Water Use in the Workplace

Last month we celebrated World Water Day, a United Nations Observance Day celebrating water and raising awareness for the millions of people living without access to freshwater. As we move into April, we think it’s important to continue this conversation beyond just one day by keeping the dialogue alive with our tips for water usage in the workplace.

Water Scarcity

Water is a resource that we use every day, and many of us take it for granted. However, water is actually a finite resource.

Worldwide, around 703 million people lack access to clean drinking water, and 115 million people are forced to rely on surface water. This is water directly from sources such as rivers, lakes, streams or canals.

Access to adequate water and sanitation is a basic human right. Everyone around the world is entitled to easy access to safe water, however, this is not the reality for many.

So, what causes water scarcity? Some of the most predominant reasons are:

• Climate change can make water less available
• High demand: the increased population, which has doubled in the last 50 years, makes it difficult to keep up with demand
• Inefficient water use: even minor amounts of wasted water can all add up
• Water systems and infrastructure may be lacking in some areas

Clean Water and Sanitation by 2030

In 2015, the United Nations developed a set of goals to achieve by 2030. They established 17 ‘Sustainable Development Goals’ as an urgent call to action to achieve “peace and prosperity for people and the planet”.

One of these goals is to ensure the availability of clean water and sanitation for all by 2030.

It is important that we continue to raise awareness and do our part in saving water to help achieve this goal.

Water Saving Tips for Businesses

To help encourage efficient water use, we have put together some simple ways to save water in the workplace.

1)     Avoid flushing non-biodegradable waste

The only product that should be flushed down toilets is toilet paper. Flushing items like nappies, wet wipes and sanitary products can lead to blockages in pipes. These non-flushable items will build up and form fatbergs. This can lead to damaged sewer systems, which will impact the supply of water.

2)     Check for leaks

A good first step to saving water is to find and fix leaks in taps and toilets. A leaking toilet can waste to up to 400 litres of water per day. Make sure you don’t ignore dripping taps either. Around 15 litres of water can be wasted because of a dripping tap every day.

3)     Turn off taps when they are not in use

You’ve probably heard the tip about turning the tap off when you brush your teeth, but you should apply this advice to the workplace too. You should avoid leaving water running whenever possible, for instance, when lathering soap while washing your hands. Another example is running water whilst waiting for the tap to run cold – this can waste 10 litres of water per day!

4)     Encourage water-efficient habits

It is important to get everyone involved and working together for the cause. Create awareness and educate staff about why they should save water, and how they can help. You could provide informative documents, send out reminders or organise a dedicated training session.

5)     Monitor water usage

A final step would be to understand where and when your workplace is actually using water. You could undertake a water audit to calculate your water consumption. If you can see where you’re wasting water, it will be much easier to fix the problem and stay on top of it.

Water Management for Urinal Systems

It may surprise you that urinals often waste the most water in the workplace. In offices, they can account for about 20% of water use. Some urinals will automatically flush 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. With an automatic flushing system, your urinal may flush every 10 minutes – that’s 6 flushes per hour. With an average 9 litre cistern, that means that you could be wasting 54 litres of water per hour, which is over 1000 litres a day!

To solve this problem, you could install a water management system. This is a device that restricts flushing, only operating when the bathroom is in use. It works by using an infra-red sensor that detects motion and controls the flow of water. This helps to regulate and reduce the amount of water used.

If you would like more information about how Cathedral Hygiene can help you save water in your washroom, contact us today.