Tag Archives: Company announcements

Saving water in L.A., one leaky toilet at a time

In water-scarce regions like California, every last drop counts. Yet millions of gallons of water are lost every year to a common, yet easily preventable, cause of water waste: leaky toilets.

That's why we recently co-funded a pilot project to install water-saving technology in three multi-family buildings in Los Angeles. The tech takes aim at common leaks, like toilets that keep running water when not in use, which can add up over time. The pilot is on track to save 6.4 million gallons of water a year in the L.A. watershed where we operate, supporting our commitment to replenish 120% of the water we consume, on average, across our offices and data centers by 2030.

The pilot came together with partners from the California Water Action Collaborative (CWAC), a water stewardship network of over 25 organizations — including private companies like Google alongside environmental NGOs and nonprofits — that are committed to improving water security across the state.

Here's a look at how this project is saving water, money and energy, and at the potential for collective action models to make meaningful progress on rising water challenges.

Saving water, money and energy

The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power estimates that the average household loses up to 10,000 gallons of water every year to leaky toilets that go unnoticed. The good news is that while leaky toilets can be hard to detect, they’re easy to fix.

For the pilot project, CWAC members Pacific Institute and Bonneville Environmental Foundation tackled this challenge in three low-income multi-family housing buildings operated by nonprofit organizations, working alongside the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California and other local water utilities. Toilets in these buildings were equipped with small, low-cost, low-power sensors developed by Sensor Industries. When a toilet leaks, the sensors alert building management in real time that a toilet needs to be repaired. The fix is usually as simple as readjusting or replacing the toilet flapper.

This simple intervention resulted in serious savings of water, money and energy, according to estimates from the nonprofit Pacific Institute:

  • Water: The pilots are reducing building water use by an estimated 15% to 25%. The expected savings of 6.4 million gallons of water per year is equivalent to the total annual water use of about 40 single-family homes. Those savings extend to other customers who get their water from the same public utility, reducing water demand — and improving water reliability and affordability — across the system.
  • Cost: The water savings translate into cost savings on water and wastewater bills of the same 15% to 25%, amounting to tens of thousands of dollars a year. The nonprofit building operators who pay the water bills could use these savings to make building improvements, in effect passing the savings along to residents.
  • Energy: Southern California imports much of its water from hundreds of miles away, and it takes a lot of energy to pump this water over the mountains surrounding the L.A. Basin and treat it for household use. By reducing the demand for that water, the project cuts back on the energy and associated greenhouse gas emissions embedded in the water system.

Pacific Institute points to several other advantages of this approach. Residents don’t have to do anything — the non-invasive system detects problems and notifies the building. Facility managers can see the likely reason for the leak (such as a stuck flapper), which helps them fix it faster. The nonprofit building operators can focus on more urgent issues and reduce time spent tracking down leaks.

Bringing the solution to more cities

Taking this pilot to other places has always been a goal, and that expansion effort is now underway. We’re funding work to bring this solution to a 225-unit building in San Francisco that shares a watershed with our local offices. Here we expect to save a little over 1 million gallons of water a year, based on the savings found in L.A.

In New York City, we’re exploring this approach in a building a few miles from our main local campus, and here too we expect to save roughly 1 million gallons of water a year. While this region is not currently in a drought, we expect the system to save significant amounts of energy, as New York City imports its water from far away. Additionally, this project can help reduce pressure on New York’s combined waste- and stormwater system, which can overflow into clean waterways during heavy storms.

In the face of difficult decisions around water resources and scarcity, it’s not easy to find meaningful wins that everyone can get behind. The pilots represent a solution that local utilities anywhere can adopt with the right partners.

Looking ahead, we’ll continue to support collective action around watershed health in the communities where we operate. A healthy, resilient water system takes all of us.

Related Article

Our commitment to water stewardship

We’re committing to replenish 120% of the water we consume, on average, by 2030 and supporting water security in areas where we operate.

Read Article

Saving water in L.A., one leaky toilet at a time

In water-scarce regions like California, every last drop counts. Yet millions of gallons of water are lost every year to a common, yet easily preventable, cause of water waste: leaky toilets.

That's why we recently co-funded a pilot project to install water-saving technology in three multi-family buildings in Los Angeles. The tech takes aim at common leaks, like toilets that keep running water when not in use, which can add up over time. The pilot is on track to save 6.4 million gallons of water a year in the L.A. watershed where we operate, supporting our commitment to replenish 120% of the water we consume, on average, across our offices and data centers by 2030.

The pilot came together with partners from the California Water Action Collaborative (CWAC), a water stewardship network of over 25 organizations — including private companies like Google alongside environmental NGOs and nonprofits — that are committed to improving water security across the state.

Here's a look at how this project is saving water, money and energy, and at the potential for collective action models to make meaningful progress on rising water challenges.

Saving water, money and energy

The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power estimates that the average household loses up to 10,000 gallons of water every year to leaky toilets that go unnoticed. The good news is that while leaky toilets can be hard to detect, they’re easy to fix.

For the pilot project, CWAC members Pacific Institute and Bonneville Environmental Foundation tackled this challenge in three low-income multi-family housing buildings operated by nonprofit organizations, working alongside the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California and other local water utilities. Toilets in these buildings were equipped with small, low-cost, low-power sensors developed by Sensor Industries. When a toilet leaks, the sensors alert building management in real time that a toilet needs to be repaired. The fix is usually as simple as readjusting or replacing the toilet flapper.

This simple intervention resulted in serious savings of water, money and energy, according to estimates from the nonprofit Pacific Institute:

  • Water: The pilots are reducing building water use by an estimated 15% to 25%. The expected savings of 6.4 million gallons of water per year is equivalent to the total annual water use of about 40 single-family homes. Those savings extend to other customers who get their water from the same public utility, reducing water demand — and improving water reliability and affordability — across the system.
  • Cost: The water savings translate into cost savings on water and wastewater bills of the same 15% to 25%, amounting to tens of thousands of dollars a year. The nonprofit building operators who pay the water bills could use these savings to make building improvements, in effect passing the savings along to residents.
  • Energy: Southern California imports much of its water from hundreds of miles away, and it takes a lot of energy to pump this water over the mountains surrounding the L.A. Basin and treat it for household use. By reducing the demand for that water, the project cuts back on the energy and associated greenhouse gas emissions embedded in the water system.

Pacific Institute points to several other advantages of this approach. Residents don’t have to do anything — the non-invasive system detects problems and notifies the building. Facility managers can see the likely reason for the leak (such as a stuck flapper), which helps them fix it faster. The nonprofit building operators can focus on more urgent issues and reduce time spent tracking down leaks.

Bringing the solution to more cities

Taking this pilot to other places has always been a goal, and that expansion effort is now underway. We’re funding work to bring this solution to a 225-unit building in San Francisco that shares a watershed with our local offices. Here we expect to save a little over 1 million gallons of water a year, based on the savings found in L.A.

In New York City, we’re exploring this approach in a building a few miles from our main local campus, and here too we expect to save roughly 1 million gallons of water a year. While this region is not currently in a drought, we expect the system to save significant amounts of energy, as New York City imports its water from far away. Additionally, this project can help reduce pressure on New York’s combined waste- and stormwater system, which can overflow into clean waterways during heavy storms.

In the face of difficult decisions around water resources and scarcity, it’s not easy to find meaningful wins that everyone can get behind. The pilots represent a solution that local utilities anywhere can adopt with the right partners.

Looking ahead, we’ll continue to support collective action around watershed health in the communities where we operate. A healthy, resilient water system takes all of us.

Related Article

Our commitment to water stewardship

We’re committing to replenish 120% of the water we consume, on average, by 2030 and supporting water security in areas where we operate.

Read Article

Google’s new Viger office is an homage to Montréal

Google first laid down roots in Québec in 2004, when three engineers worked out of shared coworking spaces no larger than vestibules — including me, I’m employee number five in Montréal! Over the years Google expanded. For many years, we called McGill College home, and it became a place where team members shared milestones, forged community and built software that touches the lives of so many in Québec and around the globe.

Today, we’re proud to continue our commitment as we enter a new frontier for Google in Québec, by celebrating the official opening of Google Montréal Viger. Viger is a sustainability-focused office located in downtown Montréal, on the periphery of the city’s beloved Old Port. We’re also announcing $2.75 million towards Québec’s tech ecosystem and digital skills training.

The new office is home to a variety of teams that work on some of the most crucial products and services Google offers worldwide, including cybersecurity, AI research, Chrome and Cloud.

Explore Google Montréal’s Viger space

Montréal is often referred to as a medley of neighbourhoods, each with its own distinct identity. The retrofitted historical building pays homage to Montréal by reflecting the essence of five of the city’s most beloved neighbourhoods — Little Italy, Le Village, Le Plateau, Chinatown and Old Port. Every inch of the office celebrates the spirit of this vibrant city from the Farine Five Roses style Google Montréal sign when you enter the lobby, to the playful nods, traditional elements and architectural detailing of historic neighborhoods like Chinatown's flock and damask, Little Italy's artisan markets, Old Port's industrial roots, and Le Village's festive spirit.

interior image of cafeteria

The building is equipped with the latest LEED Gold sustainability standards, and includes enhanced ventilation that helps conserve energy and sustainably sourced furniture and materials. Throughout the space you can discover carefully curated art from Québec artists, which aims to inspire employees and strengthen connections that Google maintains with local makers. Some of the artists featured include Nadia Myre, a Montréal-based member of the Kitigan Zibi Anishinabeg First Nation, and Bryan Beyung, a street artist and painter born in Montréal into a Chinese-Cambodian refugee family.

To acknowledge Indigenous connection and stewardship to the land where Google Montréal exists, and to help remind Google team members of this history, we named many of our meeting rooms after local tree species in the Kanienʼkéha (Mohawk) language. The name selection process was conducted in consultation with the nearby Mohawk community of Kahnawake. A native Kanienʼkéha speaker helped ensure spellings were correct, and traditions and cultural practices were respected.

interior area with couches and chairs

Supporting Québec’s tech ecosystem

Today, we are also excited to announce a commitment to Québec’s tech ecosystem of over $2.75 million. This funding will support curiosity-driven research that tackles some of the most important 21st century challenges and catalyze Québec’s future digital builders and innovators:

  • Google Canada is committed to pushing the boundaries of deep learning research and is renewing its collaboration with Mila by providing a $1.5M grant for 2023. The funding will help support fundamental AI research projects in areas like AI for Humanity, climate change and sustainable agriculture. Support will also be provided to increase successful participation of students and faculty from underrepresented groups in computing research careers.

Google.org Support:

  • To create new opportunities for students across Québec looking to build digital skills, Google.org is providing a grant to Digital Moment (formerly Kids Code Jeunesse) to help their organization launch The Quebec Digital Literacy Project, a program aimed to equip teachers & students in grades 3-12 with digital skills.
  • To help job seekers in Québec gain the technical and digital skills required in the current job market, Google is now offering the Project Management and IT Support Google Career Certificates in French. The courses will be available to the public on Coursera, a global online learning platform. Google.org will also provide a grant to NPower Canada to deliver the Google Career Certificates in Québec. NPower Canada will offer need-based scholarships to the programs that will be distributed through local workforce development nonprofitsLa Maison de l’Amitié and AIM CROIT.
  • Google and Google.org are providing additional support to local Québec organizations, like Startup Montreal, Pathways to Education, E2 Adventures, UpstartED, AI4Good Lab and Resilience Montréal. These organizations work to tackle digital skilling, fostering startup communities, STEM education, job training and often support some of Québec’s most underrepresented communities.

For over 16 years, I’ve watched our team in Québec grow and work on some of Google’s most beloved products. Today, I’m proud to continue this journey and expand our commitment to Québec’s tech ecosystem. I look forward to what the next 20 years brings.

Our new office is a love letter to Atlanta

Google has been a part of Atlanta for more than 20 years. There are more than 1,000 full-time Google employees in Georgia — in two offices in Atlanta and a data center in Douglas County — helping to build and support our products, and help our partners and customers across the South and nationally.

We recently opened our doors to the newest office space in Midtown Atlanta at the 1105 West Peachtree building. This new Google office encompasses 19 floors spanning 500,000 square feet, and is a part of our broader investment in local communities across the U.S.

Atlanta has a rich civil rights history and is home to top Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and tech talent. Continuing our long-term investment here will help support our Black Googler community in Atlanta, in line with our racial equity commitments.

Inspired by the city’s legacy for social change, our office was designed as an homage to the people of Atlanta, with each floor an ode to Atlanta’s cultural, musical and artistic history. We worked with more than 50 local and diverse companies to design and build the new space, including artwork from more than 20 local artists.

A giant heart outlining the Google Atlanta sign greets you in the lobby. One of the staircases features a rainbow design — in support and celebration of the LGBTQ+ community — inspired by the city’s nearby rainbow crosswalks. The WERD Cafe, our Googler cafeteria, is named for the first Black-owned and programmed U.S. radio station.

  • The lobby is decorated with warm vibrant colors and a relaxed sitting area with music memorabilia, a record player and a boombox.

    The ATL office lobby greets you with a mix of fun design and an emphasis on music. From record players to boomboxes, it’s a reflection of Atlanta’s musical history.

  • A rainbow internal staircase connects the floors.

    An internal rainbow staircase supports and celebrates the LGBTQ+ community, which is inspired by the city’s nearby crosswalks in Midtown Atlanta.

  • An art installation of cassette tapes shaped into a “G”

    This cassette wall was furnished by Atlanta Googlers, and pays homage to Atlanta’s culture, musical and artistic history.

  • A coffee bar with espresso machines located inside a cafeteria

    The WERD Cafe & Coffee Bar serves as the breakfast and lunch area for Googlers, and is named after the first black owned and operated radio station in Atlanta.

  • A Googler community area, decorated with Georgia peaches, a couch and additional seating

    Throughout the office, Googlers will find communal seating areas to promote collaboration, self-care and community.

Our commitment to Atlanta extends far beyond the walls of our new office. In 2021, Google products helped provide $13.21 billion of economic activity for tens of thousands of Georgia businesses, nonprofits, publishers, creators and developers.

Today, we’re announcing a $1 million commitment to the Urban League of Atlanta to support their work in training underserved communities throughout Georgia. This grant will help jobseekers get digital skills training and place them in high-growth jobs.

On top of this, to bring equitable opportunities to more Georgians, we’re partnering with local community organizations and universities. We’re working with HBCUs like Clark Atlanta University and Spelman College to attract top talent, and partnering with the Technical College System of Georgia to offer Google Career Certificates to 22 colleges across the state at no cost.

Lastly, we are partnering with Mayor Andre Dickens and the Atlanta BeltLine to launch the Atlanta BeltLine Marketplace, an effort to help local Black, Latino and women-owned small businesses reach new customers by retrofitting rail cars into office spaces. We’re providing Wi-Fi for the rail containers, a complete suite of Google Nest products, Chromebooks and free digital skills training.

We look forward to continuing to support and partner with our customers, employees and local communities in Atlanta for years to come.