Producing Environmental Solutions Inside and Outside the Office

SRT Consultants is a water resources and wastewater engineering firm delivering creative problem-solving for complex water resources challenges. SRT Consultants takes environmental problem solving to their workspace by integrating sustainable policies, conservation initiatives, and education of staff.

In the last two years, SRT Consultants has taken significant steps to create a green office space. to conserve water, they installed aerators in the kitchen and bathroom sinks that reduce the flow rate to less than 0.5 gallons per minute (gpm). SRT Consultants also lowered the amount of water given to their plants, installed a low-flow toilet, and began to track their water bills closer for waste or potential leaks. In order to increase energy efficiency, they replaced all their non-T-fluorescent bulbs with LED bulbs, purchased an ENERGY STAR printer, and began to use a small space heater as the sole source of heating in the winter, as well as two rotating fans instead of an AC system in the summer.

These simple actions not only resulted in a smaller carbon footprint, but also reduced their electric bill by $100-$300 a year. Additionally, inspired by what they saw on CoolCalifornia.org, they signed up for Arcadia Power’s Renewable Energy Certificate Program, making them 100 percent Clean Energy Powered!

SRT Consultants enforces policies to ensure the use of sustainable products and strives towards a zero-waste environment. They have adopted an Environmental Purchasing Policy, which requires that they purchase green alternatives for standard products whenever possible, like refillable printer cartridges, low toxic dish soap, Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool (EPEAT) certified computer equipment, low-emission building materials, and organic, local foods. Their Zero Waste Policy sets ground rules for the disposal of all solid waste, such as recycling, composting, and donating unwanted items. Their Commercial Printer Policy requires that they use at least 50 percent post-consumer recycled content and chlorine free paper, as well as low volatile organic compounds (VOC) or vegetable based ink.

SRT Consultants believes that facilitating a sustainable work environment increases their employees’ capacity for creativity and production. In a Green Employee Packet provided to all employees, they learn how SRT Consultants creates a green office space. There is also posted signage reminding employees to turn off lights and recycle. SRT Consultants recognizes that planning for sustainability is a collective, evolving process. Therefore, there are periodic bulletins sent to employees about environmental alerts, events, and new policies.

SRT Consultants is actively engaged in sustainability organizations in order to teach and learn from other companies. They attained San Francisco Bay Area Green Business Certification in 2014. They also attend PG&E educational events that promote sustainable business practices and are recognized as an EPA Green Power Partner. Lastly, SRT Consultants is very involved with many environmental groups including but not limited to American Water Works Association, and Water For People. Water For People is an organization that seeks to provide disadvantaged international communities with the proper infrastructure to access clean and drinkable water.