainability goals proactively.

The right leak detection and analytics solution will support a building’s complete operational lifecycle, from construction to operation. At all stages, today’s effective systems provide accurate real-time data on water consumption, identify the location of a leak, and even shut off the water supply automatically if the leak has the potential to cause damage.

Implementing intelligent water management solutions

The ideal solution would mitigate damage from water leaks and reduce or even eliminate waste. It would detect leaks, alert staff and automatically shut off water to prevent damage. It would need to function during all phases of the construction project and be adaptable, robust and modular to grow with the site as construction progresses. It should also transfer and support the facility’s operational life cycle, either as a direct transition from construction or as a retrofit to existing facilities. Of course, it should also continue operating regardless of any communication or power infrastructure failures at the site.

Powerful water management and analytics solutions for sustainable water management provide intelligent real-time monitoring, helping teams identify leaks at the source, eliminating the risk of water loss, property damage and interrupted workflows as well as carbon emissions.

Data-powered water management solutions offer a way for companies to proactively respond to urgent climate and economic concerns by optimizing water usage. The powerful results of effective leak detection and water management technology solutions – protecting a rapidly diminishing resource and minimizing carbon emissions – demonstrate that such solutions can be an integral part of a successful sustainability strategy for today’s facilities.

AI and other connected solutions empower facility teams with vital information and analytics that can dramatically improve sustainability and reduce waste, emissions and inefficiency. Intelligent water-flow analysis can provide real-time alerts and automatically shut off water supplies when needed, allowing facility managers and their teams to reduce overall water consumption and its related carbon footprint by an average of 20-25 percent.

Case in point: implementing a water intelligence solution in the Empire State Building
Recently, Empire State Realty Trust (ESRT), owner of the Empire State Building among its larger commercial and retail real estate portfolio, implemented an advanced technological solution as part of its role as a leader in sustainability, healthy buildings and indoor environmental quality.

To achieve its water conservation and leak-protection goals, ESRT installed water management systems throughout the Empire State Building and its other facilities. By applying AI and machine-learning technologies, ERST’s building and facilities owners and management teams avoided water waste and damage. With the systems installed, ESRT met several critical sustainability and financial goals for the property by cutting water consumption by 7.5 million gallons of water. The benefits added up to US$100,000 in savings per year and reduced carbon emissions by more than 300 metric tons. Within three months, the initial investment had been returned — much faster than what is typical for similar ESG and investments.

In a nutshell: addressing the water scarcity crisis while mitigating water leak damage risks

Water sustainability is an increasingly urgent priority across the built environment. Water scarcity is a critical worldwide issue, and the use of water results in significant use of energy and carbon emissions. Moreover, water leaks cause extensive damage to facilities and can severely disrupt operations. Powerful, AI-based solutions for the challenges presented by water waste and leaks deliver real-world results that help organizations and the communities they serve.