Greening means walking the walk as well as talking the talk. Companies have to change how they operate their own buildings, looking at ways to conserve water and energy and reduce waste. Contractors also have to market “green” plumbing to their clientele, helping them weigh the benefits of making changes now rather than later.
   What motivates companies to go green? We talked to companies that have taken part in the GreenPlumbers USA training and accreditation program, which is partnered with the EPA’s WaterSense Program, the Alliance for Water Efficiency, the California Center for Sustainable Energy and the California Urban Water Council.
   And if you’re interested in taking your first “green” baby steps, these contractors passed along some ideas you can implement today to make your footprint a little smaller.

LeDuc & Dexter, Santa Rosa, Calif.
Owners Tom LeDuc and Art Dexter were in the solar industry when they started their residential construction plumbing company 26 years ago and soon launched a Super Service Plumbing division. The company has 45 employees, 40 trucks and 30 plumbing techs. LeDuc & Dexter do commercial and residential construction, hydronics, and plumbing service, maintenance and repair, the design/build projects include custom homes, wineries, high-tech companies, manufacturers and public facilities.
   “GreenPlumbers USA allowed us to do training for our people that is very organized. We’ve used this slow period to train our core group of people on ideas when they’re plumbing. ‘Hey, I can make a choice here. Which is the most efficient way to plumb a house or commercial project for water conservation?’ It opens their eyes.
   “Right now water usage cutbacks are voluntary, but down the road they’ll be mandated,” Dexter said. “You have to know the affordable solutions that are available and be able to present them knowledgeably to the customer.” 
   “Green living” and “green building” are getting a lot of press, so people are pretty aware, Dexter said. “There are companies that are saying, ‘This is green, buy it!’ but it’s not, really. On our side, you can show them that they are going to be using less water and their sewage fees are tied to water usage and they save on both sides.
   Dexter said his philosophy is that the company needs to be the source of education for the consumer about what they can do to make their home more efficient and save money down the road.
   “People need to be made aware of the efficiencies that are being built into products, like the new front-load washers that use much less water and energy, and begin thinking about their other water and energy use,” Dexter said. “For example, today’s showerheads designed to use less water but aerate the water better so can get a satisfactory shower and use much less water.” That includes updating customers on what products are eligible for rebates or other incentives.
   Dexter noted the “greening” of a business doesn’t happen instantly; it’s a step at a time. “Everyone here is on board,” he said, adding the goal is to go paperless and to recycle whenever possible: “If we sell it, we have to be doing it, too. And we do believe in it. 
   There’s been so much waste in the construction industry as a whole. It’s always been ‘get it done, and get it done fast’ no matter what the cost. Now that things have slowed down, you have a chance to monitor it, see what you can do.”

A.O. Reed & Co., San Diego
In 1914, Albert O. Reed opened a small plumbing and heating shop which evolved into a leading Southern California mechanical contractor doing large commercial and industrial plumbing and HVAC construction projects, with a 72-truck fleet covering commercial service and maintenance. A 55,000-square-foot facility houses the U.S. Green Building Council member’s corporate offices, fabrication facilities and a plumbing retail store. Clients include baseball and football venues and the University of California.
   “It just so happens that every customer has a potential to save water, so we bring it up with all customers,” plumbing services manager Manny Gonzales explained. “We can save you water and this is how we can do it. It almost sells itself. More than likely the customer is calling us and asking about it, so we are responding to demand.”
   According to energy efficiency programs coordinator Camilo Arango, “A lot of projects have changed since we opened our energy efficiency division, in the sense that we now present our projects with a return on investment and calculations on how much water they are conserving by applying an energy efficient plumbing job.
   “As our marketing approach to the business, we have developed a system to provide our customer base with water audits, at cost, that show them what we can do to improve the water consumption in their building. The audit establishes how we are going to go about replacing older fixtures with newer technology—low-flow, higher efficiency—and suggest better ways to organize their internal operations to save water by monitoring their consumption after installation. We also have a water audit presentation aimed specifically at property managers,” Arango said, adding the company was invited to be a panelist during the Jun. 2 Water Conservation Summit put on by the San Diego County Water Authority on the campus of Cuyamaca College. The company participated in the discussion entitled, "Energy and Water Best Management Practices for Commercial Facilities." 
      A.O. Reed is currently conducting water audits on 57 buildings and parks for the City of Poway and upgrading all of their water fixtures. “City officials are very aware of the mandates that are coming down. We’ve positioned ourselves to be the catalyst for energy and water conservation. We’re doing the same for property managers to provide energy and water conservation measures for clusters of buildings,” Arango said.
   “A lot of buildings are trying to achieve LEED certification,” Gonzales added. “But, not only that, they are concerned about the future of our water, and they are concerned about saving on utilities—water, electrical and gas. They are asking us to assist them in coming up with solutions. You’ve got to be able to go through a company with a fine-toothed comb and say this is where you have to cut back now. More companies are going to need the training that GreenPlumbers offers to achieve that. 
   “What we’ve done to set ourselves apart from other commercial plumbing companies is that we're working together with SDG&E, the Metropolitan Water District, and the San Diego Water Authority to share ideas about water conservation and it’s pretty exciting to know that’ll we’ll actually have a voice in what happens here.”

One Call Plumbing Services, Phoenix
In business since 2004, One Call specializes in residential service in the greater Phoenix area with a six-truck fleet. The first licensed GreenPlumber in Arizona, Steiner’s goal is training all employees, including office staff.
   “GreenPlumbers opened my eyes,” Steiner said. “Other than repairing leaks and drips, water conservation wasn’t on the top of my priority list. Back in 1984, when low-flow toilets were mandated, plumbers modified those toilets so they would work better for our customers, not giving water conservation a second thought. Now we’re learning about sustainable ideas and the only way water conservation is going to work is if it performs for people without modification to the products. We don’t talk about low-flow; now we talk about high-efficiency products.” 
   With the growth in Arizona, “we’re already seeing potential water shortages,” Steiner said. “Water conservation is going to be an important factor in the future of our community. What I’ve learned, and what I’m excited about teaching everybody here, is the direct relationship between water conservation and energy conservation. You can’t have energy without water and you can’t have water without energy,” he said. 
   Steiner said one appeal of the GreenPlumbers philosophy is the idea that it’s not a sacrifice to conserve water: “We can conserve water and improve performance over a plumbing system,” Steiner said. “Our clients are benefiting all the way around. It’s amazing when we do water audits for people. They can’t even fathom the amount of water they consume over a year. Frankly, it’s not on people’s minds, because water is still relatively cheap.”

Plumbing Concepts, Yorba Linda, Calif.
Owner/CEO Ken Meadows started a residential plumbing business in 1984 with a handful of employees, and now employs more than 100. The company does construction and water treatment and operates five trucks for residential service and repair in five Southern California counties. New construction encompasses custom homes and small podium projects and there now is a commercial division.
   According to president John Raya, water conservation is, “something we’ve always been conscious of, because part of our business is always about helping our customers comply with changes in the law. As plumbers, it’s part of our evolution, because we’re the folks who carry the water on any environmental regulation to the homeowner. We decided we might as well get the training and be certified, and then take advantage of those credentials to bolster what we are, in many areas, doing anyway.
   “What happens to everyone who goes into green training is that it forces you to be embarrassed about things you didn’t think about before,” Raya said. “When you start looking at the compound interest of water savings and behavioral changes, the amount of water that goes through our hands is mind-boggling,” Raya said. “The most interesting part of this journey is that you see how everything is connected.”
   As a business, “we’re looking at, how do we help our customers navigate this? A lot of them will tell us that make these changes when it becomes mandatory, then everyone will have to do it. Even when we explain the marketing benefits and flat out that it’s the right thing to do, the question always gets back to, what’s it going to cost? It’s an ongoing challenge. They’re eager, they’re interested in the information, but it’s always precluded by and followed by what’s it going to cost and what’s it going to cost again?
   Raya said he spends time talking to customers about The Big Picture: “To me that means our industry needs to be prepared for the day that’s coming when entitlements are going to be based on water calculations as well as other factors,” he said. “You’re going to have to justify water use on these factors from irrigation through home use. Not too far down the road you’re going to have projects denied because they are not water smart.” 
   So the short-term investment in education, awareness, strategy, planning tactics is going to be one of the cornerstones of your business going forward. If you make it through this and you don’t plan for that, you’ve got another wave of misery coming.” The message he wants to deliver to the consumer: “Let us help you get started. It’s the most important step any of us can take on water conservation.”

Rogers Remodel, San Anselmo, Calif.
In business since 2003, owner Jamie Rogers is also a licensed general contractor based in the San Francisco Bay Area’s Marin County. The one-truck company specializes in residential and light commercial design, building plumbing and remodeling. Rogers works with conservation-minded homeowners, business owners and property managers.
   “I’ve had a drive to go green for a long time. My previous business partner and I knew that that would be the future of the industry. When I learned about GreenPlumbers and its benefits it became a passion of mine,” Rogers said.
   Rogers plans to focus on customer education, water audits and product installation that can have an impact on water and energy conversation. He finds that customers are open to learning face-to-face about the reasons for making changes in their plumbing systems: “I can show them through documented sources the reasons for making those changes now,” he said. 
   One example: He walks customers through the pros and cons of tank and tankless water heaters based on how they plan to use the water. “A tankless heater can save energy and water, but not if you take more showers and longer showers, for example.”
   The company is starting with the basics with consumers, conducting water audits and “doing the small things that are good first steps in greening the home or business such as changing out showerheads and aerators. I’ve found a few products that I believe fully in that are reasonably-priced,” he said.
   “I would encourage any and every plumber to take this on because now is the time we need to think about conserving water. We need to think about the future,” Rogers said. “If we are not there to support and educate the public, then no one will be.”

Quality First Plumbing, Centennial, Colo.
Quality First Plumbing owner Howard Metz brought 25 years experience as a plumber to his new business in 2008. The first licensed GreenPlumber in Colorado specializes in service, repair and irrigation, 60 percent residential and 40 percent commercial. The company has a total staff of 8, with four service trucks on the road.
   “What’s the best of being a green plumber? Feeling like I’m actually making a difference on our environmental impact,” Metz said. “As a green plumber, I want to give you the very best solution for your money and for the environment and those two things have to go hand in hand,” Metz said. “What it’s done for my business,” Metz said, “is put me in a position to be very well educated. The first thing I wanted to do was find a source that has some backbone, that has accreditation, that isn’t ‘greenwashing’. With GreenPlumbers USA I’ve found a place where I can get a real education on how to be more earth friendly and that gives me the information to share with other people in their given situations.”
   Metz said he’s fortunate to be in an area where the water purveyors are supportive. “Denver Water is one of the leading municipalities in the country on educating people on how to conserve. They developed the concept, ‘Every drop counts. Use only what you need.’ It’s on billboards and on buses. It’s everywhere and other cities are emulating us and making the resource more abundant so they you don’t run into a situation where you have to ration.”
   By being “green” there are sacrifices you have to make as a business, even these economic times, he added. “We install energy efficient water heaters, faucets, aerators, and high efficiency toilets. I will refuse to install a toilet a customer wants to contract me to put in that’s not high efficiency, 1.28 gallons per flush.” You can’t just say you are ‘green’, unless you are really willing to be. Metz said. “We’re fully prepared to do a 50-point water audit—at no charge. Then we ask if there’s anything else they’d like to know about how to be more environmentally friendly. Change your lifestyle now and make it better for your children and children’s children.”
   Every once in a while, you have to fire a customer, he said.
   “Sometimes you have to say, ‘I’m not the guy for you.’ I’m not the Band-Aid plumber,” Metz said. “I’m not going to take a short cut and I’m certainly not going to go against the oath that I’ve taken just for the sake of a dollar or two. There’s integrity and if you don’t have that you don’t have much of anything.”
   Metz added, “I want other plumbers to be part of this program. Being in this trade for as long as I have, many are creatures of habit so it’s going to be up to the up-and-comers there’s a market for this and if they are real and are true to it, not only will they get more business, they’ll make a difference to the planet.”