Look to invest in a water filter. Tap water can also do the trick too in most cases. This will substantially reduce the amount of bottled water you will need, reducing plastic and water waste. A single 1 litre plastic bottle requires 7 Litres of water to be produced! In many cases consumers only take a few sips leaving the rest to go to waste. On hot summer days resist the urge to let the tap run to get a cool glass of water, by placing jugs of waterin the fridge you can minimise this waste.
Part 4: Water Conservation for Tourism Businesses
Water is a precious resource that we often take for granted. With the amount of rain we get in this country it's no wonder we take it for granted but have you ever stopped to think about where your water comes from?
Before you get started saving water, it is a good idea to figure out just how much water your business uses. This way you can track your progress as you begin to make changes. Water usage can vary at different times of the year so keep this in mind. Your metre will normally be fitted in an underground chamber between your property and the road. For guidance and how to locate your water metre look here read this article by Northern Ireland Water.
When you look at your metre you will see numbers in black (these are cubic metres) and numbers in red (these are litres of water, 1 cubic metre is equal to 1000 litres). On a typical business day, take a reading of the metre and note the time of day. The following day, take a reading atthe exact same time. The difference between these two numbers is the amount of water you use per day. If you want to get a reading of a working week, take a longer reading and divide the number you get by the number of days to get an average water usage per day.
Now that you have a baseline to work with and you can begin to reduce water consumption.
Three aspects to consider when trying to reduce water usage:
- Leaks
- Behaviour
- Innovation
1. Leaks
The number one step you can take to start conserving water is to stop all leaks. You can have the best habits and state of the art innovations in water conservation installed but as long as you have leaks, you will be fighting a losing battle.
The best way to detect a leak in your business is to carry out this simple test using your water metre (most effective out of business hours):
- Make sure all appliances are switched off
- Turn off your inside stop valve
- Take a note of your metre reading
- Wait for an hour
- Take a second metre reading
- If the two readings differ contact a plumber of Northern Ireland Water
Do you know what area of your business is the largest user of water?
If you have a large property, sub-metering different sections of your business can help you identify this so you can make the most gains quickly. Sub-metering can also help you pin point leaks much quicker and can be helpful if you share your premises with other businesses. If you do not have a water metre or if your business operates 24/7, here are some of the most important places to check for leaks:
- An audit of your sinks: Check the canteen, toilets, changing rooms etc. Are any of them dripping? Just one leaking tap canwaste over 1,500 litres of water per year!
- Next check toilet bowls: Can you see or hear water flowing into the bowl? This could be a sign that your cistern is leaking.
- Water tanks: Can you hear flowing water at times when no-one is using water? Check joints around the tank, are there any drops of water or pools belowthe tank?
2. Behaviours
We often take water for granted. After all it can sometimes feel that not a day goes by in this country that it does not rain even a small bit.
In 2022 alone, Northern Ireland Water treated and supplied approximately 910,098 litres of water every single day to households and businesses. There is substantial expense that comes with this as water has to be treated to an acceptable standard for us to use. It would be a shame for it to go to waste.
You might be shocked to hear that the average person in Northern Ireland uses about 145 litres of water every single day. Finding out just how much water you use day to day can be eye opening. To figure out your usage you can use this calculator here made by Northern Ireland Water.
Here are some habits you can introduce to begin lowering your businesses water usage:
Use jugs of water
Shower vs. bath
If you are in hospitality, encourage your patrons to choose a shower over a bath. A typical shower uses far less water than a bath. Having a towel reuse policy can also significantly reduce the number of washing loads every day. If patrons require new towels, place the used ones on the bathroom floor. If they are happy to reuse the towels they can place them on the rack. This can be communicated to patrons using signage in their bathroom.
Reuse water
Look for ways to reuse water. Get creative. Some simple examples of this might include using a bowl when rinsing vegetables or using a bottom’s up watering technique for watering plants. This is where plant pots are temporarily placed in a shallow dish ofwater and water is allowed to soak into the pots from the drainage holes. This ensures that plants receive sufficient water and minimises wastage from evaporation on hot days.
Turning off taps
Where possible, turn taps off during activities. This could be while you are preparing vegetables in the kitchen, doing the washing up or even brushing your teeth.
Machines on full loads
Only running your washing machines and dish washerswhen you have a full load will save you money on electricity bills aswell as significantly reducing water consumption.
3. Water Efficiency Innovations
There are many water conservation devices available on the market. Some of them are quick and easy to install while others require a bit more of an investment up front. The end resultis that you will save on your water bills in the long run as you begin to lower your consumption. Consider options like:
- Waterless urinals
- Motion sensors/push button urinals
- Dual flush toliets
- Displacement bags for cisterns
- Low-flow shower heads
- Low-flow aerators on taps
- Self-closing or sensor operated taps
- Trigger-operated hoses in kitchens
- Sensor or push button taps
Adding some of these devices to your property will be sure to cut your water bills. Aerators are cheap and can reduce water use by up to 70% per tap. A normal shower uses about 12L per minute where as low-flow shower heads use between 6-8L per minute.
Around the premises:
- Optfor awatering can over a hose
- Use a bucket and sponge
- Use soil protection like mulches around plants to reduce the need for frequent watering
- Use trigger hoses for precision and avoiding losses
- Rainwater harvesting
- Grey water recycling
Rainwater harvesting can be a simple way to reduce your water consumption from the mains. This is water that is collected from the roof of your building. This can be as simple as a water harvesting butt or as complex as a plumbed in system with underground tank and treatment system. The water from a simple system can be used for washing down yards, watering plants or cleaning equipment and windows.