Stop Dollars from Dripping Away

According to a recent article on the NRA’s website, restaurants can use all types of sophisticated technology to conserve water and energy. But the most effective tool sometimes is a 50-cent washer.

Stopping faucet drips can cut a restaurant’s utility expenses by thousands of dollars. The Food Service Technology Center, an equipment-testing facility in San Ramon, Calif., has determined that full-service restaurants can lose $100 a week from leaky spigots in the kitchen, dish room and mop station.

As center officials note, any wasted water can be more than a drop in the bucket because restaurateurs pay for it at least twice: Once in their water bill and a second time in their sewer charges. If the water was hot, they also wasted the money to heat it

Experts advise restaurants to avoid wasting water through these simple actions:

• Look for leaks. Is a faucet or coupling dripping? Your restaurant might close at night, but the leak continues 24/7. Find it and fix it ASAP. Faucet replacement parts are available on Servu-Online.

• Stop flushing dollars. Look for leaks in a toilet by putting a drop of food coloring in the tank, advises the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. If the color seeps into the bowl, the rubber gasket likely needs replacement.

• Fill the sink. One restaurant advises its unit managers to fill the sink before cleaning pots and pans, instead of letting water run from the tap.

• Don’t use the tap as a defroster. Allow frozen foods to thaw in the refrigerator. 

• Install low-flow pre-rinse valves. Aerator-type devices do as good a job but use less water, the experts say. Find a wide selection of pre-rinse sprayers on Servu-Online. 

See the full article on NRA’s website.