Building Owners and Managers Association International

The Water & Waste (W²) Challenge

The W² Challenge is a two-year initiative to support commercial real estate practitioners in benchmarking water and waste consumption and associated costs, and implementing best practices to improve performance. With the support of a generous grant from Yardi, and in partnership with the BOMA Local Associations, BOMA International is proud to offer this Challenge that expands the sustainability efforts of the commercial real estate industry. The program runs from January 1, 2018 to December 31, 2019, and participants will be eligible for recognition for their leadership from BOMA International. Year 1 will establish a baseline and Year 2 will promote performance improvements.

New!

Two new water and waste resources are now available to help you create action plans and establish sustainability goals. These improvement guides can help facilitate necessary conversations to identify what your facility is already doing and address which areas need additional attention. Each guide includes a checklist representing the latest best practices and innovative ideas.

• Water Conservation Improvement Guide
• Waste Management Improvement Guide

Getting Started

• Sign-Up Form - Once you've committed to the Challenge, we'll make sure you receive program alerts and all of the Challenge's tips, tools and resources.
• Account Sharing Instructions - After signing up, participants can follow these simple instructions to share your Portfolio Manager^® account with the Challenge.
• Year One Recap: In this BOMA Magazine article, get a summary of where the Challenge stands after the first year of this two-year initiative.

Join The Water & Waste Challenge

Benchmarking Assistance

• Waste Management Webinar – “Waste Management Solutions and Opportunities for Your Property” - Representatives from EPA’s WasteWise program offer trends and best practices for managing waste at your facility, and then hear about a case study of one property with an innovative strategy for engaging tenants on waste management and recycling.
• Waste Data Webinar – “Solutions for Better Waste Data and Management” - Explore the impact that waste and materials management has on your bottom line, and learn about new technologies that can solve the often-difficult challenge of getting access to waste data.
• Kickoff Recording - Learn the basics of the Challenge and get an in-depth tutorial on how to benchmark water and waste using Portfolio Manager.
• Water Efficiency Webinar - “Every Drop Counts: Water Efficiency Solutions for Your Property”
  This is the first in a series of webinars that provide insights and best practices to help properties improve their performance. From tracking water through Portfolio Manager to no- and low-cost solutions, learn how to achieve significant water savings from industry experts.
• Portfolio Manager Benchmarking FAQs: Water
• Portfolio Manager Benchmarking FAQs: Waste
• Technical Assistance -- If you run into any technical issues with benchmarking, you can submit a question through the Portfolio Manager's Ask a Question feature and receive a response from an ENERGY STAR expert.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why Participate?

Participation in W² will allow you to:

• Better understand and track how your building consumes water and manages waste
• Compare your performance to your peers
• Identify opportunities for improvement
• Receive training and guidance on how to improve water and waste management practices
• Reduce operating costs
• Earn recognition for being an industry leader in benchmarking and performance improvements

Who Can Participate?

• Any real estate practitioner who owns and/or operates one or more buildings
• You don't need to be a BOMA member, and all building sectors are welcome

How Do I Participate?

• Sign up
• You don't need to be a BOMA member, and all building sectors are welcome
• Enter water and waste consumption and cost data into Portfolio Manager at least quarterly.

Join The Water & Waste Challenge

What Recognition Can I Earn?

• All participants will be recognized for accepting the Challenge
• Buildings and portfolios that show any improvement in water and/or waste performance will receive recognition at a future BOMA International Conference & Expo
• Selected success stories will be featured in BOMA publications
• Participants are encouraged to use the Challenge logo and related materials to publicize their participation

CONTACT

Ken Rosenfeld
Director of State and Local Affairs
krosenfeld@boma.org