Practical Water Saving Tips for Restaurants

Where Your Water Bill Is Really Coming From

Water is one of those costs that rarely gets the same attention as food, labor, or rent. It shows up every month as a steady bill, and because it doesn't spike like food prices or payroll, it's easy to see it as "fixed." But for many restaurants, water and sewer charges quietly add up to thousands of dollars a year - and a big chunk of that is simply waste.

Industry estimates suggest that restaurants can cut water use by up to 20-30% with basic efficiency steps and better habits, without hurting food quality or speed of service. That's not just good for the environment; it's direct savings that drop to your bottom line.

Most operations are using more water than they actually need. Dishwashers run half-empty. Prep sinks get left on while someone steps away. Restroom fixtures flush more water than necessary. Ice machines and cooling systems pull water in the background that no one really thinks about - until the bill arrives.

The good news is you don't have to guess where to start. Your water bill, plus a simple walkthrough of your kitchen, bar, and restrooms, can show you exactly where to focus. When you understand how much water is going into dishwashing, prep, restrooms, ice, and HVAC, you can target the biggest wins first instead of chasing tiny changes that barely matter.

Know Your Baseline

Before changing equipment or retraining staff, it helps to know what you're actually working with. Your water bill is the starting point. Most bills include three key pieces of information you should focus on - total gallons (or cubic meters) used, total cost, and sewer or wastewater charges. Those sewer fees are often based on how much water you use, so every gallon saved usually cuts two costs at once.

Start by pulling the last 6-12 months of bills. Note the usage and total cost for each month in a simple spreadsheet. This gives you a clear picture of your "normal" water use, along with any seasonal spikes from patio season, cooling, or holiday rushes. From there, calculate a few basic metrics -

- Water cost per month
- Average gallons (or m) per month
- Water cost as a % of sales
- Gallons per cover or per transaction

You don't need perfect data to get value from this. Even rough numbers help you see trends, like a slow increase over time that might point to leaks or changing habits.

Once you know your baseline, set a simple, realistic target. For many restaurants, aiming to cut total water use by 5-10% over the next 6-12 months is a good starting goal. That's big enough to matter, but small enough to feel achievable.

Share these numbers with your managers so they understand the "why" behind any changes you make later. When the team can see the bill dropping over time, it's easier to keep everyone engaged in saving water.

Dishwashing and Cleaning

In most restaurants, the dish area is one of the top water users. Between the dish machine, pre-rinse sink, soaking pans, and constant surface cleaning, thousands of liters/gallons can move through this station every week. The challenge is that a lot of this use feels "automatic" to the team - turn on the sprayer, run a cycle, spray down the floor - so it often goes unquestioned.

Start by looking at how your dish machine is used, not just what model you have. Even an efficient machine wastes water if it's constantly run half-empty. Make it a standard that racks are loaded fully (without overloading) before each cycle. Train staff to scrape and quickly pre-wipe plates into trash or compost bins so the machine doesn't need extra cycles to get items clean. Small behavior changes here can easily cut several cycles per service.

Next, turn your attention to the pre-rinse sprayer and sinks. Traditional sprayers can use a lot of water per minute when held open. If your team leaves it running while they stack dishes or step away, water pours straight down the drain with no benefit. Consider switching to a low-flow pre-rinse sprayer and reinforcing the habit of using short, controlled bursts instead of a constant stream. Where possible, soaking pots and pans in a bus tub or sink basin uses far less water than blasting them for several minutes.

Don't forget floor and surface cleaning. Many teams are used to hosing down floors or using running water to rinse cloths repeatedly. Instead, focus on using designated buckets, mops, and microfiber cloths, changing water as needed rather than leaving taps open. Clear closing and deep-cleaning checklists can help standardize these habits so each shift uses water the same efficient way.

When you tighten up dishwashing and cleaning routines, you're not just saving water - you're also reducing hot water and energy use. That combination makes the dish area one of the fastest, most visible places to turn awareness into real savings.

Food Prep and Cooking

Food prep feels like an area where every drop of water is "necessary," but that's not always true. Prep sinks, washing, and thawing can quietly waste a lot of water, especially in busy kitchens where speed and habit drive behavior. The goal isn't to slow your team down. It's to replace leave it running habits with simple, repeatable steps that use less water and still keep food safe and clean.

Start with produce washing. A common pattern is to turn on the tap and rinse vegetables under running water one by one. This uses far more water than needed. Instead, train staff to fill the sink or a large container, wash produce in batches, and then do a quick final rinse if needed. Using a colander or perforated pan over the sink can also help - water is directed exactly where it's needed instead of splashing everywhere.

Next, address thawing practices. Using running water to thaw frozen items is not only wasteful, it can be hard to control from a food safety perspective if not managed carefully. Whenever possible, switch to thawing in the walk-in or reach-in cooler, with items moved from freezer to cooler a day in advance based on your prep list and sales forecast. For items that absolutely must be thawed faster, use a container and measured water with a timer, and make sure the tap is off between checks.

Prep sinks are another spot where water gets left on between tasks. Simple rules help - no unattended running water, use timers during soaking, and assign responsibility for checking that all taps are off before breaks and at shift change.

Finally, standardize your methods. Add water-saving steps to your prep sheets and training- how to wash leafy greens, how to soak starches, how to cool items without running water. When everyone follows the same process, water use becomes predictable, controllable, and much easier to reduce over time.

Restrooms

Restrooms may feel like a "guest area" you can't touch, but they can use a surprising amount of water. Toilets, urinals, and handwashing sinks can easily account for a noticeable share of your total usage, especially in high-traffic locations. When you multiply a slightly wasteful fixture by hundreds or thousands of flushes per week, the cost adds up quickly.

Start with the fixtures that move the most water - toilets and urinals. Older models can use several liters per flush, while newer low-flow or dual-flush options use far less. If replacement is in your budget, upgrading fixtures during a remodel or maintenance cycle can cut restroom water use by a large margin over time. If replacement isn't realistic right now, make sure existing units are working correctly - no running toilets, no weak flushes that require double-flushing, and no stuck handles. A single running toilet can waste thousands of liters in a short period.

Handwashing sinks are another easy win. Installing aerators on faucets reduces flow while still giving guests enough pressure to wash comfortably. Sensor faucets can help, but the settings matter - if they stay on too long or trigger too easily, they can waste water instead of saving it.

Signage can support your efforts, but keep the tone friendly, not preachy. Simple messages about helping the restaurant save water and protect resources often work better than long explanations.

Finally, include restrooms in your regular checks. Have managers or shift leaders listen for running toilets, check for drips, and make sure faucets shut off properly. These small habits, repeated daily, turn the restroom from a blind spot into a controlled part of your water use - without hurting the guest experience.

Ice Machines, Beverage Stations, and Bar

Ice machines, soda fountains, and bar sinks don't always look like big water users, but they can quietly move a lot of water every day. Because these systems run in the background and "just work," they often escape attention when owners look for savings. A bit of maintenance and a few small habit changes can make this area much more efficient.

Start with your ice machines. Some models, especially older water-cooled units, can use large amounts of water just for cooling. If you're planning a replacement, look for air-cooled, high-efficiency models and check the manufacturer's water use per kg/lb of ice. Over a year, a more efficient unit can save thousands of liters of water and reduce energy use too. For the machines you have now, regular cleaning and descaling helps them run efficiently so they don't waste water trying to make ice through buildup and blockages.

Next, review bar and beverage station habits. Glass rinsers, bar sinks, and dump sinks are often left running during busy service for convenience. Instead of leaving a light stream running "just in case," train staff to use short bursts and to shut water off between rounds. Make sure there are enough bus tubs and dump buckets so liquids aren't constantly rinsed down with running water.

Soda fountains and other beverage equipment can also have rinse or cleaning cycles that use more water than you realize. Check manufacturer guidelines and set cleaning schedules to what's recommended - no more, no less.

Finally, involve your bar and beverage leads in the process. Share how much water and money you're trying to save and ask for their ideas. When bartenders and barbacks help design the new habits and setups, they're more likely to use them consistently, turning the bar from a hidden water drain into a controlled, efficient area.

HVAC, Cooling, and Other "Invisible" Water Loads

Some of your most expensive water use never passes through a sink or toilet. It's hidden in HVAC systems, cooling equipment, and back-of-house lines that run quietly in the background. Because these systems are out of sight, they're easy to overlook - but leaks or inefficiencies here can drive your water bill up without any obvious signs in daily operations.

If your building uses cooling towers or evaporative condensers, they can consume significant amounts of water to keep the restaurant comfortable. When these systems aren't maintained, they can bleed off more water than necessary or run at inefficient settings. Work with your HVAC contractor to understand how your system uses water, whether cycles of concentration are set correctly, and if there are options to reduce blowdown or improve efficiency. Even small adjustments in these settings can translate into noticeable savings over a season.

Boilers, humidifiers, and some types of refrigeration can also be steady water users. Look for any equipment with a constant supply line and ask - "Does this actually need to be running this way?" Check for drips, overflows, or constantly wet areas near mechanical rooms, storage areas, and behind equipment. A slow, unnoticed leak in a mechanical space can waste more water than all the handwashing sinks combined.

Create a simple inspection routine for managers or maintenance staff -

- Walk mechanical rooms weekly and look for puddles or damp spots.
- Listen for running or hissing sounds that might indicate a leak or valve issue.
- Confirm that make-up water lines and float valves are working properly.

When it's time to replace or upgrade systems, ask vendors about water-efficient options and lifecycle operating costs - not just the upfront price. Over time, choosing equipment and settings that use less water helps stabilize your utility costs and reduces the risk of being surprised by "mystery" increases on your bill.

Turning Insights into Savings

Once you understand where your water is going, the next step is turning that knowledge into daily habits. Big savings don't come from one meeting or one equipment change - they come from small, consistent actions that your team can actually stick to. The aim is simple - make saving water part of "how we run this restaurant," not an extra project that gets dropped when it's busy.

Start by picking 3-5 priorities from the areas you've just reviewed - maybe dishwashing cycles, prep sink use, restroom leaks, and pre-rinse sprayers. Write them down as clear actions, such as - "Run dish machine only with full racks," or "No unattended running water at prep sinks." Avoid vague goals like use less water"; focus on specific behaviors that can be checked.

Next, create short checklists for managers and key stations -

1. Daily - Are all taps fully off at close? Any running toilets? Any obvious leaks?
2. Weekly - Walkthrough of dish area, bar, and restrooms to spot waste.
3. Monthly - Review water bill and compare usage to previous months.

Checklists keep standards from slipping, especially as staff members change. They also give managers something concrete to coach from instead of just reminding people "don't waste water."

Training doesn't need to be long. A five-minute huddle at pre-shift can be enough to highlight one water-saving practice and why it matters. Share simple numbers when you can - like how much a running toilet or half-empty dish cycle can cost in a month. When staff see that these changes protect hours, jobs, and bonuses by reducing waste, they're more likely to care.

Finally, track and celebrate progress. If you see a 5-10% drop in usage over a few months, share that win with the team. Post a small chart in the office or BOH, or give a shout-out to the dish or bar team when you hit a target. Turning data into visible wins helps build a culture where saving water is normal, expected, and good for everyone - your margins, your people, and your community.