Controlling Water Use in Sustainable Buildings

Monitoring water flow in all areas of a building helps improve water efficiency
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Sponsored by WATTS Water Technologies
By Peter J. Arsenault, FAIA, NCARB, LEED AP
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WHEN TO USE WIRELESS WATER FLOW SYSTEMS

Generally speaking, there are three broad applications for incorporating a wireless leak detection system that includes flow meters and other components, discussed as follows.

Water Conservation and Sustainable Design

Whether a building is being considered for LEED or not, virtually every building owner does not want to waste money on excessive water use any more than on excess energy use. Further, they don’t want to have the longevity of their facility compromised by potential water damage or unhealthy conditions. Hence, water efficient sustainability is simply part of good design and consistent with building owner expectations.

A wireless, sub-metered, water flow system addresses all these needs by being able to first monitor the full building water usage but also track any separate tenant or user groups’ water usage. This provides information to determine which areas of the building are using the most water and compare that usage to baseline levels for similar users. The ability to track real-time usage and history of usage makes it possible to pinpoint specific patterns of use and seek out ways to improve water efficiency. The system can also identify irregular or excessive flow or potential stagnation in water subsystems, such as irrigation or others. All of these aspects of the system help minimize unnecessary water usage, improve overall water-use efficiency, and directly help the building or facility become more sustainable.

Existing and Newly Constructed Buildings

All types, sizes, and uses of buildings can directly benefit from appropriately sized and designed water flow metering systems. Smaller buildings, such as bank branches, retail stores, etc., can benefit from a simple system using wireless “smart” flow meters with notification capabilities. Facilities without 24/7 property management teams or full-time engineers can use such a simple system to protect from costly water leaks and damage during off hours. If flow is abnormally high or remains high for a longer period than normal because of a leak in the system (or water running when it should not be), the flow meter will notify the designated personnel. If automatic valves and controllers are included as part of the system, then they can then shut the water supply off without the need for anyone to come and do that manually. That quick reaction is like having a full-time engineer right there on property, saving small-building owners from expensive water damage losses, higher insurance deductibles, and even the possibility of policy cancellation.

Larger buildings also benefit from adding a flow meter-based system for the entire building or for specific areas. During construction, worksites are prone to water leaks, especially when crews are not on site. Protection from costly work stoppages and schedule delays can be incorporated simply by monitoring water usage beginning with the construction period. If flow is abnormally high or remains high for a specified period of time, a smart flow meter can notify the construction manager or supervisor of the unusual flow. An automatic valve and controller can also shut the water supply off until it can be further investigated. Once the building is occupied, the water flow and leak detection system can be used to monitor efficiency, detect leaks before they become catastrophic, automatically control valve closures based on flow or temperature, and allow for manual valve closures after an alert is triggered.

Cooling Towers or Closed Loop Hydronic Systems

Closed loop heating and cooling water systems typically require very little makeup water. Therefore, if an unusual amount of makeup water is being called for, it can mean a small leak has occurred somewhere, which can result in considerable damage if it goes undetected. A flow meter on the makeup water line provides early notification of a leak somewhere in the system, thus allowing the avoidance of a potential disaster. This is particularly true for closed-loop hydronic systems and cooling towers, especially on larger buildings or facilities. Flow meters can be appropriately selected for smaller pipe sizes up to 2-inch diameter or for larger pipe sizes up to 8-inch diameter. The same user configurable data collection and alerts and automatic shut off features can be implemented for these systems as for buildings in general. That means the amount of water in these systems can be readily monitored and compared over time or between different systems. In particular, the cooling tower cycles of makeup and blowdown water can be tracked for consistency or any potential problems. It also means alerts can be sent before the water is shut off if an issue arises.

In all these applications, the key components are flow meters that are “smart” connected so they can give notifications and be near a valve which can be controlled remotely. They can be an add-on to an existing monitoring system or be part of a new system. They can tie-in to irrigation system and help be more sustainable, so the irrigation need is reduced and operation occurs only when absolutely needed. The full system can track how much water is going where on a real-time basis. All of these improve water efficiency, help avoid damaging leaks, and save the building owner from potential losses.

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN A LEAK OCCURS?

When any of the endpoints in a wireless system (i.e., sensors, flow meters, etc.) detect a leak or abnormality, an audible alarm is set off. At the same time, a wireless message is sent from the sensor to its closest hub, down the building to the base station, and out to the cloud. Three types of messaging then happen simultaneously to communicate the message that a leak is detected:

Phone A phone call is made, typically to the security desk, although the building owner or manager ultimately decides who receives the calls.

Email E-mail messages are sent to preselected personnel.

Text SMS text messages are sent to preselected personnel.

This immediate notification system, relayed to multiple people in multiple ways, helps to ensure that a leak can be responded to promptly.

It is worth noting that in addition to an alarm indicating that a leak has been detected, the system can also send alerts which are informational messages. Examples of alerts include a low battery in one of the endpoints or a loss of communication with a device for some reason.

If there is any concern about false alarms, it is good to know that they can be controlled. In many commercial buildings, a significant concern can be the ability to easily silence a sensor that is accidentally set off. For example, if the sensor is on the floor of a kitchen or restroom, janitorial staff can unintentionally cause the alarm to go off by hitting it with a mop or spreading cleaning water on the floor. In cases like this, having a delay is important, but the event should be recorded for tracking purposes. If it happens too often, the sensor should be moved to a different location. The delay period on the sensors should be configurable, because while a 15-second delay may be appropriate for sensors in the restroom, no delay should be used for sensors in an electrical room or other critical areas.

Photo courtesy of WATTS Water Technologies

Wireless messages are used to communicate an alarm condition in a complete water leak detection system.

Data Reporting

For each type of notification generated by the system, data is recorded and can be made immediately available. In particular, the precise time and location of a leak is reported, so the first person on the scene knows exactly where to go to turn off the alarm, resolve the issue, and reset the sensor. The system then keeps the data of when the leak happened, who received notifications, and how long it took someone to get there. Knowing this response time and sequence of events is an important feature for many businesses. All this data from water leak events, alarms, and alerts can be stored, formatted, and used for reporting purposes. Overall, this helps create an information resource to contribute to better building management and to track the return on investment of the system.

CONCLUSION

The problem and issues associated with water leaks and inefficient water use in buildings are quite real. Several different approaches are used to improve water efficiency in buildings of all types, including water use reduction in exterior and interior locations, mechanical system water control, and submetering of water flows. The most up-to-date, dependable, and cost-effective solution is a wireless water leak detection system. Design professionals who incorporate such systems into new or existing commercial buildings can help overcome wasting water and save building owners and managers from considerable losses. At the same time, the sustainability of the building is improved during its operating life while the health and safety of building occupants is improved.

Peter J. Arsenault, FAIA, NCARB, LEED AP is a nationally known architect and a prolific author advancing positive acoustical experiences through better building design. www.pjaarch.com, www.linkedin.com/in/pjaarch

 

WATTS Water Technologies, Inc. Watts is a global leader in the design and manufacture of innovative water solutions for residential, commercial and institutional environments. Products include an extensive line of flow control, filtration and treatment products for water quality, and residential plumbing & heating. Founded in 1874, Watts is headquartered in North Andover, MA.

 

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Originally published in Architectural Record
Originally published in June 2023


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