What Can You Do

Apartment Owners and Managers

Apartment Developers

Water/Energy Conservationists

Concerned Constituents

Municipalities
As a municipal leader, your role presents a unique opportunity to influence and encourage certain building practices. Encouraging the implementation of common-area laundry rooms in multifamily properties is such a practice that your municipality can benefit through:

• Additional Revenue - A revenue stream as a result of instituted water supply and water drainage impact fees. This revenue can be used towards mandated water infrastructure improvements imposed by the government’s passage of the recent Water Acts.

• Water/Energy Conservation - Immense water and energy conservation opportunities. Common-area laundry rooms save an average of 8,200 gallons of water per year for each apartment unit. Energy savings are also significant as in-unit laundry facilities utilize 5 times more energy than common area laundry equipment.

• Green Status - Achieving a green status for your municipality. This green status is earned through various industry organizations by demonstrating environmentally sound practices such as establishing a program that encourages common-area laundry rooms.

As an influential leader, there are many ways to encourage construction of common-area laundry rooms to developers, managers and owners of multifamily properties such as:

• Property Tax Breaks – New multifamily properties that include common-area laundry rooms rather than in-unit facilities would receive a property tax break. Existing properties that already have common-area laundry rooms would also receive this break. Any property that eliminates their common area laundry rooms would not longer be eligible for the program.

• Reduced Tap Fees – For new construction or remodeling properties that include a common-area laundry room, reduced tap fee schedules for both water and sewer connections could be implemented.

• Financial Incentives – Properties providing common-area laundry facilities could receive a rebate or incentive, on a sliding scale based on how many "green" initiatives are included in a housing project.

• Utility Savings – Customers who demonstrate that they have common-area laundry rooms would receive discounted rates for water, sewer, gas and electricity.

• Penalty Fees – New properties that include in-unit connections and/or exclude common-area laundry rooms could be penalized in the form of higher building permit fees or refusal of permit.

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