If you’re trying to run your business in a more green way, then you should be looking at ways to use less water. Shortages in fresh water are a very pressing environmental concern, and more businesses doing their bit to conserve it could make a big difference. As well as being much greener, using less water can also help to save your business some money on your water bills, which is an added bonus.
If your effort to save water is going to be successful, you will need to integrate this goal at every level of your business, from your top tier of management downwards. Management needs to understand why water conservation is important to your business if your business is going to be fully committed to this water and money-saving goal.
Choose Low-Flow
Go through all your faucets, whether it’s in company bathrooms or kitchens, and fit them all with low-flow restrictors. This can help to reduce the amount of water released from the faucet per minute, using less water.
More efficient toilets use less water per flush, and if you run a restaurant, you should make sure your pre-rinse spray valve is efficient too. You can save an enormous amount of water by doing this, saving your money and making your company more eco-friendly.
Get A Water Audit
If your company is currently using a lot of water, then you should consider bringing in a professional to help you find ways to reduce your water consumption. A commercial water audit will examine how much water your business uses. They can then help you to find where you could be using less water, saving you money.
An audit will also find any water leaks you might not know about, saving you even more money. Some water utilities can provide an audit for free for business customers, and might even offer a rebate on your bill if you’re making water-saving changes.
When you have a clear picture of how much water you’re using and where you’re using it, then you can set some clear goals to reduce this. Set a goal that is realistic, but high enough to require some effort to achieve. These goals can be used to help you track your progress, and show how effective your efforts have been. This can be very motivating and will help drive further efforts.
Purchase Water-Efficient Equipment
Some types of equipment used by businesses can consume a lot of water. This equipment may be available in a more water-efficient model, or at least have an alternative that uses slightly less water, like slimline water tanks. The cost of this equipment might be higher upfront, but with all the water and heat saving, you can recoup your costs with the savings that you’ll make on your water and energy bills.
Reduce Water Use In Landscaping
If you have outdoor space in your business, like a garden or a lush green lawn outside your office, this can gallons of water a day to maintain and keep it looking good. If you’re pouring water into a green lawn that doesn’t belong, consider planting a more native landscape or finding another alternative that needs less water.
If you want a green lawn, you can save water by installing a system that will collect rainwater on-site and repurpose it for irrigation. This can massively reduce the amount of water that you need to keep your landscaping looking gorgeous and green.
Engage And Inform Employees
Every member of your team plays a part in how much water your company uses. If you’re trying to save water, you should try to get your staff involved and engaged in the effort. Encourage a team effort to be more green. Share information about water-saving initiatives in your company newsletter. You can remind staff to be more thoughtful of their water use, or try to engage them by asking for ideas on how best to save it. You could even run competitions to encourage further water saving.
To really engage staff, you can appoint a water conservation champion. Assigning responsibility to an individual can have a much better result. One person can lead the charge to create, implement and maintain your plan to save water as a business, helping to keep messages clear and maintain focus on the goal. You can concentrate on other business matters, safe in the knowledge that someone is looking after your water-saving initiatives.
Know Your Community’s Status
You should be sure to keep informed about any major water issues facing your community. In Australia, many communities face all kinds of challenges with water. If you know the issues that are facing your community, you’ll better know how to protect your employees from any issues, such as contamination concerns. If your area is struggling with drought, you’ll know to redouble your own water-saving efforts and motivate your team further to do their bit.
Monitor Your Results
If you’re making all this effort, you’re going to want to know if it’s working and how effective your efforts have been. Your water bill will show your consumption history. Check each bill for this history to get an immediate insight into how well you’re doing compared to last year’s water usage. You can compare the usage to the same month in previous years and track your water saving progress.
You can use charts, graphs or other records to keep track of your progress. If you’re doing well, you can share these new numbers with your employees, so they can see how their efforts are paying off too. Make sure to thank them for their work so you can make them feel valued for trying. Seeing the hard work pay off can be very motivating too, helping to use even less water.
A water-saving initiative in the workplace can be a very good thing for your business in many ways, both in bill saving and getting a reputation for being green.
