Category: Plumbing

Safer Water Management for Heathier Elder Communities—Part II

Editor’s note: This is the second article in a two-part series. The first article is available here. Part I of this series covered water management regulations and infection prevention at senior living communities, assisted living facilities, and nursing homes. In addition to controlling pathogens and reducing the risk of infections in showers and other points-of-use, […]

Safer Water Management for Heathier Elder Communities—Part I

Editor’s note: This is the first article is a two-part series. The second article is available here. Few environments house more medically vulnerable individuals than senior living communities, assisted living facilities, and nursing homes. Across the United States, approximately 32,000 assisted living communities provide housing and supportive services for an estimated 1.3 million residents. Facilities […]

Top 8 Tips for Commercial Restroom Renovations

A commercial restroom renovation can improve water efficiency, reduce maintenance, increase durability, support accessibility, and create a better experience for building occupants—especially when upgrades involve multiple restrooms. When one large office building planned renovations for 30 restrooms, the facilities manager consulted Klaus Reichardt, CEO and founder of Waterless Co. Inc., for recommendations on making the […]

Lowe’s Foundation Launches Cross-Sector Skilled Trades Coalition

As the U.S. faces a historic skilled trades labor shortage, the Lowe’s Foundation has announced the Building Futures Skilled Trades Coalition to help train and develop 1 million people for skilled trades careers by 2035. The national alliance is backed by over 75 American educators, businesses, workforce organizations, industry vendors, and stakeholders across the skilled […]

Under Construction: Top Facility Projects of July 2026

Facilities Management Advisor’s “Under Construction” series highlights some of the latest, most interesting facility project announcements every month. New Life for Vacant Office Return-to-work mandates and other factors have helped the office market rebound post-COVID, but there still remains a lot of unused or underutilized office space across the country. To revive vacant properties, many […]

What 9 Million Service Requests Say About Facilities Management

Some building owners and tenants view facilities managers as people who handle unexpected problems. But in many cases, the problems FMs face are predictable. The evidence: an analysis of 9 million service requests from 2024 and 2025, which revealed common patterns across geographies, building classes, and building types—patterns that may remove the element of surprise and […]

Drought in the United States: How Facilities Managers and Tenants Should Respond

With so many pressing challenges facing the world today, the worsening drought crisis in the United States deserves far more attention. As of late May 2026, more than half the country was experiencing drought conditions. Data shows that roughly 51% of the United States, including Puerto Rico, and about 61% of the contiguous forty-eight states […]

When Your Hot Water System No Longer Matches the Building’s Needs

Before a new commercial building is commissioned, there is typically a lot of thought that goes into hot water demands. Water heating systems are designed to accommodate the building’s projected usage patterns, taking into account factors like occupancy and fixture counts. Such planning is foundational, yet it may be insufficient for meeting the building’s needs […]

Earth Day Tips for Making Facilities More Sustainable

Earth Day is a good reminder that facilities managers play an important role in managing environmental impact. Daily operational decisions can shape how sustainable a building is. Managers can use this holiday to develop a clear and practical plan to improve energy efficiency and support long-term environmental goals. Conduct a Facility-Wide Energy Audit An energy […]

Skilled Trades Labor Shortage Reaches ‘Critical Inflection Point’

As the United States grapples with aging building stock and the need for infrastructure modernization, a critical workforce challenge threatens the commercial real estate sector’s ability to maintain, modernize, and operate the built environment. JLL’s latest skilled trades talent research reveals that by 2030, an estimated 2.1 million skilled trades positions for electricians, HVAC technicians, […]