While summer hasn’t been as sunny and warm as some of us would’ve liked, the UK is in a slightly weird position as we get to the warmest point of the year. A lack of rainfall for the first six months of the year has created a situation where many of the above ground water sources towns and cities use are running much lower than expected.
You may have seen in the news already that plenty of areas should be gearing up for warnings like hosepipe bans when we get to the middle of summer. One area this can have a significant impact on is business. There are thousands of businesses across the UK which rely on a constant supply of water for everything from making coffee to processing foodstuffs.
While most of us can act smart on an individual level with water use, when we’re looking at companies and big factories, how can we ensure water efficiency? Businesses are actively attempting water network improvements as a means to become efficient and bring bills down before they skyrocket. Let’s look at some of the ways a business can become water efficient without incurring significant costs.
Teach Staff
You’ll want to assume that your staff are already competent with water, but those oblivious to wastage won’t know they cost the company money if they’re not educated on the matter. Take time to teach staff about why it’s not only environmentally important to keep water usage down, but how misuse can also cost the company in the long-term with water bills going up.
A great example of this would be businesses which tend to be busier in the summer months, like seaside cafes and ice cream shops, which tend to employ younger part-time staff who won’t know about water usage at all.
Check Your Internal Network
Know where the fuses are in your house? Know where the stopcock under the sink is? Then how confident are you that you know how the internal water network in your building works?
It’s something a lot of business owners don’t have adequate knowledge in. It’s a bit like making sure everyone working at a computer turns it off at the end of the day to save energy. You’ll want to have a good knowledge of your water network to avoid problems and gaps which are potentially costing money.
This means knowing where your water is, checking that it can be automated, and going around the building to check for early signs of leak detection.
Ask Your Supplier For Help
If you don’t know where to start with your internal network, your water supplier should be able to help. For example, this water efficiency guide from Castle Water provides a clear guide for UK based SMEs on where simple measures and improvements exist.
Your water supplier should also be able to put you in touch with a local water auditor. These are specialists (usually from the local council or water authority) who will examine your location and point out some of the less obvious signs that should signal a problem with your water.
See If Taxes Can Come Down
Speaking of local government, get in touch with your council and see if they have any water-based tax-saving initiatives in place. This can be in the form of buying what are known as water-efficient products, rebates on new digital meters, and cost-saving measures for lowering wastewater re-entering the local network.
Stay up to date with local business news
Hopefully, these pointers have given you some idea of how to make improvements in your workplace. Don’t forget you can keep up to date with all the latest business posts from the site right here.
