May 2002
This guidebook is intended to assist property owners and their agents (managers, engineers, contractors, maintenance staff) in reducing water use in apartment buildings. Although the primary benefit of conserving water will be a reduction in the costs of operating the building, secondary benefits may include higher property values, some energy savings, and improved relations with residents.
This guidebook explains available options, provides a framework to work with, and summarizes what you need to know to select the water conservation retrofit strategies that best suit the property in question.
What is a Retrofit Strategy?
Water conservation strategies are generally divided into those that attempt to modify people's behavior (education programs, financial incentives) and those that depend on "hardware" modifications, such as the repair or replacement of water-using fixtures and appliances. This guidebook refers to hardware measures as retrofit strategies.
Can I Use This Guidebook for Any Type of Property?
This guidebook has a narrow focus: residential multi-family rental properties with two or more units (apartment buildings). Other types of properties, such as single-family homes, condominiums, commercial sites, institutions (schools, hospitals, and the like), and industrial facilities have specific requirements and needs.
Prepared for:
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
Office of Policy Development and Research
Washington, D.C.
Prepared by:
Water Resources Engineering, Inc.
San Francisco, CA
48 pages