look for
Putting WaterSense® to Work
Restaurants Install Water-Efficient
Commercial Kitchen Equipment
Sector: Restaurants and Other Commercial Kitchens; Focus: Commercial Kitchen Equipment
Uncommon
Ground
Project Summary
The water efficiency best management practices implemented at each
of three restaurants—Uncommon Ground, The Grey Plume, and
Founding Farmers—are described in this case study.
Uncommon Ground (Chicago, Illinois)
When Uncommon Ground first opened, it was
a small cafe in a converted apartment in
Chicago. Twenty years later, Uncommon
Ground has two 4,000-square-foot restaurants
that serve approximately 20,000 customers per
month. As the restaurants' popularity began to
grow, the owners sought ways to reduce their
environmental impact.
In the first year of its plan to reduce water use,
Uncommon Ground focused on the "low
hanging fruit" and installed water-efficient
faucet aerators in prep sinks, changed its pre-
rinse spray valve to a high-efficiency model,
and began serving water to customers only
upon request. To take its water conservation efforts to the next level,
Uncommon Ground replaced the dishwashers at both restaurants with
ENERGY STAR®'qualified models and the ice machines (water-cooled
models) with air-cooled, ENERGY STAR qualified models. In addition,
Uncommon Ground uses a self-contained steam kettle without an
external boiler, which uses less water and energy than boiler-based
steam kettles.
Because serving local food is one of Uncommon Ground's missions,
management installed a rooftop organic farm watered by a drip
irrigation system. The restaurant also has a rain barrel for rainwater
collection, and the rainwater is used to water planters and wash down
patio areas. Following these water-efficient retrofits, the two
Uncommon Ground restaurants became the first restaurants in the
country to obtain a four-star rating—the highest possible—from GRA.
The Grey Plume (Omaha, Nebraska)
The Grey Plume, located in a LEED®' certified building, has embarked
on many green initiatives as part of its focus on sustainable food
sourcing and operations. In the kitchen, water-efficient aerators are
Certified Green
Restaurants®
\SSOCIATJOiV
With social and environmental
responsibility becoming the norm
among restaurateurs and consumers,
restaurants across the country have
begun to install water- and energy-
efficient commercial kitchen
equipment for food preparation,
cooking, and cleaning.
Despite measures taken to reduce
water use, a challenge faced by
many restaurants is the inability to
directly quantify the impact of their
efforts. In many cases, restaurants
might be billed a flat fee for water or,
if the building is leased or the
restaurant is part of a corporate
franchise, utility bills may be directed
to the building owner or corporate
headquarters.
Although the restaurants highlighted
in this case study cannot quantify
specific savings, all three are Green
Restaurant Association (GRA)
Certified Green Restaurants® that
have reduced their environmental
impact from disposables, energy,
food, furnishings, building materials,
pollution, chemicals, waste, and
water. Visit www.dinegreen.com for
more information.
PHONE (866) WTR-SENS (987-7367) WEBSITE www.epa.gov/watersense EMAlLwatersense@epa.gov
xvEPA
EPA-832-F 14-002-H
July 2014

-------
installed on all handwashing and prep sinks, and a high-efficiency pre-rinse spray valve is also used. Both the ice
machine and dishwasher are ENERGY STAR qualified. Instead of utilizing a garbage disposal, which can flow
between 2,0 and 15,0 gallons per minute (gpm) when in use, the restaurant composts food waste, saving water
and reducing the waste that is discarded. Water efficiency, along with ongoing operations that facilitate recycling,
waste minimization, green cleaning, and energy efficiency, enabled the Grey Piume to become GRA's Greenest
Restaurant in America in December 2010 and March 2012.
Founding Farmers (Washington, D.C., Metropolitan Area)
As a restaurant that tries to mirror the family farmer's traditional protection of
air, soil, water, and biodiversity, Founding Farmers developed a philosophy
focused on efficient and environmentally-friendly operations for its two
locations in Washington, D.C., and Potomac, Maryland. Both restaurants are
approximately 9,000 square feet, serve between 20,000 and 30,000
customers per month, and have been recognized as Certified Green
Restaurants® by GRA for their eco-friendly operations. The Washington,
D.C., restaurant is located in a LEED Gold certified building.
In both restaurants, water-efficient products and equipment were installed
during initial construction. The Washington, D.C., kitchen includes a high-efficiency pre-rinse spray valve, an
ENERGY STAR qualified dishwasher, and an ENERGY STAR qualified steam cooker, which uses an average of
3 gallons of water per hour (standard models typically use 40 gallons of water per hour).
The Potomac, Maryland, location includes the same features; it also incorporated 0.5 gpm faucet aerators on prep
sinks and does not use a garbage disposal for removing food waste from dishes. Both locations also use dipper
wells for utensil cleaning, which are not flowing continuously but are operated with an on/off mechanism. These
features, along with a focus on continuous improvement, enabled both locations to earn GRA's certification.
Savings Summary
Because they do not collect water data, these restaurants are not able to cite how many total gallons of water
they have saved through their efforts. Table 1 provides a summary of the best management practices
implemented at each restaurant and an indication of how much water the facilities may be saving compared to
typical restaurant practices.
The restaurant owners noted that the water- and energy-efficient products and practices have not slowed down
productivity in their busy operations, and they are ail very satisfied with the products and equipment they have
installed in and out of the kitchen.
Acknowledgements
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA's) WaterSense program acknowledges Vucurevich Simons
Advisory Group Vice President Lara Hardcastle, Uncommon Ground Owner Helen Cameron, and The Grey
Plume Chef/Owner Clayton Chapman for providing information for this case study.
Learn More
To learn more about water efficiency in commercial and institutional buildings, visit the WaterSense website at
www.epa.gov/watersense/commercial to access WaterSense at Work best management practices, tools, case
studies, and more.
Founding Farmers

-------
Table 1. Best Management Practices Implemented at Certified Green Restaurants0
Best Management
Practice
Percent Savings Compared
to Standard
Product/Practice
Uncommon
Ground
The Grey
Plume
Founding
Farmers
Commercial Kitchen Best Management Practices
High-Efficiency Faucet
Aerators on Prep Sinks
30-75
X
X
X
Manually Operated
Dipper Well
Significant


X
High-Efficiency Pre-
Rinse Spray Valve
20-40
X
X
X
ENERGY STAR
Qualified Commercial
Dishwasher
25
X
X
X
ENERGY STAR
Qualified Commercial Ice
Machine
10
X
X

ENERGY STAR
Qualified Steam Cooker
90


X
Self-Contained Steam
Kettle
Significant
X


Food Composting (no
garbage disposal)
100

X

Other Best Management Practices
High-Efficiency Aerators
on Handwashing Sinks
30-75
X
X
X
Dual-Flush or 1.28
Gallons-per-Flush Toilets
20
X
X
X
High-Efficiency or Non-
Water-Using Urinals
50-100
X

X
Drip Irrigation
20-50
X


Rainwater Collection and
Reuse
Significant
X

-------