How Small Water-Saving Changes Can Make A Big Difference For Businesses

A business does not necessarily need to make a major investment to achieve significant reductions in water consumption. Sometimes, relatively small changes to everyday fixtures and fittings can make a surprisingly large difference.

A recent example comes from B! Health & Fitness in Honiton. The 24-hour fitness centre is now saving around 2,674 litres of water every day after receiving eight water-saving devices through South West Water’s business water efficiency visit service. 

The measures include devices for showers, taps, toilets and urinals, allowing the gym to reduce consumption without affecting its day-to-day operation or the experience of its members. That works out at more than 18,000 litres every week

The example provides a useful lesson for businesses: water efficiency does not always have to involve major changes. Understanding where water is being used and identifying relatively simple ways to reduce unnecessary consumption can deliver meaningful results.

Where does a business use the most water?

The answer depends heavily on the type of organisation. A manufacturing business may use substantial quantities of water as part of production, cleaning or cooling. A hotel will have significant demand from guest bathrooms, laundry and kitchens. 

A restaurant may use water throughout food preparation, cleaning and dishwashing. For offices, schools, leisure facilities and retail premises, meanwhile, much of the consumption may come from everyday facilities such as toilets, taps and showers.

This is why a blanket approach to water efficiency is rarely ideal. The first step should be understanding how water is actually being used within a particular building.

A water efficiency audit can help identify where consumption is concentrated and where relatively straightforward improvements could be made.

The Honiton example shows what is possible

The B! Health & Fitness example is particularly interesting because the business is a leisure facility where water use is an unavoidable part of its operation.

Members use showers after exercising, while taps, toilets and urinals are in regular use throughout the day. As a 24-hour facility, the potential for cumulative consumption is considerable.

Rather than asking the gym to fundamentally change how it operates, the water efficiency team focused on the fixtures themselves.

Flow-limiting devices were fitted to showers and taps, while save-a-flush devices reduced the amount of water used by toilets. Water-saving devices were also installed in urinals so that water was only used when necessary.

The result was a reported saving of approximately 2,674 litres per day, while maintaining normal operation. It is a useful illustration of the principle that efficiency does not necessarily mean compromising performance.

Reducing flow doesn’t have to mean reducing service

One concern businesses sometimes have about water-saving devices is that customers or employees will notice a reduction in performance.

That can be a particular issue in environments such as hotels, gyms, restaurants and leisure centres, where the quality of facilities is part of the customer experience.

Modern water-saving devices are designed to address this problem. For example, a tap insert can restrict unnecessary flow without making the tap unusable, while shower devices can reduce the volume of water being delivered while retaining useful pressure.

The objective is not simply to use less water at any cost. It is to eliminate unnecessary consumption while retaining the functionality people need.

Look for the hidden waste

The most obvious water consumption is not necessarily where the biggest savings can be found. Businesses should also consider losses that happen when nobody is actively using water.

A toilet that continues running after being flushed, a leaking tap or a faulty pipe can waste water continuously. In a large commercial building, even a relatively small leak can become expensive if it goes unnoticed.

Consumption monitoring can provide another useful clue. If a business regularly uses water overnight when the premises are empty, for example, that could indicate a leak or another issue requiring investigation.

Why water efficiency matters even more during dry weather

The Honiton project comes at a particularly important time for water management. Prolonged dry weather puts additional pressure on water resources, making demand reduction valuable for both businesses and the wider community. 

South West Water says the savings generated by efficiency measures are especially valuable during periods of prolonged dry weather.

For businesses, this creates an additional reason to examine consumption. Using less water can help reduce the pressure placed on local supplies while also reducing the amount the business has to pay for water and wastewater services.

Your commercial water supplier can play a role

Business water providers and water management specialists can help organisations understand their consumption, investigate potential inefficiencies and identify practical opportunities for improvement.

This is also one reason businesses should periodically review their commercial water supplier. Price is important, but the cheapest tariff is not necessarily the most useful arrangement if the retailer provides little support or limited information about consumption.

A good commercial water relationship can provide businesses with greater visibility over their usage and help them identify opportunities to become more efficient.

Comparing suppliers should be part of the review

Eligible businesses in England can choose their retail water supplier. The physical supply infrastructure does not change when switching business water supplier. Instead, the retailer manages the commercial relationship, including billing and customer support.

This means businesses can compare different providers without having to make disruptive physical changes to their premises.

When assessing suppliers, it is worth looking beyond price and considering factors such as:

• Quality of customer service
• Billing accuracy
• Online account management
• Consumption reporting
• Water efficiency support
• Multi-site account management

For a business that wants to take water efficiency seriously, these services can be valuable.

Small changes, long-term results

The experience of B! Health & Fitness demonstrates that significant water savings can come from relatively straightforward interventions. Eight devices are now helping the Honiton gym save around 2,674 litres every day while continuing to operate normally.

Not every business will achieve exactly the same results. Water consumption varies considerably between sectors, buildings and operating models. The important point is to investigate rather than assume.

A detailed look at how water is being consumed can reveal opportunities that might otherwise remain hidden.