NYC: Water Conservation, Cooling Inequity and an Argument for Heat Pumps

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NYC: Water Conservation, Cooling Inequity and an Argument for Heat Pumps

If you talk about tap water with any New Yorker, they will likely boast about how New York City’s tap water is some of the best in the world. And it’s true; NYC gets more than 1 billion gallons of water delivered from pristine reservoirs in the Catskill Mountains every single day (1). With such an abundance of clean drinking water, it is not surprising that water conservation is not a priority for many New Yorkers.

Water consumption rates in the U.S. are some of the highest in the world; the average American family consumes more than 300 gallons of water per day at home (2). In NYC, the average person consumes 118 gallons of water per day (as of 2020) — that's almost 447 one-liter bottles of potable water (3)

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Looking Back to Move Forward: Understanding NYC Energy Trends Through Benchmarking

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Looking Back to Move Forward: Understanding NYC Energy Trends Through Benchmarking

Because large and midsize buildings are responsible for over half of New York City’s building emissions, understanding the benchmarked data provides necessary insight for how we will achieve a zero carbon future. On January 26, panelists from Urban Green Council and the NYC Mayor’s Office of Sustainability met for a virtual discussion, The Benchmarking Report: NYC’s Energy and Water Use. Panelists shared findings on NYC’s energy use trends and discussed whether buildings are on track to meet the city’s climate goals.

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Partner Highlight: How Plumbers See Water’s Place in The World

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Partner Highlight: How Plumbers See Water’s Place in The World

When Mellissa Brotherson, a highly accomplished Journeyman Plumber with UA Local Union 1, began her education, she was surprised by how prevalent water is in the built environment, but also how little people seem to notice it.

Beginning her career in construction as a non-union member, Brotherson decided to enter the plumbing industry through UA Local Union 1 because of the challenging work involved. She explored welding and became the fastest Local 1 apprentice on record to attain a UA welding qualification. Brotherson’s talent was obvious; she was chosen as the first Local 1 welder to be sent to the UA Apprentice Competition, and became an instructor prior to graduation.

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