Tracking Our Sustainability Performance

With dedicated metering in our new building, we have been tracking Brendle Group's water use, both indoor and outdoor, since 2011.  With the hot and dry summer of 2012, outdoor irrigation increased to 87 percent of our total water use, up from three-quarters in 2011.  This high outdoor water use is still largely the result of the watering requirements to establish landscaping which we hope to begin phasing out this year as the native landscape is maturing.  Drought restrictions being implemented through Fort Collins Utilities will also likely drastically reduce our outdoor water consumption.  Though our outdoor water use increased in 2012, indoor water use decreased by over 40 percent.  This reduction is due in part to changes in employee dishware use to decrease dishwasher use.

With Advanced Meter Fort Collins reaching 212 Mulberry this year, one of our goals is to add water to our real-time tracking to better identify and address opportunities to conserve water and reduce our use.

We will also continue to track pilot water re-use efforts and legislation that would allow for more effective water re-use opportunities in Colorado.

In 2012 we also began the development of Brendle Group's water footprint and developed a preliminary plan towards net zero water use and water quality impacts.  Click here for more information about our footprint and plan.