What have a rapper and a Hollywood actor got in common with Castle Water? Answer: We are all committed to improving water sustainability and efficiency.

Jaden Smith and Matt Damon have just launched a documentary on Netflix, Brave Blue World, which we would encourage everyone to watch. The programme investigates the very real danger that, at some point in the near future, we will reach a stage where there is no longer enough drinking water to sustain the global population. Rather than an all gloom and doom programme, they concentrate instead on individual projects around the world that are tackling the problem.

The solutions highlighted include collecting drinking water from the atmosphere, collecting and processing rainwater in local communities, utilising machines that filter water quickly enough to serve communities, and recycling water to make it potable (which will be particularly useful for the future of space travel).

When demand outstrips supply

As the ancient mariner famously said: “water water everywhere, nor any drop to drink”. One of the problems facing us is that not all water is drinking water. As Jaden Smith says in the documentary: “The problem with this water crisis is that the water that’s drinkable is disappearing and the water that’s not drinkable is gonna start appearing everywhere”. This means that even though the weather patterns are bringing us a lot of rain at times - sometimes far too much all at once - this water isn’t necessarily potable, and typically comes when we don’t need it (but disappears by the time we do).

drought

We are committed to the solution

We have written about the so-called Jaws of Death in previous blogs, and are committed to helping our customers understand how much water they use, whether a business is small, large or multi-site. We identify smart ways to save water, save money, improve sustainability and measure water savings. Encouraging water efficiency may seem counterintuitive for a commercial water company, but we are looking at a global crisis which could have a disastrous outcome in the next two or three decades if we don’t take action now.

Practical ways to improve water efficiency

It doesn’t matter how small the steps you take are, if every staff member got into the habit of doing one thing that will save water, we’ll be well on our way to avoiding a crisis. There are also many steps that you can take as a business to reduce the amount of water you use; such as helping by disposing of your wastewater in a more efficient way by diverting ‘grey water’ to be used to water grounds, flush toilets and wash pathways etc.

A lot of water is lost through leaks, so it’s hugely important to ensure that leaks are detected and dealt with swiftly. This also makes sense commercially - it may well be that your business is paying for thousands of litres of water that’s leaking unseen and it could also be causing structural damage to your premises.

Take regular water meter readings

Taking regular water meter readings for your business is of huge value, as it ensures you water bills reflect your actual water usage. Check out our top tips for reading your water meter. But there’s more to gain than just accurate bills. Knowing exactly how much water your business is using is powerful information, and you can use it to find ways to save water and reduce your bills even further. Castle Water customers can submit their meter readings quickly and easily with MyAccount, our dedicated self-serve customer portal, providing secure access to manage your Castle Water account, anywhere, anytime.

The Brave Blue World website suggests ways of raising awareness of the problems we are facing, with ideas for further reading and research. One of the practical steps you can take is to donate money to projects that are already working on solutions to water shortage problems around the world. Castle Water is proud to partner with Save the Children and support their Emergency Fund. The Emergency Fund helps give children caught up in emergencies access to safe, clean drinking water when they need it most.

Water efficiency makes sense – and it’s easy. By making a few simple changes to the way your business uses water, you can save money and reduce your carbon footprint too. Check out more practical ways to improve your businesses water efficiency.