The Harvard Faculty Club is well known for its regal décor and sumptuous meals. Step beyond the swinging doors into the kitchen, and you’ll find a staff dedicated to delivering excellence and quality with a high degree of efficiency.
The Faculty Club kitchen has implemented many sustainable measures, from menus that showcase local produce to staff members who habitually turn off lights and equipment when not in use.
In Spring of 2008, the kitchen staff enthusiastically embraced new ways to conserve water. Four high efficiency pre-rinse spray valves and six super-efficient faucet aerators were put to the test on the job, and are now installed for full time use.
Pre-rinse spray valves are used to loosen food from large pots and large pans before washing. Standard valves use 2.5 gallons per minute (GPM) of hot water, whereas the new spray valves use only 0.95 GPM. Staff report that the new spray valves perform as well as or better than previous models.
Kitchen staff wash their hands several times per shift to maintain the highest degree of health and safety. The new faucet aerators are engineered to use only 0.37 GPM, compared to the standard 2.2 GPM.
These water efficiency upgrades are expected to save a total of 136,015 gallons of water and $3,869 annually. The Harvard Faculty Club and Harvard Real Estate Services partnered with the Harvard Green Campus Initiative to implement the project.
