Niagara Conservation

Scope Of Work

20 BY 2020 In 2011, Santa Monica City Council adopted a new plan aimed to reduce water use by about 20 percent by 2020. In support, City of Santa Monica contacted Community Corporation of Santa Monica (CCSM) with a pilot program to retrofit properties using product rebates funded by The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California. “We employ green practices in everything that we do,” said John Mimms, Project Manager at CCSM. “When City of Santa Monica approached us, we were looking for the most efficient solution to reduce water usage while continuing to provide our residents with the best quality.” It was critical that the city begin looking for effective ways that would acquire maximum water and energy savings as well as provide long-term, sustainable results.

In 2014, CCSM’s 5th and Wilshire property served as the pilot study. The 32 two- to three-bedroom unit property was selected because it would likely provide a greater opportunity for water savings given its higher occupancy.

THE PRODUCTS Both organizations were already familiar with Niagara Conservation, therefore it was a unanimous decision to use the Ultra-High-Efficiency Technology (UHET) Water-Saving Kits for this initiative. Each UHET Kit consists of five high-efficiency products that drastically reduce water and energy usage. When installed, they collectively deliver unrivaled savings The 5th and Wilshire property received numerous UHET kits that included Niagara’s EPA WaterSense® certified Original Stealth 0.8 GPF toilet, an Earth Massage 1.25 GPM showerhead, 0.5 GPM bathroom aerators, and 1.5 GPM kitchen faucet aerators.

The Original Stealth boasts the lowest gallons per flush on the market; flushing at just 0.8 gallons each time thanks to Stealth Technology – a patented, re-engineered flush that works better and wastes nothing. The showerhead and aerators have Niagara’s Equiforce™ Technology, a pressure-compensating technology that guarantees a powerful, consistent flow rate regardless of available water pressure.

THE RESULTS The UHET kits were installed seamlessly within five business days. Within the first year after the retrofit, CCSM’s 5th and Wilshire property saved more than 720,000 gallons of water and reduced utility costs by over $10,000 when compared to the previous year. Since the retrofit, the property has experienced 20-25 percent decreases in its annual water bills. Adding to these great savings, residents have had no issues with the new units since the completion of the installations, making product maintenance nearly non-existent outside of routine check-ins with residents. This outstanding reduction in water and utility bills combined with the high satisfaction of the residents with the new units drove CCSM to retrofit approximately 30 more properties and 400 units by the end of 2015. These retrofits have enabled Santa Monica to reduce water usage citywide by 19.8 percent as of June 2015.