Five Ways HOAs Can Conserve Water – Using Forward-Thinking Property Management Services to Combat Drought
Dania Beach, FL (PRWEB) April 07, 2014 -- California's drought has been long and challenging, with no end in sight, making water conservation a top priority for homeowners throughout the state. As summer quickly approaches, homeowner association (HOA) leaders throughout California must proactively make the necessary changes within their communities to conserve this precious resource. Homeowners can monitor their HOA’s efforts to determine if their boards are doing enough to make water conservation a priority in their community.
To ensure they’re doing their part, communities can implement forward-thinking property management services to help conserve water. FirstService Residential in California, a leading residential property management company, offers five proven strategies to help HOAs minimize water usage within their communities.
1. Make Changes in Common Areas
Board members can set examples for their communities by implementing water-saving changes in common areas. In common restrooms, HOAs can install low-flow toilets and water conserving sinks, and replace fresh indoor plants with artificial foliage to eliminate watering. As an added bonus, the more ways communities conserve water in common areas, the more money they will save for their associations.
2. Take a Closer Look at Landscaping
Landscaping can be a significant source of wasted water. When Christina Rodrigues of FirstService Residential in California managed a community with over 25 acres of landscaping and walking trails, she learned that the community's landscaping plan used over 23 million gallons of water to water these areas each year, yet the plants were still struggling. The source of the problem was old and poorly maintained irrigation equipment combined with plants that required large amounts of water.
Under Rodrigues’ management, the community's landscape committee worked with local vendors and environmental specialists to make water-conserving changes. Using drought tolerant, California-friendly plants and irrigation improvements, the team reduced water usage from 23 million gallons of water to 6.5 million gallons of water, an annual water savings of 40 percent.
3. Educate Residents About Water Conservation
For HOA boards, setting the example is just the first step in improving water consumption for their communities. They can provide regular communication about water conservation with residents via community newsletters and emails, including information on how to install water-saving features in their homes or condos, and tips for conserving water. The more education boards provide to residents, the more effective their community water conservation plans will be.
4. Conduct an Energy Audit
An energy audit is a review of a community’s energy usage, with the goal of identifying ways to save usage and money. While an energy audit will look at all utilities, including electric and gas, it can also prove to be an invaluable tool to help HOAs find and eliminate areas of water waste. A third-party energy audit company can provide an unbiased point of view to help HOA boards and communities take action to minimize water consumption.
5. Partner with a Residential Property Management Company
Working with a residential property management company can also help improve a community’s water conservation efforts. These companies offer services such as facilitating communication between community members and leadership, helping board members set up and run board meetings more efficiently and improving the quality of life for those in the community.
Property management companies can also work with utilities to create water-saving strategies, arrange for energy audits, facilitate better communication with residents and manage energy-saving improvements for their communities.
Conserving water is a vital concern for every California resident, and the right property management company can provide tips, information and proven strategies and tactics to help their managed communities do their part to reduce water consumption, lowering their water bills and improve the California environment.
About FirstService Residential
FirstService Residential is a subsidiary of FirstService Corporation, a global leader in the rapidly growing real estate services sector, one of the largest markets in the world. As a leading property management company in North America, FirstService Residential oversees more than 6,500 residential and commercial associations including 1.5 million residential units and over 50 million square feet of commercial space across 21 U.S. states and three provinces in Canada. The company has more than 12,000 employees driving local market expertise and manages in excess of $6 billion in annual budgets. For more information, visit http://www.fsresidential.com.
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Mary Sudasassi, FirstService Financial, Inc., http://www.fsresidential.com/corporate, +1 305-448-6163, [email protected]
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