final_sustainability_plan_mwaa_sep_2020signed | Page 48

examples of other airports adding water collection infrastructure to a new construction project ( i . e ., a parking garage ) when costs are lower , and channeling this rainwater to nearby bathroom facilities ( water closets and urinals ). Virginia code allows for and encourages the use of rainwater harvesting for non-potable water uses . 42 As a result , there may be opportunities for us to learn from other large enterprises in the state that are implementing rainwater harvesting strategies . The potential for rain and stormwater harvesting will also be addressed in the updated Design Manual so that opportunities for such systems will at a minimum be considered at the outset of the planning and design phase for any new construction .
Other Simple , Low-Cost and Effective Ways to Reduce Water Use
Our concessionaires and partners at the airport are often the people closest to the day-to-day operations of our facilities , and we can benefit from this on-the-ground experience . For example , the company that processes our fryer oil and grease traps , B & P Environmental One , made the observation in the concessionaire focus group session that when the screens on the fryer oil bins are not cleaned , fryer oil spills on the ground adjacent to the exterior tank . As a result , cleaning crews then use water and cleaning chemicals to clean up the spilled oil , potentially leaving residual chemicals that could travel with rainwater to our local watershed . By updating training and following a regular cleaning schedule for the bin screens , not only can B & P capture more fryer oil to sell for reuse , we also reduce water consumption , along with time and effort of our staff . Based on this focus group session , we plan to evaluate a system whereby concessionaires and other airport partners can easily communicate with us to share their ideas for more sustainable practices . Other major airports have successfully used similar communications systems . As with the fryer oil screens , we believe that many of our partners will also have simple but effective ideas that can potentially add up to material reductions in water usage as well as lower energy consumption and better waste stream management .
Summary
Between our two airports , we consume nearly 500,000,000 gallons of water each year . By 2035 , we could be consuming as much as 750,000,000 gallons . Implementing creative ways to reduce our water consumption in a financially responsible manner is challenging given the low cost of water . However , through more stringent standards in the Design Manual , outreach to tenants , and a more concerted effort on our part to lower water use in our operations , we believe we can make material improvements in our water metrics on a per-passenger basis going forward .
42 See Code of Virginia , § 32.1-248.2 . “ Use of rainwater and reuse of gray water ; regulations .” https :// law . lis . virginia . gov / vacode / title32.1 / chapter6 / section32.1-248.2 / ( Accessed June 10 , 2020 ).
47