Wake up to Water Waste at Work
There’s a veritable web of costs when it comes to running a modern business. You’ve got to pay your employees, invest in your brand and products, power all of those expensive computers that you’ve purchased – it’s frankly a mess! Unfortunately, one of the most overlooked costs has to do with water waste. Surely, that’s not so bad, is it? According to PHS, it is estimated that water waste is costing UK businesses a staggering £3.5 billion each year – definitely not a pittance – but you can certainly minimize water waste at your own business with a bit of knowledge and proper planning.
Today we’re going to take a closer look at water waste, so that you’ll have a good idea of the common causes, as well as what you can do about them. It’s time to wake up to water waste at work, so read on and we’ll tell you how to get started!
Water waste is not just about a leaky tap
When we think about water waste, the first image that comes to mind is the classic drippy faucet. While not a lot of water is coming out, it certainly adds up over time, but there are many other sources of water waste that are much less visibly apparent.
Here are some quick examples to give you a better idea:
· Dual handle taps on a washroom faucet use more water achieving the desired temperature.
· Flushing paper and other items down the toilet, instead of using the bin
· Inefficient watering schedule for the greenery around your business
· Running the break-room dishwasher before it is full
These are just a few examples, but you get the idea. Water is something that we tend to take for granted, in our homes and especially in our businesses, but all of that waste water really adds, especially when you look at it from the perspective of 1, 5, or even 10 years!
Tips to save water in the workplace
Now that you’re started to get the idea of exactly how much waste water is being produced everyday in the workplace, there are some strategies that you can use to help minimize the impact on both the water supply and your business bank account.
Let’s take a look, using solutions for the examples that we provided in the previous section:
· A single-lever tap lets you move it straight to the ‘hot’ setting, achieving your desired temperature while wasting less water in the process.
· A bin and a reminder sign will help to encourage employees to stop flushing paper and other items that shouldn’t be going in the toilet. Water-efficient ‘smart urinals’ may also be installed to help measure the required waterflow and hand dryers can reduce paper waste that might otherwise end up in the toilet.
· Setting the sprinklers to water only in the early morning and the evening, rather than throughout the day, will certainly help to reduce waste water. You can even add mulch to the soil to increase water retention and installing rainwater barrels can save you even more!
· Adopt a policy that the dishwasher is not to be run unless it has been filled. Often a printed notice, placed above the dishwasher, will do the trick nicely. While a sign seems excessive,
it’s quite common for employees to wash lunch or snack dishes so that they’ll be clean before quitting time – so it’s best to ‘hedge your bets’.
Track your progress – the proof is in the pudding
Tracking your progress really is a good idea. Once you’ve identified the strategies that you wish to use, you can make a checklist, and if you distribute your ‘Water Waste Policy’ to your employees then everyone will be aware and can get involved.
As you’ll have last-year’s bills, you can compare the costs once you’ve adjusted for any water rate changes, and you’ll be able to see and track the savings firsthand.
We definitely encourage this.
As our water bill is often the cheapest bill of the lot, when it comes to our businesses, it’s easy to forget about. Once you’ve seen firsthand just how much water you are no longer wasting and the savings that comes with this practical outlook, then you’ll be sure to appreciate that you’ve made the effort.
Some final words on water waste
Saving water is good for the environment and it’s good for your business, so it’s time to wake up to water waste at work! While water is easily your lowest bill, it’s still a finite resource, and from a business perspective you are throwing away money by overlooking wasteful water practices in the workplace.
So, take a little time and strategize what you can do to minimize water waste in the workplace. It just makes good, solid sense!
