California is a drought-prone state with sparse rainfall from mid-spring to mid-fall. Compounding last winter’s below-average precipitation in Northern California, NOAA has forecast a La Niña event and continued drought conditions.
Lab Efforts to Date
- Installed new water metering to better track usage
- Established monitoring to optimize cooling tower water and avoid periodic single-pass cooling
- Established policies on water management, irrigation, low-flow fixtures, and no single-pass cooling
- Certified energy & water management practices to an international standard
- Installed low-flow restroom fixtures
How You Can Help
Individual actions add up. B90 water use is down 44%, partly through conservation.
- Turn off faucets when not actively using water.
- Notify your Facility Area Manager about leaks
- Let us know at sbl@lbl.gov if you see any single-pass cooling (cooling water running to drain)
- Send ideas for water conservation to sbl@lbl.gov
Water Conservation at home
- Don’t leave water running while washing dishes, brushing teeth, etc.
- Try simple water and cost-saving tips, such as timing showers
- Qualify for rebates and get real-time notifications of water waste by installing a flowmeter
- Make your garden water-efficient
- Transform your lawn and help the environment