Overview
Water rates have been rising consistently throughout the United States. In New York City, for example, over the past 3 years rates have increased over $1.00 per hundred cubic feet (“HCF”) of water usage for an average annual increase of 4%. Owners and Property Managers now have an opportunity to “stop flushing water down the drain” and to offset these price increases with the Barrett Green Smart Water Valve™, a proprietary water conservation device that saves water usage and reduces your water bill. Typically, the owner pays for the building’s water bills, rather than passing on the costs to residents. Without that financial incentive, residents do not concern themselves with conserving water. Because this technology is new, building managers generally are not aware of the untapped efficiency savings potential the Barrett Green Smart Water Valve™ offers. And, building managers generally are forced to allocate their limited resources to higher value, more visible projects.
Co-op City, located in the Bronx, New York, is the world’s largest residential condominium development. It houses some 55,000 people in 35 high rise buildings. To demonstrate the effectiveness of the Barrett Green Smart Water Valve™, we installed one Valve in one of Co-op City’s 33 floor “Tower” buildings, a photo of which appears above. In fact, the water main pipe serving this building, also serves 2 identical buildings, for a total of three 33 story residential buildings.
The result from one successfully installed Barrett Green Smart Water Valve™ has been savings totaling $350,000 – since the Valve was installed in late November, 2012. For the 3 fiscal years’ July 2012 through June 2015, water usage decreased on average about 140,000 HCF per year, and annual savings averaged approximately $140,000 per year, in each instance a savings of approximately 10%.
The best part for Co-op City was that it didn’t have to lay out one penny. The contract was structured as a “shared savings agreement” in which Co-op City shares the savings each month with Barrett Green Management, LLC.
How Did Barrett Green Achieve These Savings?
The Barrett Green Smart Water Valve™ functions as a “check valve”, utilizing our proprietary technology to:
- Remove air from the water, and
- Better control its flow
Water – H2O – contains 10%-20% air depending on its temperature and pressure. Eliminating air reduces the amount of water used and thus reduces your water bill. Eliminating air and managing the flow of water has the benefit of reducing the detrimental “air hammer” effect on pipes and its sound which occurs when air gushes through a water pipe.
In a hydraulic system, which describes water coming from the water company’s (utility’s) system into a building, the Barrett Green Smart Water Valve™ functions similar to a check valve so the water only can flow in one direction. The local water utility maintains a constant water pressure (pounds per square inch, or psi) for the incoming water entering the building. In order for the water to continue flowing through the Valve, into the building, the water (fluid) is pressurized to the point that the pressure forces the piston, (visible with the “Y” stabilizer on the right side of photo below), which is retained by a spring (visible in the second photo below) in the Barrett Green Smart Water Valve™, to open and allow the water to pass through further “downstream”. The pressure exerted on the air in the water causes the air bubbles to be reduced in size. Rather than continue forward, the air bubbles can float back to the storage tank, where there is space at the top for the air to escape. The Valve is placed downstream from the meter and does not affect the utility water meter measuring capabilities.
Safe and Maintenance Free
The Barrett Smart Water Valve™ has been constructed from 100% Food Grade (level 316) stainless steel and therefore is a safe material for contact with potable water. Based on our own proprietary design/technology and manufactured in the United States, the Barrett Green Smart Water Valve™ is machined to aircraft level tolerances for a smooth and maintenance free operation.
The Barrett Green Smart Water Valve™ was installed within the Tower Building inside the main water pipe that serves the building. Its placement is not near the local utility’s water meter so it has no adverse effect on the utility’s meter readings. As the photo below shows, the Valve was installed in the basement, with no negative impact to the residents’ apartments, nor the need to enter any resident apartment.
No Upfront Cost – Immediate Savings
The Barrett Green Smart Water Valve™ did not cost Co-op City one penny. Barrett Green Management absorbed the cost of custom manufacturing the Valve specifically sized to fit the water pipes serving Co-op City, as well as the cost of installing the Valve inside the main water pipe. And, Barrett Green Management installed its Valve on a RISK FREE BASIS! A Shared Savings Agreement was structured, through which Co-op City shares the savings for an agreed upon term, after which 100% of the savings accrue to Co-op City. As a result, Co-op City started saving money from day one.
So, allow the Barrett Green Smart Water Valve™ to plug up the holes to prevent substantial amounts of money and water from going down the drain and to SAVE YOU MONEY!