Water Conservation Measures Checklist

Download the prior 12 months of meter reads and dollar charges from the water utility portal. Note any month with a step-change in consumption — that's your most likely leak window. Save the export to the property's sustainability folder.

Walk one of each unit type and record toilet GPF (stamped on the bowl rim), showerhead GPM, and faucet aerator rating. Pre-1994 toilets are 3.5+ GPF — those are your highest-ROI replacements. Capture the inventory as a spreadsheet or photo log.

Walk the grounds and the irrigation controller. Spray-head systems waste 30-50% to evaporation and overspray; drip systems are already efficient. Properties with no irrigation skip the conversion section entirely.

Specify WaterSense-labeled HET (high-efficiency toilet) units. Many municipal utilities — LADWP, SFPUC, NYC DEP, Austin Water — offer $50-200 per-unit rebates; submit the rebate application before installation, not after.

Standard pre-1994 showerheads run 4-5 GPM; current code is 2.5 GPM; WaterSense models are 1.5-2.0 GPM. Coordinate access via 24-48 hour notice per state landlord-tenant entry rules — do not let a maintenance tech show up unannounced.

Bath faucets get 1.0 GPM aerators; kitchen faucets stay at 1.5-2.2 GPM (residents need flow for filling pots). Check thread compatibility — most are 15/16-inch male or 55/64-inch female.

Run each retrofitted shower and sink for 30 seconds. Tenant complaints about weak pressure are the #1 reason retrofits get reversed. Document any units that need a higher-flow showerhead swap.

Replace spray heads on shrub and planter zones with inline drip; keep rotors only on turf zones that remain. Many western utilities (MWD, Denver Water, SNWA) pay $1-3 per square foot of converted area — apply for the rebate before the work begins.

Replace clock-based controllers with a WaterSense-labeled smart controller (Rachio, Hunter Hydrawise, Rain Bird ESP-TM2 with WiFi). Connect to local ET data and add a rain sensor or freeze sensor — these are required for WaterSense certification.

Target high-visibility, low-traffic turf strips first — parkways, traffic islands, and dog-run perimeters. Choose climate-appropriate natives; for the southwest, manzanita, salvia, and deer grass; for the southeast, muhly grass and beautyberry.

Three inches of organic mulch (bark, wood chip) cuts soil evaporation by 25-50% and suppresses weeds. Keep mulch 3 inches off plant stems to prevent rot and rodent harborage.

Drop a dye tablet in the tank and wait 10 minutes without flushing. Any color in the bowl indicates a flapper leak — silent toilet leaks are commonly the largest single source of unexplained consumption (200+ gallons/day per leaky toilet).

Read the master meter at 11pm and again at 5am with no scheduled irrigation. Any movement during low-occupancy hours indicates a continuous leak somewhere on the property — irrigation valve, slab leak, or running fixture.

Log every leak found by unit number, location, fixture type, and severity. Triage emergency leaks (active flooding, ceiling drips) for same-day dispatch; queue minor leaks (slow flapper, dripping aerator) for the standard work-order cycle.

Confirm the plumber's COI is current and names the property as additional insured before issuing the work order. Use 1.6 GPF or 1.28 GPF replacement flappers for HET toilets — generic flappers often defeat the low-flow design.

Wrap exposed hot water supply lines with foam pipe insulation rated for the line diameter. Reduces standing-water waste while residents wait for hot water at the tap and cuts heat loss off the recirc loop.

Flush the tank, inspect the anode rod, and verify the recirc pump timer matches actual occupancy (24/7 recirc on a low-occupancy stack wastes both water and gas). Set the temperature to 120°F per most state codes.

ENERGY STAR commercial laundry uses 33% less water than standard commercial models. Coordinate with the laundry vendor (CSC ServiceWorks, WASH Multifamily) since most common-area machines are leased — the swap may be free under a refresh clause.

Post in mailroom, elevator lobbies, and the resident portal. Cover the practical asks: report drips fast, run full dishwasher and laundry loads only, don't use the toilet as a wastebasket. Include the leak-report contact and after-hours number.

Configure a dedicated work-order category in AppFolio, Buildium, or Yardi for leak reports so they auto-route to maintenance with priority flag. A clean intake channel is what separates a 24-hour repair from a three-week ceiling collapse.

Compare 30-day post-retrofit consumption against the prior 12-month baseline pulled in step one. Include rebate dollars captured, payback period on retrofit capex, and a recommendation on whether to push the same program to other properties in the portfolio.