Water and energy management for jails and detention centers that never close
Correctional facility water and energy management means measuring a jail that runs around the clock, from cell plumbing, showers, kitchens and laundry to air handlers and boilers. Aqueduct balances water per housing unit, baselines energy against weather and population, flags floods, leaks and drifting plant, routes fixes to your maintenance team, and verifies each saving at the meter, without touching security systems.
Why jails are among a county's costliest buildings to run
Water use that never stops
Showers, cell fixtures, kitchens and laundry run around the clock, so a leak or a stuck valve runs around the clock too.
Floods and fixture misuse
Cell fixtures can be flushed repeatedly or blocked, flooding a housing unit before staff can respond.
Plant that cannot be switched off
Air handlers and boilers serve occupied housing units continuously, so drift and faults cost money every hour.
Maintenance behind secure doors
Every repair needs escorts and scheduling, so the crew has to know exactly where to go before it goes.
What Aqueduct measures in a detention facility
| Area | Measured | What Aqueduct derives |
|---|---|---|
| Housing units | Water per unit or pod, flow by time of day, plumbing controller data where fitted | Water per occupant, flood events, continuous flow at night |
| Kitchen | Water, hot water, gas and refrigeration power | Use per meal served where counts are shared, walk-in cooler excursions |
| Laundry | Water, hot water, gas or steam, dryer power | Use per load or per shift, hot water heater performance |
| HVAC and boilers | Air handler states, supply and return temperatures, boiler fuel, chiller power | Faults, setpoint drift and plant efficiency against weather |
What the numbers say.
per person per day is the normal water use rate Virginia’s prison system plans around; above 130 is excessive.
Source: Virginia DOC, OP 302.3a day from two 21 gallon showers per person at a 1,200 person institution.
Source: Virginia DOC, OP 302.3of US local jails are operated by counties.
Source: NACo, 2025Sources2 references cited on this page
Related
Common questions
Start by metering water per housing unit, kitchen and laundry, then compare each against its own baseline. Aqueduct flags continuous night flow, flood events and drifting use, routes each to maintenance with the location, and confirms the fix at the meter.
No. Aqueduct covers water, energy, HVAC and air only. Security, door control, detention electronics and video stay entirely separate, and maintenance tickets carry only the location and fault, which helps escorts plan each visit.
Each facility gets a baseline built by regression on its historical use and cooling and heating degree days, from 6 to 12 months of bills. Savings are measured as the difference between adjusted baseline and actual use, not estimated.
Yes, where housing unit water is metered or plumbing controllers report. A sudden flow far above the unit's normal pattern raises an alert with the housing unit and the time, so staff can isolate the supply before water spreads. See burst detection.
See Aqueduct on your own facility.
Bring a site, a utility bill or a question. We will show you where the loss is.