If you want to reduce your running costs and make your business more environmentally friendly, reducing water consumption is essential. By doing so, you can boost your green credentials and minimise your expenditure. To get started, take a look at these five easy ways to reduce water consumption in the workplace:
1. Install Low Flow Fixtures
Switching from traditional fixtures to low flow taps and toilets can substantially reduce water usage in any building. In a commercial building, however, there may be more facilities available. Due to this, installing low flow fixtures can have an even bigger impact on water consumption. While you might need to fund the switch over, installing alternative fixtures is usually a simple process and the subsequent reduction in water usage could substantially reduce your bills.
2. Undertake Regular Maintenance
Without a regular maintenance schedule, you won’t know if there are leaks in your system. While a burst pipe might be apparent straight away, a slow leak could go on for months or even years without being discovered. During this, your water consumption will remain high, despite your best efforts to bring it down. With a regular maintenance schedule, however, you can ensure that leaks are identified and rectified quickly, thus reducing water usage and protecting the building.
3. Collect Rainwater
If your commercial building isn’t designed to collect and repurpose rainwater, it’s well worth considering making modifications to the structure. Rain collection systems can often be retrofitted to existing buildings and the process can be far simpler than you think. When you’re able to repurpose rainwater, you can drastically reduce the amount of water you require from utility firms. While working with water suppliers for businesses can enable you to access the best rates, supplementing your resources with rainwater allows you to become a greener business.
4. Educate Staff
Making changes to your premises can be an effective way to reduce water consumption, but educating staff about water usage is critical too. When staff understand why water consumption should be minimised and what they can do to facilitate this, you should notice a substantial decrease in the amount of water that’s being used. Filling a basin instead of running a tap when washing up in a staff kitchen is a minor modification, for example, but it can save a vast amount of water.
5. Use Water-Efficient Appliances
If you have any appliances in your workplace, make sure they’re water efficient. A water-efficient dishwasher can use 50% less water than a standard model, for example. Similarly, water efficient air conditioners will use far less water than some chillers. By making water-efficiency a critical element, you can ensure that the equipment you purchase in the future won’t unnecessarily increase your water consumption.
Becoming a More Eco-Friendly Business
Reducing water usage is a great way to introduce more eco-friendly principles but there are additional measures you can take to become more environmentally friendly. By minimising fuel consumption, encouraging staff to walk or cycle to work and installing recycling facilities, for example, you can embrace green concepts and become a more sustainable business.
