Save water, money and the environment this summer

It's that time of year again. The sprinklers are on to keep land healthy, people are more inclined to wash their cars and cold drink sales are going through the roof!

Yes, summer is finally here, and those are just a few of many reasons why businesses use considerably more water in the hotter months.

Unfortunately, this is unavoidable and it could have an impact on water bills, particularly if your business relies heavily on water. However, there are steps you can take to reduce water usage while the temperature is warmer to save money and help your business be more environmentally sustainable.

Watch out for leaks

Big or small and no matter what sector your business operates in, leaks in internal pipework can create huge problems.

Every summer you should check your taps and replace those that are dripping with more efficient alternatives. In addition, inspect any washers on your premises, hose connections and valves in automatic irrigation systems. You can find all sorts of help and advice on reducing leaks on our website.

Keeping it green

Whether you run a golf course, farmland, a stately home or are responsible for keeping a church garden neat and tidy, it's no secret that acres of lush green lawn and plants require a lot of water every day to stay healthy, particularly in the warm, dry weather.

To help save on mains water but still maintain your land to high standards, you might want to consider installing a rain harvesting system to collect water on-site for landscape irrigation, or using a sensored irrigation system to improve how you control external water use. If you use sprinklers or hosepipes - which can use up to 1,000 litres an hour - you can fit trigger nozzles to cap the amount of water they spray.

Finally, if you find your plants are being extra thirsty, you could look into the option of planting native plants which naturally use less water, or other less water-intensive alternatives.

More water means… more toilet flushing!

The human body has approximately 2.6 million sweat glands (gross!) that work extra hard in the summer to release fluids and keep us cool. To replenish this, we need to drink more water, which inevitably means we'll need to go to the toilet more frequently!

For businesses open to the public like hotels, restaurants, offices and bars, this can significantly increase water usage. You can't control your customers' bladders, but you can control what happens when they hit 'flush' with some handy devices.

Cistern reduction devices are a sure-fire way of reducing consumption, they're easy to fit and can save up to three litres of water per flush. Over in the gents, urinals that flush automatically are a well-known water waster, but better alternatives are available. Look at installing urinals with infrared sensors that can detect movement in the bathroom and only flush when needed. Perfect for a busy pub while England are playing in the World Cup on a hot day!

We're here to help

While summer has well and truly arrived, it's not too late to start looking at ways you can cut back on water consumption for the months ahead and the distant future.

As your water retailer, we can visit your premises and carry out a water efficiency audit to identify any areas where savings could be made and provide solutions tailored to your business to help you achieve these.

Get in touch to find out more.