This post will cover one of the easiest—if not the easiest—tip to save you money this year: have pre-rinse spray valves and faucet aerators professionally installed into your business. What makes this tip so special is that these two measures can be professionally installed as a complimentary service through your utility’s energy efficiency program, saving you hundreds or thousands per year. Better yet, it only takes minutes to install. The more water your business consumes, the more you can save.
Commercial pre-rinse spray valves: Food service industry
Image Source: Environmental Protection Agency
According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), 52% of all water use comes from the kitchen/dishwashing.
Image Source: EPA Restaurant Fact Sheet
A pre-rinse spray valve helps remove sticky food from dishes, utensils, and cooking appliances before loading into the dishwasher. The U.S. Department of Energy estimates “The water used in the pre-rinsing operation is often twice the volume of water used by the dishwashing equipment.” Pre-rinse spray valves reduces the total gallons of water consumed per minute from 3.0 to 1.6, saving most large-sized restaurants up to 150 gallons of hot water per day. Cost savings for restaurants range between $100-$400 per month.
The EPA put together a great chart that displays a few different industries and their water usage.
Image Source: EPA Industry Water Use
Commercial pre-rinse spray valves: Non-food service industry
If you would like to know a closer estimate to the amount you can save, check out the great Food Service Technology Center’s Pre-rinse Spray Valve and Water Cost Calculator, or check out our industry average calculations below to get an idea of how much you can save.
Faucet Aerators
Faucet aerators are screwed into the tip of a faucet and helps save water by creating a better flowing stream and preventing splashing. Tap water use can be reduced up to 50%. Depending on the amount of water your business uses annually, this can account for significant savings. On average, faucet aerators can save businesses $8.00 for every 1,000 gallons of water used.
Industry Averages
We calculated the average savings across all industries and found pre-rinse spray valves and faucet aerators save business owners an annual average of 2,853 kWh and 387 kWh, respectively. Using the kWh cost-savings formula, that’s $422.24 and $57.28 in savings per year. In addition, faucet aerators and pre-rinse spray valves are expensive. At over $100.00 for a single pre-rinse spray valve, you’re saving money immediately.
| Measure | Avg. Cost Per Unit | Avg. Annual kWh Saved | Annual Savings |
| Pre-Rinse Spray Valve | $103.38 | 2853 | 422.24 |
| Faucet Aerator | $10.13 | 387 | 57.28 |
Final Thoughts
Pre-rinse spray valves and faucet aerators can save any business money. For businesses such as restaurants, the savings are critical to obtain a competitive advantage. In just minutes, these measures can be installed as a complimentary service by an experienced auditor through your utility company, through the MassSave program, or through a preferred energy services company (ESCO), such as Prism Energy Services. If you’d like more information on these two products, or would like them installed into your business, visit our website