For businesses looking to lessen their impact on climate change, reducing water usage is an important step. Reducing water usage, like other practices to become more environmentally friendly, is something that most businesses know they should be doing, but they often lack the know-how to do so. Water conservation is actually much simpler than it seems.
By Team Savant
Image: Globelet Reusable
Improve Water System Assessment And Maintenance
Start by developing a water conservation plan. Work with your employees and educate them on water conservation. You should create a written plan that employees can refer to on how they can save water, including conservation brackets, and check on a regular basis that those targets are being met.
Regularly assess your water-consuming systems. Do you have industrial rainwater tanks that need maintenance? Check your whole system for leaks, and study your bills carefully so you can spot any unexpected spikes in use. It’s a good idea to consult a plumber too for help with these checks. If you keep on top of any unexpected or potential maintenance needs, you can stop any major problems in their tracks before they develop into bigger issues.
Implement Simple Water Conservation Techniques
Check for leaks. Even small leaks will add up to a lot of wasted water over time. Check for and repair leaky faucets and pipes, as this can save you gallons of water every day.
If you use water-intensive machinery, make sure to operate it as efficiently as you can. Water-intensive machines like dishwashers and washing machines should only be run when they are fully loaded to avoid water wastage.
Reset your water temperature. Keeping water set between 110 and 120 degrees Fahrenheit helps to reduce wasted energy.
Turn off your cooling units. Some air conditioning units use up a lot of water. Shut them off when they’re not needed might save water and energy.
Install Basic Water-Efficient Technologies
You should install any relevant water-efficient technologies to help you use less water, including:
Aerated faucets — these head give a reduced water flow.
Water heater insulation — install an insulation blanket on water heaters, especially on older models, and insulate the first three feet out of the ‘out’ pipe.
High-efficiency bathroom fixtures — waterless urinals and high-efficiency toilets are affordable and simple to install. These fixtures also have a large impact on the amount of water you can use and lowering your utility bills.
Pre-rinse spray valves — install low-flow pre-rinse spray valves, which can save foodservice businesses a lot of money on water bills.
Install Advanced Water-Efficient Technologies
You can also install more advanced technologies too, to reduce water usage further, including:
Install tankless water heaters — in areas where water isn’t used very often tankless water heaters can reduce the costs and waster or standby water.
Install timers and controls — these products automate the effort of conservation and can turn off faucets after specific intervals to reduce the amount of wastewater.
These tips can help most kinds of businesses to use less water, saving money on water bills, and conserving more too.