Reasons To Reduce Your Water Bill

Operational costs

Water use is an element of your  company’s operational costs and can  easily be reduced, saving you money.  In addition to reducing your water  bill, you could also make savings  on your energy bills by using less  hot water.

Regulatory risk

The Water Supply (Water Fittings Regulations 1999 main purpose is to prevent waste, misuse, undue  consumption and he contamination  of wholesome water supplies.  As a minimum, your organisation  must comply with Regulations.

Environmental impact

Reducing your water use will help  to protect the environment and  lessen your carbon footprint.

Reputation

Taking steps to manage your  environmental impacts will help  to position your business as a  socially and environmentally  responsible company, which will  be valued by clients, investors,  the public and your staff.

Access to external investment

With more stringent regulation,  financial institutions consider  good environmental management  as an indicator of overall business  management.

Steps to Save Water (& Water Bill!)

There are various water efficient  devices available to help reduce  your water consumption.

Taps

a) Plugs in all wash-hand basins  and sinks can reduce unnecessary  running of taps.
b) Tap flow regulators can reduce  the flow of water from the taps  by up to half.
c) Percussion taps (push taps) deliver  water for a pre-determined period  and help avoid waste from running  taps. If push taps remain stuck on,  or if their run time is longer than  ten seconds, you should fix them  or contact the supplier to arrange  resetting the run times.
d) Sufficient lagging of hot pipes will  help to minimise the need to run  the tap for a long time to get hot  water, as well as helping to conserve heat energy.
e) Repairing a dripping tap could  save as much as 9-litres of water a  day. In most instances all that is required is a new washer.

Toilets

a) Checks should be made to ensure  that cisterns, whether for storage  or flushing, are not overfilling and  causing water to waste through warning pipes. In such instances, necessary adjustments or repairs should be made.
b) A save-a-flush can be inserted into 7-litre toilet cisterns, these toilets usually have a pull handle and were often installed between 1993 and 1999. The device will reduce each flush by 1-litre but is not suitable for dual-flush or slimline cisterns.
c) A Hippo bag can be fitted into  cisterns of 9-litres upwards to  reduce each flush by 2-litres.
d) Existing cisterns can be converted into dual flush systems. There are a number of suppliers providing devices that convert toilet cisterns of 7-litres upwards into a dual flush, allowing you to use a smaller flush.
e) Install new low flush/dual flush toilets to provide a 4-itre/6-litre flush.

Urinals

a) Flushing can be made more cost effective by installing passive infrared (PIR) flush control systems, so flushing reflects use.
b) On average, an unmanaged cistern flushes four times an hour, 24-hours a day, using 315 m3of water, at a cost of £500 per year (based on 2008 prices). Reducing the flush frequency and preventing flushing out-of-hours can reduce this to 36 m3, which equates to just £57 per year