| Did you know it takes eight gallons of water to | | | | ensure minimal water runoff and contamination. |
| produce one tomato? And one hundred and | | | | Computer and electronics manufacturers have |
| twenty gallons to grow one egg? Or what about | | | | made our lives much more convenient in recent |
| the sixty thousand gallons of water to make a | | | | years, but they too are guilty of water waste. |
| car? Commercial and industrial usage of water is | | | | Rinsing in the printed circuit board and |
| mind boggling. While in some cases water is a | | | | electroplating industry is a necessary process, |
| necessary component to producing the food and | | | | however it does consumer quite a bit of water. |
| equipment we need to be comfortable, there is | | | | Rinsing and cleaning silicon wafers at |
| definitely room for cutting out water waste. | | | | semiconductor manufacturing plants is another |
| Here is an overview of some key industries and | | | | example of water use. Unlike agricultural |
| the areas in which they use water. | | | | demands that can use non-potable water, these |
| Office buildings and other commercial | | | | types of manufacturing plants must use pure |
| establishments typically use water for rest rooms | | | | water since their products are extremely |
| and other domestic uses (like water fountains), | | | | sensitive to even microscopic contaminants. |
| cooling, heating, and landscaping. Some buildings | | | | Food processing companies typically use water |
| also have included restaurant or cafeteria facilities | | | | for washing and sanitation, cooling and heating, |
| which are another source of water usage. Of | | | | processing food products and other miscellaneous |
| these, landscaping is the most obvious choice for | | | | functions. Typically, the opportunities for water |
| water conservation, but even the domestic | | | | conservation include: reusing water in another |
| availabilities should be considered. Low-flow | | | | process, (i.e., using rinse water in cooling towers), |
| toilets and recycling water fountains are just a | | | | modifying processes to consume less water, |
| couple of the many considerations a business | | | | recycling water within a specific process (where |
| should take to reduce its water consumption. | | | | health regulations allow), and modifying cooling |
| Landscaping purposes are a great source of | | | | towers to recycle water. |
| water loss and should be closely scrutinized to | | | | |