In October 2014, property management company Monterey Bay Military Housing upgraded its 708-unit La Mesa Village Community with all new, high-efficiency kitchen and bath plumbing fixtures from Niagara Conservation, a leading manufacturer of water-saving and energy-saving products, with no upfront costs. Niagara’s advanced product line and patented Stealth® technology provided La Mesa Village residents with drastically lowered utility bills and reduced maintenance issues.
Impressive Installations at La Mesa Village Community
The retrofit for La Mesa Village Community began in October 2014 and in fewer than 30 days the three-part UHET™ Water-Saving Kits from Niagara Conservation were installed throughout the 708-unit property. One product included in the water-saving kit was Niagara’s 0.8 gallons per flush (GPF) Single-Flush Toilet, which is equipped with the company’s patented Stealth Technology.
The patented hydraulic and water-saving technology behind Stealth involves a combination of air and water working in unison, which helps deliver a cleaner and more reliable flush without residual noise or decreased performance. Stealth technology clears all waste in the toilet bowl, eliminating the need for double flushing.
At only 0.8 GPF, Niagara’s 0.8 GPF Stealth Toilet is the lowest per gallon toilet on the market and goes a step beyond standard water-saving toilets, using 37 percent less water per flush than a standard 1.28 gallon high-efficiency toilet (HET). Compared to the average use of older 3.5 gallon per flush (GPF) toilets, Stealth can save up to 15,600 gallons of water per year.
Ultra-high-efficiency 0.8 GPF Stealth toilets were installed to replace the older 1.6 GPF toilets previously found on the property. Monterey Peninsula Water Management District helped fund the retrofit by providing property managers rebates for every toilet installation.
The two additional products featured in the UHET water-saving that were installed in the La Mesa Village Community include an Earth™ Massage 1.5 gallon per minute (GPM) showerhead, which results in up to 40 percent less water usage than the older low-flow showerheads that had been installed, and a 1.0 GPM aerator for both the kitchen and bathroom faucets.
Niagara’s 1.0 GPM bathroom aerators provide a significant savings over the standard 2.2 GPM bathroom faucet aerators previously installed on the property. Then the 1.0 GPM kitchen aerators can offer more than a 30 percent savings compared to standard faucets. Furthermore, both Niagara aerators meet or exceed EPA WaterSense standards.
“For 39 years and counting, we are dedicated to being a leading manufacturer for best technology and sustainable practices that lower utility costs while still maintaining optimal performance,” states Carl Wehmeyer, Niagara Conservation’s executive vice president. “We continually strive to find technologies that benefit both our customers and the planet.”
Significant Water and Monetary Savings
According to Adrian Jimenez, operations manager for Monterey Bay Military Housing, La Mesa Village Community saved 1,113,500 gallons of water in January 2015 when compared to January 2014.
Notable savings continue in 2015 with a utility bill detailing water usage over a 35-day period, from February 19 to March 25, 2015. The bill indicated 1,146,983 gallons of water were saved as a result of the retrofits compared to a utility bill covering the same time period in 2014.
“The installation of Niagara Conservation’s high-efficiency plumbing fixtures have been nothing but well received by our residents in the La Mesa Village Community,” stated Jimenez. “Each retrofit was completed with the utmost professionalism and ease. And since the project’s completion last November, we have not only seen remarkable reductions in water usage within each unit of the community, but also we have received zero complaints from our residents.”
Leaders in Water Conservation Efforts
After the instillation of the UHET Water-Saving Kits from Niagara Conservation, Monterey Bay Military Housing is pushing the envelope for multi-unit operators to implement new technology that can save the planet as well as save residents money on their water and utility bills. Together the organizations are leading water conservation efforts by addressing the benefits of high-efficiency plumbing fixtures and by helping to alleviate the scarcity of water in the State of California.