Waterwise : don’t pour money down the drain
Sustainability experts are predicting that water will become one of the most dramatically affected resources as the impact of climate change takes hold. Here, Envirowise Water Specialist Claire Sweeney puts forward the business case for addressing workplace water wastage to combat the risk of a future ‘water crunch’
With the UK facing changing weather patterns, population growth and evolving regulation, water efficiency is becoming an increasingly important concern for stone companies. When a 400mm saw is using 25-30 litres of water a minute and an edge polisher perhaps 120 L/min, it is vital that efficiencies are in place to avoid unnecessary wastage.
And it is not just to avoid hosepipe bans in the summer. If you are spending £1,000 a quarter on water, as many stone companies are, using less can represent significant savings straight on to the bottom line.
At Envirowise our experience has shown that companies which take action could reduce their water bills by as much as a third, meaning there could be vast untapped cost savings within UK industry.
The increasing scarcity of water could lead to UK Plc facing a future ‘water crunch’. The warning issued by Envirowise followed recent research from consultants WSP Environment & Energy, which found 70% of sustainability specialists consider the threat of dwindling water supplies to be equal to the impact of carbon emissions, while 54% believe the world will run out of water before it runs out of fuel.
It may seem as if it is always raining, but water is not as abundant in England and Wales as you would think. We only have 1,334m3 per person a year – much less than France (3,065m3) or even the hotter Mediterranean countries of Italy (2,785m3) and Spain (2,775m3).
South East England has even less water per person due to its high population density and low rainfall. The Thames Valley has only 266m3 – just a fifth of the average for England and Wales.
It is also predicted that UK groundwater will begin to decrease by 2025, with the overall amount of water available in English and Welsh rivers reducing by 15% by 2050. The Environment Agency even predicts that in some areas in the South East there is already less available water per person than in Spain and Morocco.
Even businesses based in regions with higher water availability could feel the effect through their supply chains, while many companies could face changes to licences granted to allow water abstraction as a result of the Water Act 2003.
There are simple practical measures that businesses can take to combat water wastage. Those businesses that adopt a systematic approach to water reduction typically achieve a
20-50% decrease in the amount of water used. This can translate into significant monetary savings – not only on water supply costs but also on wastewater disposal charges.
Knowledge is the key to effective water management. Many companies are unaware of exactly how much water they are using. Without knowing that, it is difficult to identify potential savings. As a basic first step, businesses should consider the following:
- Where does the business use water?
- How much water are we using?
- Are we using too much?
- Are we paying too much in wastewater charges?
- Have we tried saving water?
- Could we take further action?
- Have our competitors implemented water-saving measures?
A ‘water balance’ is recommended to reveal precisely how, where and why water is being used across the company’s operations.
The balance should include a review of patterns of water use, as well as wastewater discharges and routes to sewer.
Important points to address include excessive, unnecessary, unknown, and unauthorised usage, where clean or unauthorised water discharges directly to the sewer. It is also worth considering whether savings can be made on sewerage charges.
Once a water balance has been established and water use in each area is understood, water saving opportunities and projected cost-savings can be identified.
Assembling a water minimisation team is recommended to ensure principles are embedded within company policy at a day-to-day level.
While many effective measures are no or low-cost, there may also be opportunities to make a significant difference by investing in new technology. And while investing in new devices is a short-term cost to a company, it is just that – an investment. Over a longer period, payback can be considerable through reduced water use.
For those who choose to make the transition to water efficient devices, the Water Technology List (WTL) includes a range of water saving devices and water recovery and reuse technologies, such as membrane filtration systems, that enable a large proportion of wastewater to be reused – and not just for machines, but also for processes such as heating, cooling and cleaning. Taps and toilets, mechanical seals, and vehicle washing reclaim units are among the 1,800 products that have been included on the list since the scheme was launched in 2003.
This can result in major cost savings through lower mains water and disposal charges, as well as an enhanced environmental reputation with customers and investors.
The WTL is managed by Defra and HM Revenue & Customs, in partnership with Envirowise, as part of the Enhanced Capital Allowance (ECA) scheme for water-efficient technology. Products included on this list are covered by the ECA scheme which enables businesses to claim 100% first year capital allowances on investments made.
Taking such action now could not only pay enormous dividends in future years, it can also lead to short-term benefits. In fact, recent Envirowise research revealed that UK companies could be missing out on combined savings of as much as £10million a day by failing to make changes in this area.
Further information on the benefits of reducing water usage can be found on the Envirowise website. The products on the WTL can also be viewed online. The addresses are below.
The UK Rainwater Harvesting Association is the umbrella body for the industry and will be able to refer you to suitable companies: www.ukrha.org