The Undeniable Value of Taking Control of Water Events

By TJ Grim. Ready 2 Respond Trainer 

Water-related losses are a costly and disruptive challenge for large facilities. Whether it’s a patient room in a hospital, a dormitory at a university, or an apartment in a residential complex, downtime from water damage leads to lost revenue, increased expenses, reputational risks, and possibly even health-related concerns for your staff and customers. 

The Ready 2 Respond™ (R2R) program helps facilities learn how to manage clean water losses in-house, often preventing the need to call an external restoration contractor. By equipping facility staff with the right training, tools, and technical support, R2R offers a faster, more cost-effective solution that gets spaces back in service sooner while reducing long-term risks.

Faster Response, Lower Costs

Your facility can benefit from the R2R program in two primary ways: averting contractor costs and enabling faster restoration times. Typically, hiring a restoration contractor involves labor, equipment, and service fees, which can quickly add up. By handling clean water losses internally, facility managers can reduce these external costs. Additionally, with a faster response, the affected space is back in service sooner, avoiding costs or revenue losses associated with extended downtime as well as mitigating secondary damage to facilities and equipment.

For example, consider a hospital that loses the use of a surgery suite due to water damage. If that room generates $10,000 per day in revenue, a three-day delay in restoration means $30,000 in lost revenue. The R2R program enables a quicker turnaround, ensuring that revenue-generating spaces are operational again as soon as possible.

Understanding ROI in Simple Terms

Many people think of Return on Investment (ROI) as a complex financial metric, but in simple terms, it answers one key question: Are we getting more value from the program than what we put into it?

One simple way to demonstrate value is to look at an ROI calculation based on the savings from reducing outside contractor costs.  This is a simple way to demonstrate savings as these are hard costs that hit the bottom line directly.

Let’s break it down with a simple example:

• A large facility has averaged over $600,000 annually in unplanned remediation costs over the past several years, with more than 60 water events per year.
• The facility invests $100,000 in R2R equipment and training.
• With the proper training and tools, the facilities team can now handle half of each year’s water events in-house.
• The average cost of an external restoration contractor for these smaller events is $8,000 per event.
• That yields annual savings from avoided contractor costs of $240,000 a year. (30 events × $8,000 per event)

In this case, the R2R program pays for itself in under five months, after which all savings go directly to the facility’s bottom line. That’s a return on the original investment (ROI) of more than 1300% over ten years! Beyond these direct financial savings, the ability to maintain control over response times and restoration work further enhances the value of the program.

Adding Certainty to Unplanned Costs

Right now, many entities are extremely cognizant of costs and may be hesitant to make an investment in capital equipment. But year after year, unplanned water losses are inevitable.  The R2R program adds certainty to much of this unbudgeted expense. Our research indicates that 40% or more of these unanticipated costs can be controlled through adoption of the R2R program, thus lessening the impact of water incidents and putting facilities in charge of their own fate.

Hidden Costs of Not Acting Quickly

Beyond contractor costs and revenue loss, there are other hidden costs associated with delayed or inadequate cleanup.  A slow or improper response can lead to:

• Mold growth, creating health risks and potential liability claims.
• Reputational damage, if tenants, patients, or students perceive that maintenance is poorly managed.
• Increased repair costs if water spreads or requires more extensive work due to delays.

By enabling facilities to respond immediately and effectively, the R2R program not only saves money but also mitigates these additional risks.

A Better Solution

The Ready 2 Respond program provides facilities with a proactive, cost-effective solution to manage water-related losses in-house. The benefits go beyond cost savings—faster response times mean reduced revenue loss, lower long-term risks, and greater control over the restoration process. For facility managers looking to improve their emergency response strategy while optimizing financial performance, R2R is a smart investment that delivers measurable returns.

If you would like to find out how much the Ready 2 Respond program can save your facility, reach out to our R2R team or if you would like to talk through the savings, give us a call at 888-208-5401. For tips on managing water events in your facility, follow us on LinkedIn and subscribe to our Facility Insights newsletter.