Many companies have put off implementing water-saving initiatives due to the fact that they feel that they do not have the resources or finances to implement such programs, but this could not be further from the truth.
Implementing this type of program need not be costly; in actual fact it could turn out to be more expensive not to implement one, especially if your company does business in water-scarce countries like Brazil, China, India and Mexico.
Water Saving Projects Do Not Have To Be Huge To Be Effective
The first thing one needs to do is to ascertain where in the business the majority of water is being used and then focus on those areas and implement programs that can lessen the water-usage and any wastage.
The trick is to not feel that you have to change the world in six months; look at the materiality impacts, views and needs of your most vital internal and external stakeholders, figure out what you can realistically achieve, then institute small incremental improvement projects that are aligned with increasing operational discipline via consistent training and communication.
The quicker successes are shared internally, the quicker best practices will be adopted at different sites and therefore the quicker more reductions will be obtained.
Initiatives that need to be instituted include:
- Advanced Wastewater Reconstitution: Where possible, install filtration and advanced UV disinfection equipment to restore wastewater quality to treat sanitary wastewater. While there are large and expensive systems, there are also smaller systems that can be used to turn wastewater into water that can be used for watering the garden for instance.
- Operational Discipline: Involve all employees in smart water use; train them how to use the minimal amount of water to achieve the task to eliminate all wasteful activities. Water-saving cannot be done without the cooperation of everyone.
- Water and Condensate Capture, Recycling and Reuse: Install recirculated water cooling systems instead of once-through systems, capture steam to recycle the condensate, and reuse whatever water you can.
While some of the above may sound expensive, they need not be, and if you institute them slowly it need not affect your bottom line. Investing in water coolers and placing rain barrels around that can capture rainwater will also help.
Buy a watercooler and water dispenser for your business or home. Water cooler rental available for companies in London.
