How to reduce water consumption and reduce costs

Water Water...Everywhere! Only 2.5% of the world’s water is fresh, while 97.5% is ocean. And of that freshwater, only 0.3% is available from rivers, lakes and reservoirs. Most freshwater is locked up in polar ice, glaciers or soil moisture. Unfortunately, more and more of that precious freshwater is contaminated each year.

Why reduce your water use Why take action? To save your company money Compliance with current and future environmental legislation To improve your company’s environmental performance and benefit from positive PR The true cost of water Water has many uses and many hidden costs. It is not just what you pay for its supply. Other costs may include: Water treatment Pumping Maintenance Effluent treatment and discharge Capital depreciation and the value of lost raw materials and product

Water conservation at work Does your premises have higher than average water use? Average use per person in a typical business 50 litres per person per day What is the person per day use in your business premises? Is it higher than normal? Note: If water is used as part of your process this should be deducted from the water used (m3) Water used as billed (m3) x 1000 = Number of litres (per person per day) No. of employees x No. of days billed

Water conservation at work Where do typical business premises use water? Toilet Flushing 43% Urinal Flushing 20% Washing 27% Cleaning 1% Canteen Use 9%

Quick tips on saving water Complete a Water Audit checklist Awareness Use tap aerators New equipment Reporting a leak Canteen conservation Water Efficiency Awards Cleaning Window cleaning No hose policy Eliminate automatic flushing cisterns

Water Audit Checklist

Rainwater Harvesting

What is Rainwater Harvesting? Rainwater harvesting is the accumulation and storage of rainwater that falls upon your roof for use in landscaping and other purposes. Rainwater may be utilized for non-potable requirements such as... toilet flushing, machine wash down, gardening, landscape irrigation, car and fleet washing, clothes washing, and some industrial processes Rainwater harvesting captures, diverts, and stores rainwater for later use. Captured rainwater is often used in landscaping, because the water is free of salts and other harmful minerals and does not have to be treated.

How does Rainwater Harvesting work? A storage tank is fitted to your stormwater drain from your roof, and falling rain enters the tank through a filter which removes leaves and other matter. The storage tank is usually buried under car or vehicle parks, a garden or under the entrance access or drive, and contains a pump which pumps the rainwater to the building where it is piped to the toilets, and to the outside taps.

Benefits of Rainwater Harvesting Easy to install & simple to maintain Automatic in operation; 'fit-and-forget' system, ensuring an automatic supply of harvested rainwater Designed to be as user-friendly as possible, the system utilises much of the existing pipework within the building The main requirement being the installation of a rainwater storage tank with internal pump, selected to meet the roof area's water catchment yield and premises’ requirements Reduces water consumption Makes efficient use of a valuable resource Reduces flooding, erosion, and contamination of surface water Money saved though reduced water bills means the system can payback its purchase costs It is good for irrigation and plants thrive because stored rainwater is free from pollutants as well as salts, minerals, and other natural and man-made contaminants. It is good for laundry use as rainwater is soft and lowers the need for detergents. It adds life to equipment dependent on water to operate, as rainwater does not produce corrosion or scale like hard water Advantages of Rainwater Harvesting Rainwater harvesting systems are simple to install, operate, and maintain. It is convenient in the sense that it provides water at the point of consumption and operating costs are negligible. Water collected from the roof catchment is available for use in potable (per local approval) and non-potable applications such as toilet and/or urinal flushing, laundries, mechanical systems, custodial uses, site irrigation and for bathing water. Since rainwater is collected using existing structures, i.e., the roof, rainwater harvesting has few negative environmental impacts. Benefits of Using Rainwater It is free; the only cost is for collection and use. It lessens demand on the municipal water supply. It saves money on utility bills. It makes efficient use of a valuable resource. It diminishes flooding, erosion, and the flow to stormwater drains. It reduces the contamination of surface water with sediments, fertilizers and pesticides from rainwater run-off resulting in cleaner lakes, rivers, oceans and other receivers of stormwater. It can be used to recharge groundwater. It is good for irrigation and plants thrive because stored rainwater is free from pollutants as well as salts, minerals, and other natural and man-made contaminants. It is good for laundry use as rainwater is soft and lowers the need for detergents. It adds life to equipment dependent on water to operate, as rainwater does not produce corrosion or scale like hard water.

How to determine need for Rainwater Harvesting Step 1: Quantify the amount of water you currently use Step 2: Quantify the maximum water you can harvest in a year Annual rainwater yield (Y) in m3 = P x A x 0.8 Where P = annual precipitation in metres A = collection area in m2 0.8 = typically you should expect to collect 80% of this rainwater each year due to losses in filtering and small rainfalls that do not generate enough runoff Step 3: Quantify the cost

How to determine need for Rainwater Harvesting