How Facilities Maintenance Optimises Water Management – And Why It’s Important
While there is a strong focus on strategic and evolving energy management, the same cannot always be said for commercial water. It is a challenging time in history for businesses, with many factors playing into elevated running costs and uncertainty. That said, there is one perennial certainty: reduced operating costs mean the potential for improved profitability.
The water price is set to increase on 1 April 2023. Together with other burgeoning costs, many businesses can ill afford to ignore water efficiency – and your facilities maintenance company can help. Keep reading for quick water efficiency tips and find out how you can work together to save.
THE BENEFITS OF BECOMING MORE WATER EFFICIENT
Cost Savings
A dripping tap wastes at least 5 500 litres of water a year. Apart from the senseless environmental waste, there is a cost to every drop of unutilised water. In simple terms, saving water means saving money.
Water Efficiency and Carbon Emissions
Water and energy are strongly linked. The processes that go into the water that comes from our taps are energy intensive. Pumping, treating, and delivering water results in carbon emissions that are damaging to the environment. By reducing water consumption, our carbon footprint is reduced.
Resource Conservation and Environmental Awareness
As populations grow, so too does the burden on water supplies. Worries around climate change have an inevitable impact on water and water accessibility into the future and responsible businesses are environmentally conscientious businesses.
Water Leaks As A Catalyst For Other Problems
According to 25 000 smart meters in and around London, 26% of commercial water is ‘continuous flow’, which means it can be attributed to leaks. Water leaks create risks around workplace safety and wellbeing, structural damage, and electrical problems as some of the more common effects.
QUICK WATER EFFICIENCY TIPS TO DISCUSS WITH YOUR FACILITIES MAINTENANCE TEAM
- Look into the suitability of water efficient fittings and appliances.
- Reduce, reuse, and recycle also applies to water. Not every element of your business’s operations requires fresh, potable water. Blackwater and greywater recycling systems have the potential to reduce water wastage.
- Ensure water is disposed of responsibly. Failure to do so can result in flooding or contaminated water sources which, in turn, puts pressure on water sources.
- Take the time to understand your water consumption. The only way to reduce usage is to understand where, how, and why that usage is occurring in the first place.
- Drill down on water-intensive parts of your business. This may include areas like toilets and bathrooms, kitchens in hospitality and food-related businesses, water cooling, water heating, landscaping, and water-related requirements for industrial machinery.
- Use data from water meters to guide your understanding of your business’s water consumption.
- Collate this information to set attainable benchmarks. Inform employees of your plans and devise ways to ensure their implementation.
- Ensure no water is being lost to leaks. This is a vital exercise around water consumption and efficiency – and prevents the risk of associated damages.
- Machine maintenance has a direct bearing on efficiencies. Work with facilities maintenance specialists to ensure optimal maintenance schedules and for insights on the latest industry trends and developments.
At Voltix Services, our team of expert facilities maintenance specialists are best-placed to provide tailored advice for water efficiency within your business. Contact Voltix Services today.