Success Stories

On-Demand Water Heater First Step in Series of 'Green' Changes

When the time came for Mary Jo Beniger to replace the plumbing in her restaurant, Osteria Nonna Maria, she asked her plumber to install an energy-efficient water system. But finding the right system for the circa-1800 building wasn't easy. Plus, in chilly Sheboygan, Wis., the restaurant needed a system that could heat water from 38 degrees to 185 degrees Fahrenheit in seconds.

After a year of researching, Beniger decided to install tankless water heaters on both floors of the restaurant. Although it was more expensive than traditional systems with hot-water tanks, the investment resulted in water, money and energy savings. Plus, it has a 25-to-30-year life expectancy, compared to 13 years for hot-water tanks, Beniger says.

"Putting in an on-demand hot water heater is an incredible money and energy saver," says Beniger. "You get your investment back. Mine is paying for itself."

The start of a trend

Once Beniger switched to the energy-efficient water-heating system, she started making other "green" changes at Osteria Nonna Maria.

The restaurant also has low-flush toilets bought second-hand from a local recycling center, and it uses low-flow pressure nozzles on faucets.

Thanks to those water-conservation measures, Nonna Maria's water usage -- and water bills -- are less than half of what they used to be.

"Water in the restaurant business is a necessity," Beniger says. "We don't want to waste it."

Conservation commitment

Guests rave about Nonna Maria's Sicilian-style dishes prepared from family recipes handed down from generation to generation. Beniger attributes the taste to fresh herbs and tomatoes, peppers, zucchini and cucumbers she grows in her yard -- another sign of the restaurant's eco-friendly philosophy.

The restaurant also composts food, uses a low-paper point-of-sale system and recycles. And its "new" six-burner stove actually is previously used.

And that 200-year-old building? In recent remodeling projects, workers removed unused plumping pipes, replaced thin, aging walls, added insulation, installed a new roof and replaced worn flooring with reclaimed wood from the beams of a factory where Beniger's grandfather worked. Beniger's husband Bill made moldings from dunnage wood recovered from a construction project he had worked on.

It's all part of the restaurant's commitment to conservation. As a result, its efforts to save energy and resources have dramatically reduced the restaurant's water and gas bills as well as operational costs.

"Being a good environmental citizen means conserving wherever we can," Beniger says.

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