Restaurants focus of pilot program

The City of Santa FeWater Conservation Program has made great strides in developing programming for our residents this past year with our rebate programs and has expanded education programs in the public schools with our new Passport Program. Our recent focus has been on our commercial customers and what we can do to help themsave water and money in their businesses.

We are very excited to be partnering with the Santa Fe Green Chamber of Commerce and Resource-Wise to begin our Commercial Pilot Project this month. The project has been endorsed by both the EPAWater Sense program and the Santa Fe Restaurant Association. We are looking for 30 to 40 restaurants to participate in the study, which will include a free commercial water audit conducted by Resource-Wise and City of Santa FeWater Conservation staff. The audits will provide the restaurant with an overview of water use and identify ways to cut down on water use throughout its operation.

A survey of restaurant equipment will be made that will allow us to consider what rebate incentives we can offer to offset water use by replacement with a more efficient appliance option. The project will also be an opportunity for staff to understand the commercial audit process and for hands-on-training so that it can be added to the services that staff already provides which includes outdoor landscape audits and residential home audits. City staff will be presenting the results of the pilot project at the Next Generation Water Summit being held here in Santa Fe April 29 - May 1, 2018.

Restaurants that choose to participate will not only get a free water audit valued at $500-$1,000 but will receive free equipment onsite, such as aerators and pre-rinse spray valves. Participants will receive a comprehensive report of the findings, which includes training using our new Eye onWater app [www.santafenm.gov/eye_on_water] to track all water use on an hourly basis on a computer or mobile phone as well as leak detection on a real-time basis. Participants will be showcased on the www.savewatersantafe. comwebsite and on theGreen Chamber website as well. Radio shows and press releases as well as opportunities for advertisement are all extra incentives. All participants will receive a free one-year membership to the Green Chamber of Commerce and will be recognized for their participation. This recognition will reflect on a restaurant’s choice to participate in the study and implement some of the best management practices that lead to lower uses of energy and water.

We are so excited to begin the project and encourage any restaurants that are interested in participating to contact me directly so that we can get you scheduled. The datawe collect will help us build a program specifically for restaurants and our hope is to study a different sector every year. For more information about our current commercial rebate program please contact our office and be on the lookout for a restaurant specific rebate following the pilot project late spring.

Christine Y. Chavez has a background in water rights administration and energy and water conservation program management in the state ofNewMexico. She is a graduate of New Mexico State University with a B.S. in environmental science and an M.S. in biology. Christine is theWater Conservation Manager for the City of Santa Fe. She may be reached at 505.955.4219 or cychavez@santafenm