Being Green & Sourcing Locally

Saving Water

Why save water?

When we live in a country that is often deluged in water, and with our recent history of floods, it can be very hard to see why we should save water. Yet of the world's water supply only 3% is fresh and only 1% is available for human consumption. Here in the UK we have a lower rainfall of water per head than a surprising number of countries including France and Italy. When we use water for drinking we take it from rivers and streams - and if we take too much, or pump too much polluted water back in, we endanger the fish and plant species living there.

Of course, getting water to our taps (and taking it away from our drains) doesn't happen naturally - there is a huge cost attached.

In order to have clean water for drinking, cooking and washing, water must be collected and held, then treated. Once it is used, it must be treated again. We need a network of pipes to bring it to our taps and a network of pipes to take it away again. It takes energy and money to build reservoirs, water and treatment plants and to pump water to our homes and businesses - the more we use, the more money and energy required. Save water, save money, energy and carbon output.

On top of all this our water consumption is increasing: we have dishwashers, washing machines, power-showers, garden hoses, car washes. And furthermore, we live in smaller households. Larger households share water use - even for bathing. The more single and small households, the greater the overall water usage.

Because fresh water is so accessible we are in the habit, in this country, of using clean drinking water for everything - bathing, laundry, cleaning the car, watering the garden and so on. We also waste water excessively: leaving the tap running whilst cleaning our teeth, using a hose to wash the car, sprinkling our lawns, rinsing vegetables, dirty plates and decorating tools under a running tap, instead of in a sink.

How to save water

As with saving energy, small changes can add up to big effects. Saving water helps to cut costs, minimise energy usage and protect the environment.

Top water saving tips

1. Monitor your usage - this is easier if you are metered. If you aren't metered you can monitor how much water you use in the following ways:
   - measure flow rates from different taps by measuring how long it takes to a fill a litre jug. Then monitor time spent on tasks from those taps: washing vegetables, washing hands, washing dishes etc.
   - you can estimate how much water a toilet uses by tying up the ballcock, then flushing and refilling the cistern using a bucket with a known capacity, or a jug.
   - the manufacturer of your appliances will specify how much water a dishwasher or washing machine, for example, uses.
   - measure the time it takes to fill a bucket of known capacity from a hose, then monitor the time taken for tasks that use that hose.
   And so on. These methods aren't difficult but do take a little time. The results, however, can be startling - and very effective at helping you to target where to cut water usage.
2. Do a water walk round at various times of the day/week/month. Look to see where water is being used and where it could be cut. Ask staff to do the same and record results/ideas. The Environment agency produces useful guides to help with this: http://www.envirowise.gov.uk/water.
3. Make staff aware of the need to save water. Saving water cuts costs, saves energy and carbon output and protects the environment. Do everything you can to raise awareness using staff meetings, presentations, signs, notices, websites and training materials.
4. Make customers aware. Put up signs and notices, keep them informed of your policies and ask them to be conscious of their own water use.
5. Fix leaks, dripping taps and drain leaks. Leaking fresh water pipes waste precious water. Leaking hot water pipes/taps waste fresh water and energy. Leaking waste pipes pollute the environment.
6. Put bricks, filled water bottles or other volume devices into your toilets to reduce the volume of your flush.
7. Look at dual flush toilets.
8. Look at water saving urinals - modifications can be retrofitted to ensure that urinals only flush during office hours rather than all the time.
9. Consider grey (water left over from bathing or cooking) or rainwater harvesting for toilet flushing.
10. Encourage showers rather than baths - they use one third of the water.
11. Avoid power showers which can use more water than a bath.
12. Review your swimming pool and Jacuzzi policies to see where water usage can be cut.
13. Fit taps that automatically stop and fit spray devices into your taps.
14. Turn the hot water thermostat down to 60º - hotter water requires more cold mixed with it to make it usable.
15. Fill a bowl at the sink and use this to wash vegetables etc rather than a running tap.
16. Fill dishwashers and washing machines with a full load before running, or, if you must run an interim wash, use the half load cycle.
17. When replacing appliances like dishwashers and washing machines, use energy saving ones.
18. Supply detergent measures for staff and guests.
19. Don't rinse crockery before loading into the dishwasher - just scrape.
20. Don't rinse hand-washed crockery under running taps - dip into a bowl or sink or use a spray attachment.
21. Use buckets of water rather than a hose for washing vehicles.
22. Avoid hoses and sprinklers or, if you cannot avoid them, use trigger nozzles and strict timers. Inspect hoses for leaks regularly.
23. Don't mow lawns too closely - shorter lawns dry out quicker.
24. Use a rain butt to collect rain water for watering plants.
25. Choose hardier plants from more Mediterranean climates that require less water.
26. Use a mulch to keep in moisture.
27. Only water plants and lawns after sundown or before the sun rises to avoid evaporation.
28. Use cooking or washing water (grey water) to water the garden and lawn. Even moderate amounts of detergent are easily tolerated.
29. Encourage guests and visitors to be water efficient - use signs and notices.
30. At self-catering accommodation encourage guests to turn off taps that aren't in use, fill dishwashers and washing machines with a full load and avoid using running taps - use bowls or buckets instead.
31. Ensure there is adequate hot water for camping washing up - more cold water is required to get dishes clean - and supply bowls.
32. Ensure sinks have plugs - preferably straining ones to stop food waste entering the water system.
33. Encourage guests to re-use towels.
34. Only change bedding when necessary.

Making a water plan

Simple no- or low-cost measures can drastically cut your water usage. But because there are a range of water saving activities that can be taken you won't be as effective as possible unless you have a plan and get your staff on board.

Making a water saving plan is similar to making an energy plan.

A plan does four things:

1. Shows how much water you are currently using.
2. Reviews where you can cut water use and sets your targets and timescales.
3. Identifies the steps you need to take and who will do what.
4. Shows how you'll monitor your success.

Step 1 - Monitoring your usage

It is very hard to save water if you don't know how much you are currently using. The first step is to monitor your usage. There are several ways to do this:

1. Review your bills if you are metered - this is the most accurate way to see how much you're using over time!
2. Take regular meter readings if you are on a water meter - this is very useful to see what you're using when, and helps identify activities or equipment with a high draw. Do meter readings at the end of one day and the beginning of the next to identify what's being used overnight. Can you account for this?
3. Identify what equipment uses what water - measure flow rates and multiply by time taken to do a task (as described above at point 1 of Top water saving tips).

Step 2 - Identifying cuts and setting targets

1. Do a water walk round - this means physically walking around your premises to see the following:
   i. what is being used where - and can it be reduced?
   ii. what is being wasted.
   iii. where you can fix leaks, dripping taps or drains.
2. Review your walk round and our top water saving tips then draw up a list of actions.
3. Decide which actions you can realistically tackle and within what time frame.
4. Keep a list of future actions you may be able to implement.
5. Set your targets - realistic targets are to cut water consumption by between 20 - 40% within six months. Don't forget to include a time element or your actions may never get implemented.

Step 3 - Planning your steps

1. Review your list of actions and decide the order you can implement them.
2. Think each step through and decide how it can be done - involve any relevant staff.
3. Identify any costs and get any specialist advice - Envirowise provide telephone support.
4. Organise your budget if there are cost implications.
5. Identify which members of staff are responsible for what - make sure they have enough time to undertake their tasks. Make sure they can get access to the information and support they need.
6. Identify general staff training requirements and source/write materials, presentations, checklists, signs etc.
7. Write a checklist of actions (including training and customer awareness) with timescales so you have an easy to follow plan.
8. Present your ideas to your staff, put up signs and notices and get going!

Step 4 - Monitoring your success

1. Monitor your water usage regularly (take regular meter readings if you have a meter) and chart your progress.
2. Do regular water walk rounds and see if actions are being implemented.
3. Hold regular review meetings with members of staff who are actively involved - discuss and resolve issues.
4. Regularly inform all staff of progress through staff meetings, emails, notices, newsletters etc.
5. Gather any responses, ideas or feedback from staff and customers and continue to monitor sites like Envirowise www.envirowise.org.uk and the environment agency http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk for additional information and ideas.
6. Regularly review and adjust your plan.
7. Celebrate your success and share your efforts with your customers.

Training staff

Involving staff is essential to success. Staff have a big role to play:

• They are key water users themselves - ultimately how much water your business uses will depend on how efficient your staff are.
• They may be the first to spot water saving opportunities.
• They can encourage your customers to be more water conscious.
• They can make customers aware of your environmental measures - and improve your image.

Raise awareness

The first step is to get staff to relate to becoming water conscious. One good way to do this is to introduce them to facts and figures about water usage and conservation. You can do this through presentations at staff meetings, through printed factsheets, online resources, podcasts that they can listen to or through internal or external training events.

Map a route to water efficiency

The second step is to identify the current water usage of your business and the realistic targets for cutting this. Staff need to know where the water is currently going and what measures, big and small, your business is taking to cut water use. But they also have a lot to contribute - they are on the 'front lines' of your business and once you've raised their awareness they have a critical role to play in identifying wastage and finding solutions and alternatives.

Just as with energy, it is essential that you map out realistic routes to cutting water use and that you give staff specific roles and tasks that are clearly identified. It is also important that you make them aware of measures being taken that they aren't directly involved in, like installing rain or grey water harvesting, or fitting spray components to taps, so they can be enthused by the overall picture.

Again, you can do this through staff meetings, presentations, printed, online or audio material or through specific training days.

Give ongoing feedback

Provide feedback on a regular basis about your business' water usage, and how well you are doing with your targets. This is the only way that staff will know how effective their efforts are. If you don't provide feedback they may think that your water initiatives were a thing of the moment and they will quickly revert to older, less water vigilant approaches.

Make a water update a regular part of your staff meetings, newsletters, induction packs and in-house training days.

Water use is part of your overall green approach

It helps to focus on specific areas in order to give staff clear roles and responsibilities. However, water consciousness is just one part of the green puzzle and any training you give staff should be in conjunction with training on energy usage and recycling.

Start with the interview

Conserving energy, water and waste needs to become second nature to be truly effective. Encouraging existing staff to change old habits needs a patient and long term approach. But you can give your whole green initiative a boost every time you take on new staff.

New staff, properly inducted in your green approach will not only help to conserve energy, water and waste themselves but, through their example, will help older staff be more effective too. At the interview include questions about a candidate's attitude to conservation and outline your business' approach. Then makes sure that green training is part of the induction and all in-house training thereafter.