Helping Washington Trust Bank Uncover Major Water Savings
What can happen when local water-efficiency expertise meets hands-on commercial facility management?
At Washington Trust Bank’s Financial Center in downtown Spokane, a collaboration between Water Wise Spokane and K&H Facility Services (KHFS) helped uncover hidden water waste, improve building systems and create a more proactive approach to water management, contributing to approximately 5 million gallons of water and more than $18,000 in annual savings.
The project shows how commercial property owners can benefit from pairing the City of Spokane’s Water Wise program auditing resources with the day-to-day building knowledge and implementation expertise of an experienced facility services team.
Identifying an Opportunity for Conservation
The opportunity was first recognized by Mike Peck of Kiemle Hagood Facility Services, who began working at Washington Trust Tower West at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, when the building was largely unoccupied.
“I noticed some older, outdated equipment that was using a lot of water and causing damage,” Peck said. “That’s when Annikki showed up one day and asked if I needed help. Washington Trust agreed to work with her ideas.”
Annikki Chamberlain of Water Wise Spokane, helped connect the building with the Water Wise Commercial Efficiency Auditing Program. Peck assisted during the initial stages of the collaboration before Chamberlain and John DeFord, BOC III, of Kiemle Hagood Facility Services carried the project through the auditing and implementation process.
The Washington Trust Financial Center, also known as Washington Trust Tower West, was an ideal candidate for the program. The building contained several single-pass, water-cooled HVAC units used to cool IT closets, along with a multi-pass cooling tower supporting comfort cooling.
Using clamp-on water meters, the team measured water flowing through individual systems without modifying the building’s existing piping. The audit revealed that multiple single-pass cooling units were consuming significantly more water than necessary. Several pressure valves intended to restrict flow when cooling demand was low had failed, allowing water to continue running even when little or no cooling was required.
According to DeFord, the experience demonstrated the value of equipment-level monitoring.
“One of the biggest takeaways was that water use can continue unnoticed even when equipment appears to be operating normally.”
Turning Findings Into Real Improvements
Following the audit, Washington Trust replaced the single-pass, water-cooled units with ductless split systems that do not require water for cooling, reducing both domestic water consumption and wastewater generation.
Kiemle Hagood Facility Services also incorporated lessons from the Water Wise program into its ongoing facility management practices.
Clamp-on meters are now being used to monitor cooling towers at both Washington Trust Tower West and Washington Trust Tower East, helping KHFS identify unusual water consumption, potential equipment issues and leaks before they become larger problems.
That proactive approach has already produced results. At another Washington Trust location, Chamberlain helped the facilities team identify a water-cooled unit serving an unoccupied area that was leaking approximately four gallons per minute, a loss that could have continued unnoticed without monitoring.
A Practical Approach to Commercial Water Conservation
One of the strengths of the Water Wise Commercial Efficiency Auditing Program is its practical approach.
Commercial buildings rely on complex mechanical systems, and replacing equipment is not always immediately feasible. Capital costs, lifecycle planning and building operations all need to be considered.
Rather than simply recommending replacement, Water Wise Spokane works with facility professionals to identify where monitoring, adjustments and targeted improvements can make a meaningful difference.
For Kiemle Hagood Facility Services, that approach complements its broader role of helping owners understand, maintain and improve their properties over time.
“They recognize that water is essential to building operations, and that replacing or upgrading equipment can involve significant capital and lifecycle considerations,” DeFord said. “They helped us understand where adjustments, monitoring and targeted improvements could make a meaningful difference.”
Better Data. Better Building Decisions.
The Washington Trust project illustrates the value of collaboration between property owners, facility professionals and community conservation programs.
Water Wise Spokane brings specialized water-efficiency expertise, auditing resources and measurement tools. Kiemle Hagood Facility Services brings building knowledge and the operational expertise needed to turn those findings into action.
Together, that partnership can help reduce water consumption, lower operating costs, detect maintenance concerns earlier and support smarter long-term facility decisions.
“The program gave our team the tools and information needed to identify opportunities to reduce water waste, lower operating costs and make better decisions about our facilities,” DeFord said. “Most importantly, it showed us that relatively small changes and better monitoring can lead to significant water savings over time.”
For commercial property owners, the Washington Trust project is a strong example of what can happen when the right resources and facility expertise come together: millions of gallons of water conserved, thousands of dollars saved and better information for managing buildings moving forward.
