ConservetheFlow

800WCampbellRd
Richardson,TX75080
Phone:2146047579
EMail:conservetheflow@gmail.com

Date:March24th,2016

DallasChamberofCommerce
CityofDallas
10707PrestonRd.
Dallas,TX75230

DearChamberMembers:
Theattachedreport,requestedbytheDallasChamberofCommerce,explainstheissueofgrowingwater
demandduetotheincreasingpopulationintheDallasForthWortharea.Thereportdescribesthelogisticsand
operationsbehindthecompanyConservetheFlowanditsgoalstoincreasewaterconservationinlocal
businessesinDallas.
Thereportcoversthreemainsubjects:

Backgroundanddiscussion:Includesinformationandstatisticalevidencethatprovestherelevanceof
theissue;

Problem:DefinestheissueandexplainsitsimpactontheDallaseconomyandfuturesustainability;

Proposal:Includesdetailsabouttheplanning,scheduling,staffing,budgeting,andgenerallogistics.

Researchforthereportincludedsecondarysourcessuchasnewsarticles,governmentpublications,statistics,
andreportsfromenvironmentalorganizations.Theresultsfromtheresearchindicatethattherewillbea
substantialshortageofwaterbytheyear2060.Theseresultsarediscussedinthereportandwillbethe
supportingmaterialfortheargumentofwaterconservationasthemostecoefficientandenvironmentally
friendlysolutiontowaterscarcity.
Thankyoufortheopportunitytopresentourideasandgoalsinthisreport.
Sincerely,

Thomas Klippvik
ThomasKlippvik
ConservetheFlow

INCREASING WATER CONSERVATION IN BUSINESSES

Prepared for
Dallas Chamber of Commerce

Prepared by
Conserve the Flow
Carlos Almeida, Ju Kim, Thomas Klippvik, Graham Wegscheid

March 24, 2016

Table of Contents
Executive Summary.......................................................................................................................4
Introduction....................................................................................................................................6
Problem and Significance..........................................................................................................2
Scope and Organization.............................................................................................................3
Background, Problem, Purpose....................................................................................................3
Background.................................................................................................................................3
Problem.......................................................................................................................................4
Purpose........................................................................................................................................6
Proposal, Plan, and Schedule........................................................................................................7
Proposal.......................................................................................................................................7
Plan..............................................................................................................................................7
Target market............................................................................................................................9
Incentives for businesses.........................................................................................................10
Schedule.....................................................................................................................................13
Funds.......................................................................................................................................14
Staffing..........................................................................................................................................14
Business Consultant.................................................................................................................14
Internships................................................................................................................................15
Budget...........................................................................................................................................16
Overview....................................................................................................................................16
Initial Loan................................................................................................................................16
Cost of Implementation............................................................................................................17
Employment..............................................................................................................................17
Revenue.....................................................................................................................................17
Growth.......................................................................................................................................17
References.....................................................................................................................................18
Appendix A...................................................................................................................................20
Appendix B...................................................................................................................................21
Appendix C...................................................................................................................................23
Appendix D...................................................................................................................................24

iii

ExecutiveSummary
TheCityofDallascanbenefitfromincreasingwaterconservationinbusinesses.Statisticsfrom
theU.S.CensusBureauindicatethatDallasisoneofthefastestgrowingcitiesintheUnited
States,especiallyinTexas.Accordingtovariousnewsarticles,increasedgrowthisadirectresult
fromthefavorablebusinessclimateDallasprovides.Theadvancementoftheeconomy
consequentlyresultsinasubstantialincreaseinthepopulationofthecity.Thispopulation
growthleadstoissueswithsustainability,namelywaterdemand,whichisthemainissuethat
needstobeaddressed.

ThederivedconclusionthatthecityofDallasneedstoaddresstheissueofgrowingwater
demandisbasedonsecondarydataandresearch.Primarystatisticsincludedprojectedwater
demandandpopulationfiguresfromtheTexasWaterDevelopmentBoard.The2012WaterPlan
forTexasandthe2016updateddemandprojectionsprovidedthestatisticalevidencefortheneed
tofindaviablesolutiontomeetfuturewaterdemand.Inaddition,informationfrom
environmentalistsprovidedsupportingmaterialtowhyconservationisthemosteconomicaland
environmentallyfriendlysolutiontowaterscarcity.

Thereportconsistsoftwomainsections:

Overview.Thesectioncoversthebackgroundbehindtheissue,themainproblem,and
thepurposebehindtheproposal.Thebackgroundbehindtheissuedealswiththeissues
thatresultfromincreasedpopulationgrowthinDallas.Thisgrowthinturnrequiresmore

iv

Resourceslikewater,whichthecitydoesnotcurrentlyhave.Theproblemisthatmany
methodsofremedyingthisissuewillrequiresubstantialamountstimeandmoney.The
solutionthatavoidstheseproblemsiswaterconservation.Thisdirectlyleadstothe
purpose,whichistomakebusinessesinDallasmoreeconomicallyefficient,aswellas
environmentallyfriendly,allwhilesavingtheCityofDallasasmuchwateraspossible.

Proposal.Thissectionincludestheproposal,plan,scheduling,andlogistics.The
proposalitselfpresentsthecompanyConservetheFlowasaconsultingcompanythat
aimstoincreasewaterconservationinDallas.Thecompanywillworkwithother
businessesandanalyzetheirfacilitiessuchastoilets,faucets,andpiping.Aconsultant
willcreateaplanfortherespectivebusinessthatwilldetailhowmuchwaterandmoney
itcansavebyincorporatingEPAapprovedWaterSensefixtures.ConservetheFlowwill
handletheentireprocessandpaperworkbehindhiringcontractorstoreplacethese
fixtures.Inaddition,businessesthatdobusinesswithConservetheFlowwillbe
rewardedandreceiveacknowledgementofbeingenvironmentallyresponsible.Conserve
theFlowaimstoconverttwelvebusinessesbytheendofthefirstyear.

TheresultsfromourresearchleadustorecommendtheimplementationofConservetheFlows
servicesintolocalbusinesses.Thesebusinesseswillsavemoney,whichinturnwillincrease
economicprosperity.Inaddition,theCityofDallaswillsavemillions,ifnotbillions,ofgallons
ofwaterandbeabletosupportfuturewaterdemand.

INCREASING WATER CONSERVATION IN BUSINESSES

Introduction

Wateriswastedeverysingledayinnumerousways.Asimpleactsuchasleavingthe

faucetrunningwhilebrushingonesteethcanwastehundredstothousandsofgallonsofwaterin
thecourseofayear.Mostpeople,includingeverymemberonourConservetheFlowteam,have
beenguiltyofwastingwater.Wemightflushmoretimesthannecessary,leavewaterrunningtoo
long,andignorereportingorrepairingleakingfaucets.SinceweallliveinTexas,astatethat
oftenisinastateofwaterdemandcrisis,ourgroupdesirestohelpremedytheissueofwater
shortagesinourstateandespeciallytheCityofDallas.
Thefollowingstatisticputstheissueofwastedwaterintoperspective.15,140isthe
numberofdripsittakesforaleakingfaucettowasteagallonofwater.Atanaverageof20drips
perminute,694gallonsofwaterhavebeenwastedbytheendoftheyear(USGS,2015).This
hypotheticalsituationtakesintoaccountonlyonefaucetinonelocation.Consideringtheamount
ofbusinesseslocatedintheCityofDallas,thepotentialgallonsofwaterwastedfromthingslike
leakingfaucetsissubstantial.Inaddition,theinefficiencyofmanytoiletsandsinksisamajor
contributingfactortowatershortages.
Background

Dallasisarapidlygrowingcityandthegrowthisnotslowingdownanytimesoon.It

seemsasifthereisdevelopmentaroundeverycorner.TheDFWareaisexpandingwithnew
projectsmanifesting,thehousingmarketincreasing,andbusinessesflourishing.Accordingtoa
DallasMorningNewsarticlebyMichaelE.Young(2015),recentestimatesfromtheU.S.
CensusBureaushowthatDallasisinthetop10fastestgrowingcitiesinthecountry.Businesses

INCREASING WATER CONSERVATION IN BUSINESSES

especiallyareprogressivelymovingandexpandinginDallasduetothefavorablebusiness
climateandothereconomicadvantages.Simplyput,doingbusinessinTexasiseasyand

INCREASING WATER CONSERVATION IN BUSINESSES

efficient.Therearemanyadvantagesthatmakeitmoreattractiveforbusinessestorelocate
theiroperationstoDallas.Theseincludeincentiveslikedevelopmentgrants,taxexemptions,and
jobtraining.Toyota,thelargestautocorporationintheworld,recentlyannouncedthatthe
companyisgoingtotransferamajorityofitsheadquarterstoPlanoduetoadvantagesliketax
benefitsandcheaperrealestate(Hethcock,2015).Overall,thereisnosignofslowingdownfor
theDallaspopulationandrespectiveeconomy.
ProblemandSignificance

Thereisadirectrelationshipbetweenpopulationgrowthandanincreaseddemandfor

resourceslikeenergy,water,andland.ThefactthattheDallaseconomyandpopulationis
growingsubstantiallyisgreat;however,thegrowthcreatesissuesintermsofsustainability.
AccordingtoprojectionsbytheTexasWaterDevelopmentBoard(2016),waterdemandsare
expectedtorise46%from20202070.Thisisasignificantincreaseconsideringotherfactorsthat
canaffectwatersupplylikedrought.Infact,in2014,only40%ofthestatesreservoirswereata
normal/abovenormallevelofwatersupply(TWBD,2016).
Increaseddemandforwatercreatestheneedtoconserve.Meetingtheresourceneedsfor
thisexpectedpopulationgrowthisdifficultandmostlikelytobeverycostly.Acquiringmore
waterbymethodssuchasconstructinganewdamtakestime,land,andmoney.Theseare
resourcesthatarenotalwaysreadilyavailableforconsumption.Conservationontheotherhand,
iscosteffective,efficient,andbeneficialtotheenvironment.Transformingtheentirecityof
Dallasintotheepitomeofsustainabilityisnotataskthatcanbeachievedovernight.Increasing
conservationeffortsthroughoutthecitystartsatasmallerscale.Ourpurposeistohelpboththe
CityofDallasanditsbusinessestosavewaterandmoney.OurnonprofitorganizationConserve

INCREASING WATER CONSERVATION IN BUSINESSES

theFlowaimstosmoothlytransformbusinessesintomoresustainableinstitutionsby
repairingleaksandreplacinginefficientsinksandtoiletswithWaterSenseecoefficientones.
WaterSenseisaprogramcreatedbytheEnvironmentalProtectionAgencytoincreasetheuseof
waterefficienttoolsandproductsbyprovidingaspecialEPAapprovedlabel(EPA,2016).
ScopeandOrganization

ThemainissueourorganizationConservetheFlowisaddressingistheneedtoincrease

waterconservationeffortsinDallas.Weplanonsolvingthisissuebytargetingbusinessesin
Dallasandtransformingthemintomoregreeninstitutions.Byaccomplishingsimpletaskslike
replacinginefficientsinksandtoilets,wewillachieveourtwomaingoals:Savingbusinesses
moneyandsavingtheCityofDallassubstantialamountsofwater.Ourorganizationprovides
businesseswiththreedifferentincentivesbyincorporatingourservices.Theseincentivesare
potentialmonetarysavings,avoidanceoflengthypaperwork,andcomplimentaryrepairsof
leaks.

Secondaryresearchincludingnewsarticles,governmentpublications,andstatisticsfrom

environmentalorganizationsprovidesthesupportinginformationbehindthereports
conclusions.Inaddition,thereportincludeschartsandgraphsthatillustraterevenueandcosts
associatedwithourbusinessprocesses.
Background,Problem,Purpose
Background
TheDallasForthWorthareaanditsaffiliatedregionsandcountiesaregrowingrapidly.
Dallashasbecomeaprimehubforbusinessesinbothexistingandemergingsectorsofthe
economy.Inthelastdecade,thecityhasseenanincredibleshiftinthebusinessclimate.

INCREASING WATER CONSERVATION IN BUSINESSES

Currently,Dallasishometo21oftheFortune500companies,whichincludescorporations
likeExxonMobileandAT&T(Halkias,2015).However,thisincreaseofbusinessandthe
growthoftheDallaseconomyaremetwithnegativesocialandenvironmentalimplications.
Naturally,theadvancementofDallasasaneconomicpowerhouseresultsinarapidpopulation
growth.Asbusinessesmoveintothecity,theybringtheneedforlabor.AccordingtotheTexas
WaterDevelopmentBoard(2012),theprojectedpopulationgrowthforDallasisabout39%from
theyear2020totheyear2060(SeeAppendixA).TheoverallTexaspopulationisexpectedto
increaseby82%betweenthoseyears,from25.4millionpeopleto46.3million(TWDB,2012).
Thishugeincreaseinpopulationmeanstherewillbeanequallylargeincreaseinsustainability
issues.Thegrowthwillresultinahigherdemandforwater.Asoftoday,thecityandthestateas
awholedoesnothavetheresourcesavailabletomeettheseneedsforthefuture.
Problem
Inordertoaccommodatetheanticipatedincreaseinpopulationandwaterdemand,the
CityofDallashasconsideredcreatingnewresources.Thisincludesactionslikepurchasingwater
fromneighboringstates,creatingnewreservoirs,andconvertinglandintofuturesitesfor
development.Theseoptionshowever,arenotalwaysfeasible.Thisisbecauseresourceslike
land,energy,money,andtimearelimited.Inaddition,therearelegalitiesandotherchallenges
involved.
Wateranditslimitedavailabilityisasignificantissuecurrentlyintermsofsustainability.
AccordingtoanarticlebytheLegalInformationInstitutefromtheCornellUniversityLaw
School(2013),in2013theSupremeCourtdeniedTexaspermissiontopurchasewaterfrom
OklahomareservoirsintheTarrantRegionalWaterDistrictv.Herrmann,RudolfJ.etal.In

INCREASING WATER CONSERVATION IN BUSINESSES

summary,theTarrantDistrictwantedtopurchasewaterfromOklahomaduetoasurplus
ofwaterreserves.ThesereserveswereidentifiedasasurplustotheTarrantdistrictbecausethey
werenonconsumptive,meaningthepeopleofOklahomawerenotdirectlyconsumingthewater.
However,thiswaterwasstillbeingusedforotherfunctionslikepowergenerationand
maintenance.LikeTexas,Oklahomaisalsosufferingfromdroughtandcannotaffordto
endangerthehealthandjobsofitsstatecitizens(Dulcey&Paradis,2013).Abigissueas
demonstratedinthecourtcasementionedisrejection.Actionstoacquiremorewatercanbe
rejectedbythegovernment,whichleadstowastedtimeandcostlylawsuits.
Inaddition,actionstostartprojects,suchastheconstructionofanewreservoir,canbe
metwithresistancebycommunitiesandenvironmentalists.Anexampleofthisresistanceis
shownbyintensedisapprovalandobjectiontowardsaproposedprojecttobuilda3.4billion
dollarreservoirinNortheastTexas(TLWP,2013).AccordingtotheTexasLivingWaters
Project,thecreationofthedam/reservoirisaprimeexampleoftheunnecessaryrelianceonnew
reservoirsandpipelinesinsteadofwaterconservation.(TexasLivingWatersProject,2013).
Environmentalistsarelargelyconcernedwiththenegativeimpactthefloodingwillhaveonlocal
wildlife.Thefloodingwillalsocoverusefulworkinglandthatwillconsequentlyaffectfarmers.
Theacquisitionandcreationofsustainableresourcesoverallisanexpensiveanddamaging
methodtosupplymorewatertoTexasresidents.
Webelieveconservationisthemostcosteffectiveandeffectivesolutiontotheissueof
sustainability.Itisasolutiontosustainabilityissuesthatavoidsproblemssuchasthecostly
lawsuitandproposeddam.Conservationofwaterincludessimplegreenactsliketurningoff
thefaucetwhenitisnotinuseandfixingleakingpipes.Conservationiseffectivebecauseitdoes

INCREASING WATER CONSERVATION IN BUSINESSES

notrequiresubstantialbuildingprojectsthatareexpensiveandharmtheenvironment.Itisa
methodtosimplyreducetheuseoftheexistingresourceswealreadyhave.Benefitsto
conservingincludeanincreaseinhealthandenvironmentalprosperity.Conservinglandfor
examplekeepsnaturalenvironmentsintact,whichpreservesecosystems.Thecreationofdamsto
increasewatersupplydamageslocalwildlifeandpossiblydestroysexistingparksandtrails.
NorthTexashasalreadyseenthelucrativeeffectsfromconserving.Accordingtoan
articlebyTheTexasTribune(2013),Texashasfocusedonthetopicofconservationwith
landscaping,promotionstoincreaseenvironmentalawareness,andtheincorporationofprograms
toreplaceappliancesandotherequipmentthatusewater.Theresultsfromtheseeffortshave
beenimpressive.TheTarrantRegionalWaterDistrictsaysitscustomershavesaved72.3billion
gallonssince2007,whichwouldsupport5yearsofpopulationgrowth.(Satija,2013).This
showsthatitispossibleforacity,district,orevenawholestatetosupportfuturegrowthsolely
byconserving.Somepeoplebelievethatconservationwilltaketoolongandthatacquiringmore
resourcesisaquickersolution.Thisisnotthecasebecausemethodsofconservationdonot
requiremuchtimeormoney.Theamountofresourcesacitywastesinyearcaneasilybereduced
tobenefitthelivesofthepeople,environment,andeconomy.
Purpose
OurorganizationsmaingoalsaretosavebusinessesmoneyandtosavetheCityof
Dallaswater.Weunderstandthatwithbusiness,actionsaredrivenbyprofit.Acompany
executivewillmostlikelyonlystartanewprojectifthereturnoninvestmentissubstantial
enoughtoberelevanttohisorherorganization.Ourstatisticsandbudgetcalculationsshowthat
ourbusinessmodelwillbenefitbothourownorganizationandcustomersalike.

INCREASING WATER CONSERVATION IN BUSINESSES

Inaddition,weaimtobenefittheCityofDallaswiththeincreasedconservationof

water.Thewatersavedfromfixingleaksandinstallingefficientfaucetsandtoiletswillbeable
tobeputtobetteruse.Thiswaterforexample,canbeusedinagriculture,maintenance,and
generalhouseholdconsumption.

OurgoalistocombinethesetwoobjectivestobenefitbothbusinessesandtheCityof

Dallas.ConservetheFlowservesasaguidetobusinessestomakethemmoreenvironmentally
consciousandecofriendly.Byallowingustoevaluateandupgradetheircurrentfacilities,which
includetoilets,faucets,andpipes,wecansavebusinessesmoneyandtransformthemintoamore
greenbusiness,whichwillboosttheirbrandimage.Thesebusinesseswillsavemoneywhile
conservingwater.Intheend,boththeCityofDallasandtherespectivebusinesseswillbenefit.
Proposal,Plan,andSchedule
Proposal
TheproposalwilladdressthecurrentissueoftheincreasingwaterdemandintheDallas
area.TheNonprofitorganizationthatwewillimplementisawaterconservationconsulting
businessthatwillbringawarenessoftheimportanceofwaterconservation,showfiscalsavings,
streamlinepaperworkandlogistics,andincentivizecompaniestoimplementmodern
conservationtechniquessuchasefficienttoiletsandfaucets.Westrivetobenefitthebusinesses,
community,andtheCityofDallasasawhole.Ourmissionistoconservewaterinordertomeet
thegrowingdemandonthewatersupplywithincreasedsustainabilityallovertheDallasarea
onebusinessatatime.
Plan

INCREASING WATER CONSERVATION IN BUSINESSES

ConservetheFlowwillbringawarenesstolocalbusinesseslikeStarbucksthatare
usinginefficientfixturesandthatcanbenefitfrommorewaterefficientequipment.Ourcompany
willalsoshowpotentialsavingsandincentivizethesesbusinessestoswitchatnooutofpocket
expense.Asmostbusinessesdonotliketohasslewithpaperwork,ournonprofitbusinesswill
switchbusinesseswithnoexcessivetimeormonetarycosttothem.Thebreakdownofthe
processbeginswhenConservetheFlowcontactsthepotentialclient.InthismeetingConserve
theFlowwillseektodoafreeconsultationforthebusiness.Whentheprospectivebusiness
decidestohavetheconsultation,CTFwillpickalocationandexecuteananalysisanddiscussion
oftheprospectivecompanyscurrentfixturesandpipingsystems.
Duringtheconsultationtheconsultingprofessionalwillwalkaroundthepremiseandgo
downachecklistofitemsandwillpointoutareasforimprovementwhenitcomestoincreasing
waterefficiency(SeeAppendixB,page1).Theywillgothroughthekitchen,bathrooms,and
outsidetolookatsprinklersandthepremisesofthefacility.Theprofessionalwillmakea
notationaboutproblemareas.Hewillthencreateaplanofactiontoswitchthebusinesstomore
efficientfixtures,hewillschedulefixesforleaks,andexplainpotentialfixestootherproblem
areasatthelocation.Thiswillshowboththepotentialcost,numberofitemsneeded,andtotal
savingsoverthelifeofthefixtureorfix.
Theconsultantwillnextorganizeatimetoswitchouttheoldfixtures,formoreefficient
ones,andfixproblemareasattheparticularlocation.Inaddition,ourorganizationwillidentify
andrepairanyleaksfreeofcharge.Agroupofprivatecontractorswillbehiredtoexecutethe
tasksofrepairingtheleaksandreplacingthefixtures.ConservetheFlowwillpayfortheswitch
initiallybutwillbepaidbackovertime.Ofthetotalamountsavedfromtheuseofthemore

INCREASING WATER CONSERVATION IN BUSINESSES

efficientfixtures,25%willgobacktoConservetheFlow;thiswillconsistof50%ofthe
businessmonthlysavingsforhalfofafixtureslife.Thisgivestheprospectivecompanythe
incentiveofreceivingsavingsbyrepayingitsloantoConservetheFlowwithoutanyoutof
pocketcosts.Ourcompanywillbreakevenoneverytoiletandfaucetafter5years.
Allthemoneythatissavedwillthenbereinvestedintoconvertingmorebusinessesinto
ecoefficientandenvironmentallyfriendlyinstitutions.Thiswillperpetuatearapidgrowthof
businessesintheDallasarea.Thegoalistocontinuetoreceivefundseitherthroughdonations,
loans,orfundingfromlocalandstatesources.Byjustswitching36businessesinthefirstyear,
Dallaswillseeamajorshiftinwaterconservationinjust20yearsastheselocalbusinesseswill
conservetotheirfullestpotential.Dallaswillsavemorethan43,000,000milliongallonsovera
20yearspanfromthefirstyearswork.
Targetmarket.
Asastartuporganization,ConservetheFlowwillbereachingouttotwodifferenttypes
oftargetmarkets;localbusinessesthatareenvironmentallyresponsibleandthosethatarenot.
Initially,wewillapproachanecofriendlyorganizationlikeStarbucks.In2008wesetagoalto
reducewaterconsumptionby25percentincompanyownedstoresby2015.(Goals&
Progress,2016).Wefeelthattheywouldwelcomeatransitionlikethisduetothefactthatthey
havealreadyimplementedsustainabilityeffortswithintheorganization.EventhoughStarbucks
hasbeenimplementingmanynewtechniquestoreducewateruseintheirfacilitiesthereisstill
roomforimprovement.OurcompanyhasgoneouttoseveralStarbuckslocationsandobserved
thattheywerestillusingrestroomfixturesthatwerenotthemostwaterefficient.Conservethe
FlowwillswitchtoiletsfromtheircurrentsizetotheEPAWaterSensecertified1.28gallonsper

INCREASING WATER CONSERVATION IN BUSINESSES

10

flushtoilets,whichshowsthattherearestillmanywaysthatwecouldhelpStarbucksreach
theirgoalstoreducewaterconsumption.
Thesecondtargetmarketwouldbethelocalbusinessesthatmaynothavetheknowledge
ofpotentialmonetaryandwatersavingsbyincorporatingwaterefficientfixturesintheir
facilities.Thesebusinesseswouldbethesmaller,possiblyfamilyowned,haveolderfacilities,
andnothavetheknowledgeorincentivetoparticipateincreasingsustainabilityefforts.Thisis
whenConservetheFlowwillstepinandincentivizethesebusinessownersandexplainthe
overallbenefitsofswitchingtomorewaterefficientfixtureswithintheirfacilities.
Incentivesforbusinesses.
Potentialsavings.
ThebusinessclimateespeciallyinDallasisconstantlychangingandexpanding.Every
daybusinessesareclosingnewdeals,servingmorecustomers,andpursuingmoreleads.The
expansionofbusinessandresidentialareasinDallasmeansthattherearemoreemployeesand
prospectivecustomersthatarereadytoworkandconsume.Forbusinesses,especiallythose
workingintheretailandfoodindustries,thisresultsinhigherwaterbillsattheendofthemonth.
However,businessescansavemoneyandwaterbyimplementingwaterefficienttoiletsand
faucetsintotheirrestroomsandkitchens.
Toiletshavecomealongwayintermsofwaterefficiency.Standardtoiletstodayuse
about1.6gallonsperflush.Ourorganizationaimstoreplacestandardtoiletsinbusinesseswith
WaterSensecertifiedtoilets.Thesetoiletsonlyuse1.28gallonsperflush,whichis20%more
efficient.Justswitchingonetoiletwillsave59,020gallonsayear,assuming100flushesaday.

INCREASING WATER CONSERVATION IN BUSINESSES

11

Afteratoiletslifetimeof20years,1,180,400gallonswillbesaved(TheHomeDepot,
2016).Thesingletoiletwillultimatelysaveabout$27,670inwaterbillsoveritslifetime.
ReplacingPre1994toiletsthatuse3.5gallonsperflushwillyieldevengreatersavings(The
HomeDepot,2016).
Accordingtothefederalgovernment,newfaucetsmaynotexceed2.2gpm(gallonsper
minute)(NCSL,2015).However,somebusinesseshaveolderfaucetsthatuse3to7gpm.
SwitchingexistingfaucetsinbusinessestotheWaterSenseefficientoneswillsavea
considerableamountofwaterandmoney.AWaterSensefaucetuses1.5gpm,whichis32%
moreefficientthancurrentstandardfaucetmodels(TheHomeDepot,2016).Assuming100
peoplewashtheirhandsinonedayoncetheyenterabusiness,2,191.5gallonswillbesavedper
year.Thisamountsto32,872.5gallonssavedoveritslifetimeof15years(CleaningInstitute,
2016).Themoneysavedamountsto$770.50peryearand$11,557.50overthefaucetslife.
Thesenumbersincreaseimmenselywhentakingintoaccountswitchingdozensoffaucetsand
toiletsfrommanydifferentbusinesses.Asimpleswitchcanmakeahugedifferenceinthe
amountofmoneysavedforabusinessandtheamountofwatersavedforthecityofDallas.
Paperwork.
Often,manypeoplemissopportunitiesbecausetheyfeeloverwhelmedofthepaperwork
involved.Businessesalreadydealwithenoughpaperworkindaytodayactivitieslikesalesand
operationsanddonotwantanyextrawork.Ourorganizationaimstohelpthesebusinesses
becomemoresustainable,whiletakingtheburdenofallthepaperworkandlogisticsinvolved.
ConservetheFlowsmissionistoincreaseawarenessoftheneedtoconservewatertotransform
businessesintohighlysustainableinstitutions.Therefore,wewillbeprovidingservicestotendto

INCREASING WATER CONSERVATION IN BUSINESSES

12

allthepaperworkinvolvedfordoingbusinesswithourcompany.Theseserviceswillinclude
providinganoutlineofpotentialsavingsofwaterandmoney,hiringsubcontractorsforlabor
services,andhandlingallbillingstatementsinvolvedthroughouttheentireprocess.Theoutline
willprovideinformationaboutpotentialsavingsforthatparticularbusinesswithananalysisof
thosesavingspendingtheusage,toilets,andsinksthroughoutthelifetimeexpectancy.Conserve
theFlowwillreachouttocertifiedlocalsubcontractorsfortheinstallationofthewaterefficient
toiletsandsinksinthelocalbusiness.Inaddition,allbillinginquirieswillbehandledby
ConservetheFlow.Thesewillincludebillingthesubcontractorsfortheirservicesandbillingthe
localbusinessforthemonthlyinstallmentsof25%oftheexpectedsavingsoverthelife
expectancyofthetoiletsandsinks.Theseserviceswillbeprovidedatnocosttothebusiness
establishment.ConservetheFlowprovidestheseincentivesandwishestoexpandtheawareness
ofwaterconservationonebusinessatatime.
Leaks.
Inordertocreatemoreawarenessonwaterconservationandimplementingwater
efficientproductsinlocalbusinesses,ConservetheFlowisprovidingfreerepairsonanyleaks
thebusinessencounters.Thisincludesleaksfromanyexistingpipingandrepairsforthenew
waterefficientequipmentinstalledbyourcompany.Leakscanleadtohundredsofgallonsof
waterwastedeachmonthandcanbeeasilyrepaired.Ifwefeelthatitwouldbemorecost
effectivetoreplacethepipinginsteadoffixingit,wewillrecommendacontractorinwhichwe
willcover30%ofthetotalcost.
PublicAcknowledgement.

INCREASING WATER CONSERVATION IN BUSINESSES

13

ConservetheFlowaimstoacknowledgelocalbusinessesandletthemknowthat
theireffortstobecomeecoefficientarenotgoingunnoticed.Therewillbe3differentwaysthat
wewillrecognizeabusinessforsustainabilityeffortsinwaterconservation:First,wewill
provideastampofapproval.Second,wewillpostthecompanynameonourwebsite.Third,we
willfeaturethecompanythatsavesthemostwaterayearinaTheDallasMorningNewsarticle.
Onceabusinessrelationshipisestablishedwewillprovideasticker(CTFapprovedin
waterconservation)thatwilldistinguishthebusinessforitssustainabilityeffortsandtheymay
postthemattheirrespectiveestablishments.Thisstickeralsoprovidesmorecredibilitytothe
businessduetothemoderngoinggreentrend,whichislookedveryhighlyuponintodays
society.
Wewillalsopostallthebusinessesthathavebenefitedfromourservicesontoour
website.Wewillincludehowmanytoiletsandfaucetshavebeenreplacedaswellasthe
companysmonetaryandwatersavings.Werealizeitwillbealengthyprocess;however,as
ConservetheFlowgainsmoreclientsandcredibility,sowillthebusinessesassociatedwithus.
Thethirdmethodofacknowledgingbusinessesthatincorporateourservicesinvolves
payingallexpensestofeatureanarticleaboutthebusinessthathassavedthemostwaterinThe
DallasMorningNewsnewspaper.Thearticlewilloutlineindetail,howmuchthatspecific
businesshassavedintermsofwater,money,andhowtheyareleadingtheeffortstohelpour
environmentinwaterconservation.Weunderstandthatpeopleandbusinessesareoftenhesitant
totakethatinitialsteptowardssomethingnew;therefore,ConservetheFlowoffersmany
differenttypesofincentivestomakethetransitionassmoothaspossible.Thisisbecauseour

INCREASING WATER CONSERVATION IN BUSINESSES

14

ultimategoalistoincreasesustainabilityeffortstoeffectivelyuseourresourcesforthe
preservationofourenvironment.
Schedule
Theimplementationofthisplanwillbeaveryfasttimeline.Assoonasthecompanyhas
approvedtheupgradestotheirfacilities,ConservetheFlowwillcontactthecontractorsassoon
aspossibleandscheduletheconstructiontobecompletedinaneveningofthesameweek.A
switchwillonlytakeafewdaystoimplement.Thiswillensurethatthereisconservationassoon
aspossibleandsavingsforthecompanies.Oncethejobiscompleted,thestampofapprovalwill
beplacedonthefacility,whichwillallowthepublictoseethattheyaredoingtheirpartto
implementasustainablefutureasitpertainstowaterconservation.
Funds.
Therewillbeaneedforfutureloans,donationsfrombenefactors,andalsostateandlocal
funding.Withthe$50,000initiallyinvested,36businessescanbechangedinthefirstyearand3
moreeveryyearforthelifeofthebusiness.Ifmorefundsareallocatedintothisbusiness,more
businessescanbeswitchedandmorewatercanbesaved.Theviabilityofthefirst$50,000will
showtoothercompaniesthattremendousamountsofwatercanbesavedbyinvestingin
ConservetheFlow.Thiswillleadtomoreinvestments,donations,andfunding.
Asthefactsshow,ina20yeartimeframemorethanninetybusinesseswillbenefitfrom
theinitial$50,000.Themoremoneythatisinvested,themorebusinesseswillbeconvertedand
morewaterwillbesaved.Sayforexamplethat$150,000isinvestedinthefirstyear.108
businesseswillbeaffectedinthefirstyearalone,butoverthe20years279businesseswillbe
converted.Thiswillbeover129,000,000gallonsofwateroverjust20years.Thatisa

INCREASING WATER CONSERVATION IN BUSINESSES

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tremendousamountofwatersavingsforsuchasmallamountofamountofmoneythatwill
beultimatelyreearnedandthenreinvested.
Staffing
BusinessConsultant
ThecompanywillrequireaBusinessConsultantwhowillhavetheexperiencenecessary
totakechargeoftheorganization.Theconsultantwillbethepersoninchargeofplanning,
implementation,execution,finance,andtheoverallbusinessmodel.Thisprofessionalwilluse
hisorherknowledgeandexpertisetobringawarenesstolocalbusinessesabouttheimportance
ofwaterconservation.
Theprofessionalconsultantwillbesomeonewhodisplaysleadership,possessesstrong
communicationandnegotiationskills,demonstratestheabilitytopersuadeothers,shows
ingenuity,isknowledgeableaboutsustainabilityissuesespeciallywaterconservation,andworks
wellwithotherpeople.
Themaindutiesoftheprofessionalconsultantwillbethefollowing:
ReachouttopotentiallocalbusinessesintheDallasarea;
Educatelocalbusinessesabouttheimportanceofwaterconservation;
Explainthesignificantsavingsinwaterbillsaftertheimplementationoftheprogram;
Performtheinitialassessmentandevaluationofthepremises;
Keeptrackofthefinancesoftheorganization;
Createaplanandatimelinefortheexecution;
Contractworkerswhowillinstallthenewfaucetsandtoilets;
Filetherespectivepaperworkforbusinesses.

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Internships
Internshipswillbeofferedtocollegestudentswhowillliketolearnhowtoruna
nonprofitorganizationandlearnthelogisticsofasmallbusiness.Studentswilllearnvaluable
skillsandgainsomeexperienceworkingcloselywithaprofessionalconsultant.
Internswillbeselectedfortheirstrongcommunicationskills,abilitytoprioritize
assignments,creativityandflexibility,anddemonstrationofinterestinnonprofitmanagement,
communityengagement,andwaterconservation.
Theinternsmaindutieswillbethefollowing:
Visitthepremisesalongwiththeconsultant;
Helpwithcompletingpaperwork;
Collaboratewiththeoperations;
Participateinsmallprojects.
Budget
Overview
Thebudgetwillbebrokenupintotheseareas:Theinitialloan,thecostof
implementationofatoiletandfaucet,employment,revenuetoloan,andgrowth.Inthissection
anexplorationoftheareaswillgiveamorecompletepictureofwhatmakesthisnonprofit
businessrun.Theinitialloanisthefirstpartofthebudgetanditisthebackboneofwhole
business.Withouttheinitialloanthebusinesswouldnotexist.Thecostofimplementationwill
showallthecoststhatwillbeassociatedwiththeplan.Theemploymentwillshowhowthings
willgetdoneinthebusiness.Therevenuetoloanwillshowtheviabilityofthebusinesssothat

INCREASING WATER CONSERVATION IN BUSINESSES

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potentialinvestorswillbeinvestandallowforgrowth.Thelastsectionwillshowhowthe
businesswillgrowafterinvestmentshavebeenreceived.
InitialLoan.
Therewillbeaninitialamountof$50,000.50%willcomefromthechamberof
commerceand50%willcomethroughaprivatebusinessloan.Thisbusinesswillbebasedon
theabilitytoloanoutthe$50,000tofulfillawaterconservationserviceforthecompanies.
Profitsgainedfromtheseserviceswillberepaidmonthly.Theseprofitswillbeusedtopayoff
theloanwhilealsoconvertingmorebusinesses.
CostofImplementation.
ReplacementoffixtureswillbethemajorserviceprovidedbyConservetheFlow.The
costofinstallinganewefficienttoiletisatmost$1000(CosttoInstall,2016).Thisamount
includesthenewfixture,employeepay,andinstallation.Thecostofinstallingafaucetisatmost
$400(CosttoReplace,2016).Thisamountincludesallthecoststhatareincludedinthetoilet.
Employment.
Theemployeewillbepaidonaperjobbasis.Withthecompletionofeachjobhewillbe
paideither$200$300.Thejobincludesreplacingatleast23restroomfixturesinonelocation.
Theirworkwillbebasedontheavailabilityoftheloan.Theprocessconsistsofconsulting,
hiringcontractors,andhandlingallthelogisticsinvolved.
Revenue.
Howdoesanonprofitbusinessthatswitchesfixturesandfixesleaksmakeaprofit?The
firstyear'srevenueswillbeatotalof$1181.62forthetoiletand$625.56forthefaucetforjust
12businesses(SeeAppendixC,graph1,2).Therevenueproducedbycompleting12jobsovera

INCREASING WATER CONSERVATION IN BUSINESSES

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10yeartimeframewillbe$37,040.09(SeeAppendixD,graph1).Theloanamountfor12
jobswillbe$16,800(AppendixC,graph3).Thedifferencebetweenrevenueandtheloanallows
forprofitabilitytotaling$20,240.09.
Growth.
Growthwilloccurorganizationallyandexternally.TheorganizationalgrowthofConservethe
Flowwilloccuraswemakeprofitandnewbusinessesareaddedannually.Theexternalgrowth
willoccurasmoreloans,donations,andfundingcontinuetoflowintothebusiness.Forevery
$50,000thatisinvestedinConservetheFlow,36newbusinesseswillbenefitinthefirstyear
and3businesseswillbeaddedeverysubsequentyear.Thegoalofgrowthwillalwaysbeto
convertmorebusinessesandreallocatefundsbackintoourcompanytoaddmoreprospective
clients.

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References
2009 National Clean Hands Report Card Survey Findings. (2016). Retrieved from
http://www.cleaninginstitute.org/clean_living/092109_summary.aspx
Dulcey, A., & Paradis, A. (2013). Tarrant Regional Water District v. Herrmann. Retrieved from
https://www.law.cornell.edu/supct/cert/11-889
ECO Options. (2016). Retrieved from http://www.ecooptions.homedepot.com/waterconservation/toilets
Faucets. (n.d.). Retrieved March 24, 2016, from
http://www.ecooptions.homedepot.com/waterconservation/faucets/
Halkias, M. (2015, June 5). Texas is No. 2 for Fortune 500 companies, topping California.
Retrieved from http://www.dallasnews.com/business/headlines/20150605-texas- is-no.2-for-fortune-500-companies-topping-california.ece
Hethcock, B. (2015, November 16). Why companies leave California for Texas. Retrieved
from http://www.bizjournals.com/dallas/blog/morning_call/2015/11/why-companiesleave- california-for-texas.html
Homewyse Calculator: Cost to Replace Kitchen Faucet. (n.d.). Retrieved March 24, 2016, from
http://www.homewyse.com/services/cost_to_replace_kitche11111n_faucet.html
Homewyse Calculator: Cost to Install Toilet. (n.d.). Retrieved March 24, 2016, from
http://www.homewyse.com/services/cost_to_install_toilet.html
Satija, N. (2013, August 25). In DFW, Struggle to Save Water and Prepare for Growth. Retrieved
from https://www.texastribune.org/2013/08/25/north-texas-search-water-supplies/
Texas Water Development Board. (2016). 2016 Regional Water Plan - Municipal Water Demand
Projections for 2020-2070 City Summary (in ACFT). Retrieved March 1, 2016,

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fromhttp://www2.twdb.texas.gov/ReportServerExt/Pages/ReportViewer.aspx?/Projection
s/5-demand_city
Toilets. (n.d.). Retrieved March 24, 2016, from http://www.ecooptions.homedepot.com/waterconservation/toilets/
Vaughan, E. G., Crutches, J. M., Labatt, T. W., III, McMahan, L. H., Bradford, B. R., Jr., &
Cluck, M. (2012). Population and Water Demand Projections (pp. 129-132) (United
States, Texas Water Development Board). Austin, TX: TWBD. Retrieved
from https://www.twdb.texas.gov/publications/state_water_plan/2012/2012_SWP.pdf
Water Conservation. (n.d.). Retrieved March 23, 2016, from
http://www.starbucks.com/responsibility/global-report/environmental-stewardship/waterconservation
Water Science Activities Drip Calculator: How much water does a leaking faucet waste? (2015,
August 7). Retrieved from http://water.usgs.gov/edu/activity-drip.html
Water Sense. (2016, March 4). Retrieved from https://www3.epa.gov/watersense/
WATER-EFFICIENT PLUMBING FIXTURES. (2015, November 10). Retrieved from
http://www.ncsl.org/research/environment-and-natural-resources/water-efficientplumbing-fixtures635433474.aspx
Young, M. E. (2015, May 20). Population gain in Dallas-Fort Worth is eye-popping, census
figures show. Retrieved from http://www.dallasnews.com/news/metro/20150520-somethings-really-are-bigger-in-texas-census-figures-show.ece
AppendixA

INCREASING WATER CONSERVATION IN BUSINESSES

Graph1.PopulationGrowth(Projected)

Appendix B
Water Conservation Checklist
Kitchen:

Sinks-Are all sinks the most efficient faucets available on the market?

21

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Comments:

Leaks-Are there any leaks in the kitchen? Yes or No? Are they a severe leak?
If so how can those leaks be fixed?
Comments:

Dish Cleaning-Is there a dishwasher? If yes, is it a very efficient washer? If No, is water
being used inefficiently in the kitchen while washing?

Bathrooms:

Sinks-Are all sinks the most efficient faucets available on the market?
Comments:

Leaks-Are there any leaks in the bathrooms? Yes or No? Are they a severe leak?
If so how can those leaks be fixed?

Toilets/Urinal-Are they the most efficient toilets on the market?

Comments:

Premise:

Sprinklers-Are they water at the proper time? Are there any leaks? Can plants be
switched that use less water in the local environment?
Comments:

Leaks- Are there any external leaks that cause an unnecessary use of water?
Comments:

Other- Are there any more inefficiencies?

Comments:
AppendixC
Graph1.Switching1toiletat12locations

INCREASING WATER CONSERVATION IN BUSINESSES

Graph2.Switching1faucetat12locations

AppendixD
Graph1.RevenuetoLoanfrom12businesses

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