With the spotlight on the environment and sustainability practices, water conservation rarely gets enough attention. However, the fact remains that only 0.3% of water on earth is fit for human use. This precious resource cannot be taken for granted any longer.
Even from an entirely selfish perspective, businesses still have good reason to save water. Not only will it reduce your monthly expenses, but it can also improve your green credentials and reputation among stakeholders. Ready to save? Here are 5 water conservation strategies for your office.
Perform an Audit
As companies grow and expand, staying on top of water consumption can become more difficult. Costly leaks tend to linger on unnoticed, while needless waste is never addressed despite the affordability of repairs.
These are the types of problems that commercial water audits help to solve. Having an expert assess your office will reveal daily usage figures and opportunities to save. Most utility vendors offer this service for free. Some even provide rebates for implementing sustainability practices.
Shop Around
Since the water market was deregulated in 2017, businesses in the UK have been able to choose their own supplier from an increasingly competitive list of options. Despite the new freedom, many companies continue to overpay for their water. This is why it’s important to compare different vendors.
You can obtain Business Water quotes from leading suppliers online to quickly identify the best deal. Look out for companies that share your eco-friendly approach. The cheapest option isn’t always the most suitable.
Cover the Basics
There are several basic water conservation measures that every office should take. This includes:
- Checking meters when water is not in use to determine leaks
- Locating shut-off valves to prevent wastage if any pipes burst
- Insulating pipes for better protection
- Using smart metering technology to collect usage data and insights
- Analysing utility bills and taking note of anomalies
Make Investments
Depending on your office, there may be certain devices and systems that you can invest in to save water. Some are tied to high acquisition costs, but are guaranteed to pay themselves off in the long run. Consider the following solutions:
- Water and energy-efficient filters
- Urinal controls and waterless variants
- Automatic or sensor taps
- Smart irrigation system for outside foliage
- Water recycling infrastructure to capture rain
Whether you only have taps or showers also forms part of the picture, so remember to choose water-efficient components. These typically have the added benefit of saving electricity by minimising hot water usage.
Get Staff Involved
Your efforts to conserve water will only succeed if everyone else is on the same page. All of your employees contribute to water consumption in the office, so this is an ideal opportunity to foster an eco-conscious company culture.
Educate staff on how they can save water and why it’s crucial to the survival of your business and the environment. Consider drawing up policies and procedures to establish more concrete conservation rules. You can also offer rewards for reaching sustainability goals.
It’s clear that there’s nothing particularly complicated about reducing your water consumption. Simple as it may be, your endeavours can make a world of a difference.