Lakeland restaurants can conserve water with the help of two programs offered by the Southwest Florida Water Management District and the City of Lakeland Water Utilities.
The District’s Water Program for Restaurant Outreach (Water PRO) and Lakeland’s pre-rinse spray valve replacement program are designed to help restaurants conserve water through training and retrofitting.
Water PRO
Water PRO is a free program that helps restaurants conserve water by educating staff and customers. By implementing Water PRO, the restaurant management agrees to only serve water upon request, display water conservation materials on tables, conduct self-audits and train staff.
“Water PRO invites restaurants and their patrons to save water and money through simple and efficient actions,” said Robin Grantham, Water PRO coordinator. “By joining Water PRO and installing low-flow spray valves, restaurants can save up to $1,320 per year.”
The District will supply free educational materials to participating restaurants, including children’s coloring sheets, table materials and coasters. The District will also provide the restaurants with self-audit checklists and educational workshops on additional ways to save water. Replacing spray nozzles with sink aerators, installing low-flow toilets and reducing the flow in dripper wells and continuous flow faucets are just a few ways restaurants can conserve water.
For more information about Water PRO, please contact Robin Grantham at 1-800-423-1476, ext. 4782.
Pre-rinse spray valve replacement program
This program will replace approximately 300 conventional high water use spray valves at no cost to the customer.
Pre-rinse spray valves are used to clean food from dishes, utensils, pots and pans.
Conventional pre-rinse spray valves use 3 to 6 gallons of water per minute (gpm) and are responsible for up to 50 percent of the total dishwashing water used in the food service industry.
Lakeland’s high-efficiency pre-rinse spray valves use only 1.28 gpm, which could reduce pre-rinse water use by up to 80 percent. An energy savings of up to 60 percent is also expected.
The high-efficiency valve, manufactured by Niagara Conservation Corporation, is certified by the Food Service Technology Center and is endorsed by the Green Restaurant Association.
Niagara Conservation Corporation will manage the replacement program for the city. Their programs have also been used by a number of municipalities, utilities, and government organizations to help achieve water and energy conservation goals.
The spray valve replacement program is cooperatively funded by the City of Lakeland Water Utilities and the Southwest Florida Water Management District’s Alafia River, Hillsborough River and Peace River Basin Boards.
For more information about the program, please visit the City of Lakeland’s website at www.lakelandgov.net/water/conservation or call Ruffin Gray, program manager, at 863-834-8316.