Water is commonly treated as if it were limitless: it flows from the tap, vanishes down the drain, and is an often overlooked part of lab sustainability. But water is a finite resource, and it’s one we must manage much more efficiently if we want to safeguard it for the future.
Also, water isn’t free. Every drop has already traveled on a long journey before arriving in the lab. It’s treated, transported, and stored, and then treated again before being returned to the environment. This process carries both a significant energy and carbon footprint cost.
A typical lab in the United States can use up to five times more potable water than a comparable commercial building. From autoclaves and glassware washers to cooling systems and purified water production, labs demand an extraordinary amount of water to keep their research moving forward.
The good news? Just as with energy efficiency, water efficiency in the lab is more than possible. By making thoughtful equipment choices, maintaining systems, and adopting best practices, researchers and facility teams can dramatically reduce water waste without compromising science. Below are 10 practical, high-impact actions you can take (starting today!) to conserve water in your lab.
1. Retrofit Autoclaves to Cut Water Use by Up to 90%
Autoclaves use a lot of water to sterilize equipment, reagents, and hazardous waste in labs. Some autoclaves, like small benchtop autoclaves, don’t use a great deal of water, but steam jacketed autoclaves are often the single largest water consumers in a lab. They require water both to generate steam for sterilization and to cool that steam before it’s discharged into pipes.
Without intervention, this process can consume as much as 60 gallons of water per cycle, and for autoclaves over 10 years old, it’s up to 90 gallons per cycle. Retrofitting steam jacketed autoclaves with water-saving devices helps capture steam in a closed container while using sensors to regulate how much water is actually needed for cooling. These devices can reduce water use by 75–90%, making them one of the most effective upgrades you can make.
2. Upgrade to High-Efficiency Autoclaves for Sustainable Sterilization
If your lab is ready to purchase new equipment, modern research-grade autoclaves without steam jackets can cut water use by up to 93% compared with traditional models (manufacturer specs, My Green Lab). Upgrading older units offers long-term savings and improves overall lab sustainability.
3. Install Low-Flow Aerators and Fix Leaks to Save Water in Labs
This small, inexpensive fix can save enormous amounts of water. Low-flow aerators screw onto the end of faucets and reduce flow from 4.0 gallons per minute to less than 1.5 gallons per minute without sacrificing water pressure. A UC San Diego study (2017-2018) found that installing aerators across multiple campus labs saved 926,000 gallons of potable water annually.
Equally important is catching leaks: a single faucet dripping once per second wastes over 3,000 gallons annually, enough water for 180 showers (according to the U.S. EPA). You can prevent this by regularly checking for leaks on faucets, autoclaves, and water-cooled equipment, and reporting them quickly when they happen.
4. Eliminate Single-Pass Cooling and Switch to Closed-Loop Systems
Single-pass cooling, where water is used once to cool equipment or reactions and then sent straight to the drain, is highly wasteful and can pose lab hazards.
Instead of running water continuously to cool a reaction, switch to a closed-loop water system, or use a recirculating water bath. Even a small DIY system made from an ice bucket and an aquarium pump can save thousands of gallons and achieve similar efficiency.
Efficiency on a budget is still efficiency! Find a closed loop option for fume hoods here.
Ice machines deserve special attention too, and best practices for ice machines are similar to those for single-pass cooling. Replacing a water-cooled ice machine with an air-cooled model saves 100% of cooling water, preventing the loss of an estimated 47,450 gallons per year. As a bonus, if ice machines can also be connected to a building’s chilled water loop, generating even greater efficiency.
5. Run Autoclaves and Glassware Washers Only with Full Loads
Just as you wouldn’t run a dishwasher at home half empty, lab autoclaves and glassware washers should only be run when full. By making it standard practice to wait until machines are fully loaded, labs can save a good deal of water while saving on energy use at the same time.
6. Use Ultrapure and Purified Water Only When Necessary
Purified water, whether deionized, distilled, or ultrapure, requires significant amounts of input water to produce. On average, it takes 3 liters of water to create just 1 liter of deionized water.
To conserve, only use ultrapure water when essential. For example, many labs rinse glassware with ultrapure water when Type II water would suffice, wasting both water and energy. Always take only what’s needed.
7. Don’t Let Taps Run Unattended
It’s common to start filling a container or rinsing glassware and then walk away, but those unattended minutes can lead to unnecessary overflow. Always stay nearby when water is running.
To further improve efficiency, consider installing timed water valves that automatically shut off after a set period, or foot pedals that allow water to flow only when needed. These solutions help eliminate the habit of “just letting it run.”
8. Replace Water Aspirators with Vacuum Pumps for Zero-Water Use
Water vacuum aspirators can consume over 2 gallons of water per minute, which translates to over 60,000 gallons of water annually if run for just two hours each day. That’s more water than 750 people use in an entire year! Vacuum pumps use no water and provide greater control and better performance, making them a safer alternative for the environment.
9. Maintain Lab Equipment Regularly to Improve Water Efficiency
Regular maintenance is one of the most crucially important aspects of lab sustainability. Equipment performance drifts over time, and small inefficiencies multiply into major waste. Partner with facilities management (FM) to check for leaks, confirm that flow rates are set to the lowest possible value that is appropriate for the equipment you’re using, and verify that water-using equipment is operating within specifications. For example, if a manufacturer specifies a flow rate of 2–4 gallons per minute (gpm), ensure the control valve is adjusted closer to 2 gpm instead of 4. These routine checks can quietly prevent water waste.
10. Build a Water-Saving Culture Through Training and Reminders
Sustainability succeeds when its efforts become part of the daily routine. Encourage your team to treat water as the precious resource it is. Share tips in lab meetings, post reminders near sinks, and celebrate reductions.
By embedding conservation into the lab culture, small behavioral changes, like closing taps, reporting leaks, and choosing the right equipment, create a lasting impact over time.