In the UK, we tend to take water for granted. It’s something that’s always there, on tap (literally!), giving us 24-hour access to as much of it as we need.
But maybe we don’t appreciate how precious water is - after all, it’s vital for our survival, even though it costs so little. So we’ve put together some facts to help everyone understand and appreciate it a bit more.
- Businesses need to worry about the ‘jaws of death’
- A smart meter can help you detect expensive leaks
- A dripping tap is not a small problem
- Audits aren’t just for accountants
- Is it easy to change supplier?
Businesses need to worry about the ‘jaws of death’
At some point - soon - a combination of climate change and a rising population is going to result in there not being enough water to go round. We’re looking at a situation that is being called the ‘jaws of death’. Imagine a graph showing population on one axis and availability of potable water on the other - as the population rises and availability of potable water falls as a result of climate change, the lines of the graph will meet, creating the shape of jaws. It’s at that point, when demand will be greater than supply, when shortages will become a global problem. We do not want to reach that point.
The good news is that all businesses can do something about it by taking steps now to save water. The even better news is that by saving water, you’ll also be saving your company money, which is a compelling enough reason to do anything! Water efficiency measures can be as simple as adding water-saving bags like ‘Hippos’ into each toilet cistern, or encouraging staff to turn off taps while they’re soaping their hands. But other measures could be to divert rainwater into butts to water plants with or to use wastewater (so-called ‘grey water’) from sinks and washing machines to flush toilets.
A smart meter can help you detect expensive leaks
A smart meter that uses automated meter reading can not only help you save money on day-to-day water usage, it can also help you detect water leaks before they waste huge quantities of water or have a chance to do too much damage to pipes and property. Regular monitoring of your water usage will enable you to find out what normal looks like, which means if an unseen leak occurs, you will be alerted to it by the sudden increase in usage and will be in a good position to fix things before too much water is wasted.
A dripping tap is not a small problem
Something as simple as a dripping tap can waste a lot of water - potentially up to 60 litres a week, which over the course of a year will fill 39 baths. If your business has multiple dripping taps, then you could be looking at a large bill.
Audits aren’t just for accountants
A water efficiency audit will highlight your organisation’s current water usage and areas where savings can be made. Our experience has shown that it is possible for companies to save up to 50% of water consumption and costs as a result.
It’s easy to change supplier
What is the open water market and how does it work? Well, different commercial water suppliers offer different services. It’s worth shopping around for a company that will not only offer cheaper bills, but also provide additional services that will be useful to your organisation, such as clear billing, consolidated billing, practical advice and great customer service. Read our blog post "Why bother switching water supplier?" for more details on how to change water supplier.
If you would like to switch to Castle Water for your commercial water needs, click here to find out more.
