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Best Practices  /  Save Water  /  Install aerators

Install Hand-sink Aerators

Turn hand sinks into a fountain of savings: fasten low-flow aerators

In any restaurant, it’s essential for employees to wash hands many times per shift.

Many savvy restaurateurs don’t even know it, but they are missing the opportunity to save thousands of gallons of hot water per year with each hand sink! With anywhere from 2-10 hand sinks, these are a great place to start saving.

Why bother to save hot water?
Every drop counts! Especially when you pay for hot water in three ways.

Adding low-flow aerators can reduce the hot water used by each hand sink by 60%. This means, with as little as 15 minutes of use per day, installing just one could save 9,000 gallons hot water per year.

See full size chart here.

It’s common to find sinks without any aerators at all or high-flow aerators. In fact, only 29% of restaurant operators we surveyed in 2013 reported using any type of faucet aerator.

Don't be caught wasting water! Aerators take minutes to install and will save you money (see video below). 

So what counts as low-flow?
Often, hand sinks use up to 8 gallons-per-minute (gpm) while sinks with high-flow aerators use around 2.2 gpm. Low-flow aerators are .5 gpm or less. A quick trip to your local hardware store and you will be set up for quick and easy installation.


Video: Install Low Flow Aerators




Also, remember that unfixed leaks can literally cost hundreds of dollars a year, so fix that drip!

Take these low-cost efforts a step further with low-flow pre-rinse spray valves to save even more cash.

More Resources

  • Walking the Talk: Reports from the field: Restaurateurs and suppliers talk sustainability.
  • Ask the Expert: We connect you with industry experts for answers to your questions.
  • Watch: Conversations with sustainability innovators.
  • Report: Gauging the Restaurant Industry’s Interest in Sustainability