Water efficiency is one of the most precious natural resources, so it’s important to do your bit to conserve it. The last thing anyone wants is to find out they are unnecessarily overpaying when it comes to the bills. Taking note of where your company’s water is going and how you might be wasting it is the best way to account for unnecessary costs.
Luckily there are plenty of ways to improve water efficiency within businesses, from small, simple fixes to larger-scale solutions. So, take note as this guide uncovers the very best ways you can save water.
Why is Water Efficiency So Important?
Inefficient water-saving methods can significantly impact your business’s environmental, public health, and economic changes. By implementing more ways of saving water and investing in water-efficient products, you can be on the right track to help.
With a clear understanding of how and why your business uses a large quantity of water, you will be able to spot where your water is going and how you can cut it down for the better. Spotting early indications of poor water usage can help:
- Save money
- Lower carbon emissions
- Protect the environment
- Avoid potential dripping and leaks in the workplace
It should be well within your interest to understand where your water usage is going within the business and why it is so important.
Brief Staff and Guests
The majority of water-saving practices you put into place wouldn’t be possible without staff being on board with them. Educating your staff members on the latest water-saving habits will get everyone on the same page and benefit themselves, you, and the company better.
Every team member should take an interest in reducing water consumption not only because it’s benefitting the business but also because it’s doing its part for the environment. Staff will benefit from awareness training surrounding this topic and help reduce the everyday habits of wasting water. This could include:
- Reducing faucet runtime
- Teaching sustainable use of workplace appliances, e.g., Laundry, showers, dishwasher etc.
- Encouraging smarter water habits, such as reusable water bottles
Aside from the day-to-day staff members, it could also benefit from sticking and posting water-saving advice for your guests. It’s the little things that could help out more than you realise.
Carry Out Regular Checks on Premises
The first step in lowering water usage is conducting in-depth checks on the premises. This can be through a water audit in which a professional will be called in to do a full-scale assessment of the water usage in your building. A water audit usually consists of four steps:
- Researching and bills
- Walk through the facility
- Analysing the bills and estimating the cost of replacing fixtures (if needed)
- Providing an individualised action plan, i.e., how much and how quickly you will get your return on investment
A professional water audit is a fantastic way of getting a full-scale analysis of your premises to assess where all your water is going and why—then allowing you to decide whether to update some of your fixtures.
You can also carry routine checks by yourself, such as checking faucets, taps and toilets for any drips/leaks. Any sign of this can be catastrophic for water usage, so it is best to check as often as possible and get it fixed immediately.
Invest In Low-Flow Everything
Whether you run an office building or factory premises, there is always room for low water flow equipment. Touching on the previous point, a full water audit will point out any old fixtures in your premises that could be prone to leaking/dripping. Upgrading to low-flow equipment not only solves this but is amazing for saving water.
Touchless taps are a great start. Not only are they hygiene friendly, but they also ensure that the correct amount of water is being used instead of using it excessively. It eliminates the need to touch the tap with unclean hands and saves water – it’s a win-win. This also keeps the restrooms clean and modern, perfect for visiting guests.
Installing spray taps over standard taps is another great way to save water. While some may think this leads to poor-quality water flow, this couldn’t be further from the truth. Spray taps still offer the same kinds of pressure, just with less water, which means you can still wash your hands effectively and confidently.
Dual flush toilets are another common approach, it’s no new invention, yet many business owners still seem to avoid it. Dual flush allows users to choose the amount of water used per flush depending on their needs, which is better for everyone.
There are plenty more low-flow options; look for yourself and see what best fits into your building.
To Sum It Up
Improving water efficiency should be at the top of every business owner’s to -do list in 2022. That means understanding why it’s important and how you can improve it.
This guide only scratches the surface on methods of improving water efficiency, so be sure to research and take in as many helpful tips as possible.
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