Pouring money down the drain.

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Did you know that water and sewer costs are among the highest utility expenses for building owners?

Many facility managers and owners do not realize the high cost of water use among building tenants In New York City, water and sewer costs rose by 25% this year, the biggest increase on record.

Suburban markets are also seeing public utilities request rate hikes in the residential sector.

The bottom line is that the majority of building owners in New York City pay for water and sewer expenses, and the rates and surcharges are rising. Therefore, saving money on water and sewer expenditures is something that should be of concern to all property owners.

The GreenSmart Energy Reduction Program[R] from Quality Conservation Services, Inc. (QCS) delivers fast, targeted solutions for multi-unit building owners to realize immediate savings in the area of water and sewer.

In fact, QCS customers have seen their water expenses drop an average of $40-$50 per unit per month by installing these comprehensive, efficiency measures.

The recurring savings add up to $480-$600 per unit per year on average just on water and sewer bills; when multiplied by the total number of units in one building, it becomes readily apparent how key it is to keep profits from going down the drain with these proactive measures.

Imagine being able to shave 50% from your building's water and sewer bill, just by installing passive, weatherization measures such as toilet dams, low-flow shower heads and faucet aerators.

These energy efficient measures and others are the first steps prescribed by QCS after a comprehensive, free energy reduction needs analysis of your building's existing conditions.

Also, these weatherization measures provide a rapid ROI as opposed to some large-scale projects such as replacing boilers or water heaters.

QCS technicians are experts in the multi-unit sector and are able to install these weatherization measures efficiently in hundreds of units per week, without disturbing building operations or your tenants.

So far in 2009, Quality Conservation Services has installed weatherization measures in more than 10,000 residential units nationwide, including thousands of units throughout the NY metropolitan area.

These measures have helped reduce energy use and expenses in low-income housing, multi-unit low, mid and high-rise managed properties, and single-family residential homes.

Consider these statistics about water use and how they might translate to your building or its tenants:

* Showering and bathing are the largest indoor uses of water domestically --27%.

* The average American uses 140-170 gallons of water per day.

* A leaky faucet can waste 100 gallons of water a day.

* One toilet flush uses 6 1/2 gallons of water; an average family of four uses 881 gallons of water per week just by flushing the toilet.

* An average bath requires 37 gallons of water.

* The average 5-minute shower uses 15-25 gallons of water; around 40 gallons are used in 10 minutes.

* If every household in America had a faucet that dripped once each second, 928 million gallons of water a day would leak away.

Now take into account how, by installing measures that conserve water usage without compromising tenant comfort, a building owner can watch consumption decrease and profits increase.

Not only can the GreenSmart Energy Reduction Program[R] help building owners save money on water bills, these measures also assist in taking the important stride toward aiding the environment through responsible water conservation.

Less than 2% of the Earth's water supply is fresh water and only 1% is available for drinking water. Our changing weather patterns have caused severe drought conditions throughout much of the country and have prompted water restrictions in the New York metropolitan area over the years.

For these reasons, property owners who can do their part to conserve water are providing a valuable service to their communities and the environment. The GreenSmart Energy Reduction Program[R] provides a straightforward path for property owners to do just that.

BY MELANIE GATELY, CORPORATE MARKETING MANAGER, QUALITY CONSERVATION SERVICES, INC.