CommonWealth Partners Achieves Portfolio-wide Water Savings with Upgrades and Engagement

CommonWealth Partners' (CWP) comprehensive approach to water management aims to minimize consumption and appreciate water as a precious shared resource. In compliance with the standards set by LEED certification, CWP implements policies that mandate the installation of high-efficiency plumbing fixtures (such as those accredited by the EPA WaterSense® program) during any building retrofits or renovations. Moreover, they monitor the use of irrigation water by separately metering it where feasible to enable swift detection of any abnormal usage. 

CWP also undertakes strategic building upgrades, including the optimization of cooling towers for maximum efficiency that prioritizes water conservation. Several properties also have indoor and/or outdoor leak detection systems. 

To educate tenants on water conservation, CWP participates in Water Awareness Month every September, which contains information and tips on how to help reduce water consumption. CWP also shares information about the EPA’s Fix a Leak Week to help empower occupants to identify waste. As a participant in the Better Buildings Water Savings Network, CWP originally committed to reducing water usage across its portfolio by 20% by 2023 using a 2013 baseline. CWP faced budgeting, occupant, and equipment replacement challenges along the way. However, by coordinating efforts across tenant engagement, strategic equipment replacement, and irrigation management, CWP successfully achieved its water reduction target one year early.

Equipment Upgrades
CommonWealth Partners implements the following upgrades as feasible: 

• Including water efficiency-related items in annual CapEx budgets at properties
• Improving water efficiency during common area restroom remodels (including waterless urinals), and in kitchens and restrooms in tenant improvements (TIs) for new and renewal leasing
• Installing more efficient plumbing and appliances into occupied suites as part of TIs and/or in accordance with sustainability certifications such as LEED
• Implementing solutions to augment or replace large mechanical equipment 
• Identifying properties lacking an interior and/or exterior leak detection system 
• Adding new filtration systems in cooling towers and upgrading aging cooling towers 
• Installing exterior irrigation submeters
• Landscaping refreshes of remaining turf or other higher-water plants at select properties which are phased for replacement using low water, drought-tolerant and/or native landscaping accompanied by mulch and drip irrigation
• Conducting a triennial portfolio-wide Sustainability Attributes Survey which encompasses various water features and attributes, and then implementing various items as identified there into subsequent property CapEx budgets

Tenant Engagement
Making equipment changes in occupied spaces before leases roll over can be challenging. To address this, CommonWealth Partners educates tenants on water conservation measures each July as part of Water Awareness Month. Every December, CWP also promotes the interconnected impacts of water, energy, and waste with an “All in One” campaign. CWP consistently shares information from World Water Day and from the EPA’s ENERGY STAR® “Fix a Leak Week” program to empower tenants to identify areas of water waste. CWP’s ‘Green Office Guide’ is provided to new and renewal tenants with topics related to saving water, including an illustrative graphic displaying the various recommended tips and practices.

CWP shares and implements its “Water Efficiency Guide” with stakeholders.  CWP analyzes water usage by building data assessed in ENERGY STAR® Portfolio Manager® and identifies both the top and lowest-performing properties per water use intensity (WUI) in its annual ESG budgeting process. The top-performing properties are publicly recognized in the company’s annual report and newsletters, which include awards and bonuses for the winning property management teams. CWP designates the four lowest-performing properties as “focus properties” for the upcoming year to help identify areas of water waste that can be addressed, potential water-related capital projects, and any further beneficial tenant engagement.  CWP has also carried on the ENERGY STAR tradition of the “Battle of the Buildings” for the fourth quarter each year to coincide with energy, water, waste, and “All in One” awareness campaigns.  

Irrigation Management 
To reduce landscaping water use, CWP has replaced grass turf or other high-water plants at select properties with low-water, drought-tolerant, and/or native landscaping, plus utilizes mulch and drip irrigation. Water savings are often tracked with the installation of exterior irrigation submeters.

Other Staff, Technology or Outside Support 
PARTNERSHIPS: Collaborating with new and potential vendors, consultants, and other specialists who may have viable everyday landscaping practices or more innovative solutions for CWP to utilize.

FINANCING: Researching available potential local rebates and incentives. 

DATA MANAGEMENT: Using ENERGY STAR^® Portfolio Manager^® (ESPM) for annual data tracking to help identify the four top-performing and four lowest-performing “water focus” properties to further focus subsequent efforts and funding for any remaining water resource efficiency improvements.