Water Crisis and Conservation from Drought Affects Southeastern Restaurants

QSR Feature

Crisis and Conservation

Between 2002 and 2006, the soft-drink giant was able to reduce its total water consumption from bottle cleaning through finished-goods production by more than 5 percent, while product output grew almost 15 percent. Only about 40 percent of the water used by Coca-Cola becomes an ingredient in its products. The remaining 60 percent goes into manufacturing processes such as rinsing, cleaning, heating, and cooling.

All plant managers receive interactive water resource management kits to help them monitor water usage and eliminate waste. And the company is making sure all Atlanta employees take the water conservation message to heart in their homes by distributing free kits with low-flow shower heads and sink nozzles, dye tablets to check for plumbing leaks, and other devices and information. Witt notes that Coca-Cola plans to follow up the kit giveaway with a questionnaire to gauge its use.

Conservation Tips

These tips cost little or nothing to implement and can result in major reductions in water use and utility bills:

Check for and repair leaks in faucets and toilets. To detect leaks in toilets, place a small amount of dark food coloring in the tank. If the coloring comes through the tank into the toilet bowl after 20 to 30 minutes, you have a leak. Repair dripping faucets by replacing washers. According to the Red Cross, one drop per second wastes 2,700 gallons of water per year.
Whenever possible, thaw frozen foods in the refrigerator instead of in the sink under running water. Instead of dumping large amounts of ice in the sink to melt under hot running water or letting water go down the drain while you are waiting for it to get hot for dish washing, capture it for using on plants.
Run dishwashers only for full loads.
In most cases, pre-rinsing items prior to loading them in the dishwasher is unnecessary.
Dry-scrape and pre-soak heavily soiled pots, pans, and utensils in standing water before hand washing them.
Train the staff to turn water off promptly when not in use.
Turn off the continuous flow used to wash the drain trays of the beverage island. Clean thoroughly as needed.
Reduce the flow to dipper wells (troughs) for ice cream.
Use a broom instead of a hose to clean driveways and sidewalks (savings can reach 150 gallons or more of water per use).
For landscaping, choose native and/or drought-tolerant grasses, ground covers, shrubs, and trees. Group plants together based on similar water needs. Use two to three inches mulch around plants to help control weeds and retain soil moisture.
Water only before 6:00 a.m. and after 8:00 p.m. to reduce evaporation and interference from the wind for an estimated savings of 20 to 25 gallons per day.
Cutting irrigation to two or three days per week can save anywhere between 25 and 50 gallons per valve for each minute eliminated or upgrade to “smart irrigation controllers” that automatically adjust watering times for hotter weather or rainy days.

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Marilyn Odesser-Torpey is a veteran contributor to QSR.