Water Usage for High Pressure Misters in California is Less Than You Think

Water usage concerns are valid, especially if you reside in California. But how much water do high pressure misters use in comparison to other forms of water consumption?

This is the worst drought in California in 1,200 years, Daniel Griffin of the University of Minnesota and Kevin Anchukaitis of Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution state in a recently published study. After analyzing tree ring samples from blue oak trees, the conclusion is dire. Droughts are common. This level of drought is not.

Most restaurants and hotels are not only considering but facing regulations that demand they re-think water usage. A quick view of the above infographic provides insight into how much water consumption is attributed to the typical sit-down meal. (Note: for purposes of discussion we are not leaving out misting systems that use atomized water particles produced by high pressure misters to generate cooling). What is particularly interesting is that the data is not what you would think. The meal itself is, by far, the dominant factor in the overall “water footprint” of each restaurant patron.

What is not illustrated is that there are also major inefficiencies of water usage found in kitchen operations and food preparation. According to the EPA, “After upgrading its kitchen with high-efficiency pre-rinse spray valves, a Boston University cafeteria successfully reduced its water use by more than 48,000 gallons per year, a 63 percent decrease. With cost savings from water and sewer fees alone, a restaurant’s simple payback period for replacing old, inefficient pre-rinse spray valves could be as short as one month.”

Conservation is important. Thoughtful and efficient practices are even more important. High pressure misters use water, but substantially less water than you would think, and have shown measurable enhancements to revenue without the inneficiencies found in other cooling solutions. Before turning off high pressure misters, consider skipping that last cup of coffee.