What water has got to do with climate change
Collecting, treating, pumping and heating water uses energy. This energy is partly generated by burning fossil fuels such as gas, which produces carbon dioxide. Reducing the amount of water we use will help to reduce emissions.
Water is a precious commodity that is often taken for granted. Derbyshire is within one of the UK areas classified by the Environment Agency as in severe water stress (source: Updating the determination of water stressed areas in England).
The cost of using water and disposing of wastewater is rising, and can be significant if consumption is not properly monitored and leaks go undetected.
What we're doing to reduce water use
Our facilities management energy team manages corporate property water supplies, including billing, connections and monitoring. Meters are usually read twice a year, so it's important to report any leaks.
Water audits were conducted with the support of the Severn Trent Water Green Recovery Project at many corporate property sites during 2023. These audits identified improvements that were implemented to reduce water use, including:
- Installing urinal control units to help reduce constant flow and money being wasted.
- Replacing taps with modern self-closing push taps to avoid leaking taps.
- Servicing existing taps to ensure that they work effectively.
- Installing cistern displacement devices to reduce flush volumes.
- Converting existing cisterns into dual flush cisterns to reduce flush volumes.
We're also investigating improved monitoring of water consumption to facilitate the investigation of possible leaks or excessive water use.
We have rainwater harvesting for flushing toilets or irrigating office or school grounds (water butts) at some sites.
Top tips
Don't leave taps running, this not only wastes water but also energy used to heat if it's hot water.
Turn off taps properly to avoid drips. As a guide, the cost of a dripping or leaking tap is tens or hundreds of pounds per year, while a leaking pipe could cost thousands of pounds.
Report leaky taps or any concerns with urinals or toilets:
For hot drinks, use the installed hot water points to supply hot water where available. If using a kettle, only fill with as much water as you need.
When washing dishes by hand, fill a bowl with warm water and use a little detergent, washing the cleaner items first. Use cold water for rinsing. Don't wash up under a running tap.
Use water efficient appliances in canteens or office kitchens. Most modern dishwashers have an economy setting, which reduces the amount of energy used per load. It's also important to fully load the machine, as this is far more efficient than a half empty one.
Check urinals are working correctly. These are being retrofitted with sensors so that they don't flush when the building is not in use.
For grounds maintenance, ensure trigger operated spray guns are fitted to hose pipes and that they are adjusted to reduce wasted water.
For managers
If you're responsible for a building make sure that employees are aware of water saving opportunities and know how to report leaks.
If everyone plays their part, positive behavioural change and good housekeeping will make a huge difference!