The new UC Office of the President policy requires the elimination of once-through water cooling for equipment. Equipment will be metered for two months pre-installation, and post-installation until the water savings payback is met. The incentive will be met if the water savings for the incentive amount are met in one year. UCSF Facilities Services Water Efficient Equipment Incentive Program
Rebates
Autoclaves can receive a rebate of $5000: autoclave water cooling uses 150,000-1,000,000 gallons of water per year.
Lab Equipment can receive a rebate of $1000: Glass Washers, Ice Machines, and Condensers can consume between 25,000-150,000 gallons per year. Pipette Racks for Glass Washers will receive a rebate for 50% of the purchase cost.
Faucet Efficiency Program
Laboratories can now replace faucet flow restrictors with 1.5gpm laminar flow restrictors
For more information on incentive and maintenance programs, contact UCSF Water Coordinator, Eli Perszyk at eliahu.perszyk@ucsf.edu
Save Water in Your Lab
1. Conserve purified water (deionized, reverse osmosis, distilled). For every four gallons made of these purified waters, one to four gallons of “rejected” water is sent to the drain. Consider using building central purified water systems, or alternatives to stand-alone reverse osmosis and other purification systems.
2. Don’t “overwash” dishes/glassware: When using a glasswasher, choose the correct settings for the type of labware. Don’t set glassware under a running faucet and walk away.
Set up five wash basins: (1) soap and water; (2) tap water rinse; (3) 2, 5, or 10 percent hydrochloric acid rinse; (4) and (5) two separate deionized water rinse basins. Rewash your plastic wares and save money. Set glasswashers to reuse the last rinse-water for the next wash cycle.
3. Replace equipment that employs single-pass water cooling with equipment that uses a closed-loop cooling system or can be placed on the campus chilled water loop. By doing this, UC Davis Chemistry department is saving about 2 million gallons (more than 7.5 million liters) per year of drinking water, in addition to saving money on helium recovery.
4. Eliminate vacuum aspirators, and use a vacuum pump for the same task. This can save about 238 gallons (900 liters) of water per hour of use, and avoid the possibility of contaminating water with solvent residue.
5. Evaluate autoclave cycle programs, and verify that programs match purpose. Determine which autoclaves are at the end of their life cycle, and consider Facilities Service recommendations for energy and water efficient replacements. Ensure that written standard operating procedures (developed from the manufacturer’s instructions) are kept nearby and followed.
6. Re-evaluate habits/practices to ensure they adhere to current best practice standards and avoid developing long-term habits/practices that have been exaggerated over time. (Example: setting timers on autoclaves to wash longer than necessary is a habit that becomes common practice over time so lab staff no longer adhere to more efficient standards)
7. Report leaks or any other plumbing issue in the lab, by calling (415) 476-2021, submitting a work order, or emailing facilities@ucsf.edu. Save water, eliminate leaks, and be a good steward of campus resources.
In close partnership with UCSF Facilities Services, we work to reduce water consumption by implementing creative solutions in all facets of campus and healthcare.