Turning the tide – three examples of businesses tackling water waste

Businesses in particular have a vital role to play in cutting water waste here in the UK. From toilets to irrigation, manufacturing to car washing, water is an intrinsic part of companies from small start-ups to multinational corporations.

The good news is that there are a host of easy-to-implement technological solutions that can help companies to reduce their water consumption – recycling their own water and saving money in the process. So, what can we learn from some businesses that are already out there leading by example?

1. Flushing the toilet on water wastage

Flushing the toilet is something that we all do automatically - often without giving our actions a second thought. But given that toilets account for as much as 60% of all water used, then perhaps it’s time we started to be taking more notice when we’re pulling the chain.

Toilets can use as much as nine litres of water per flush. That quickly adds up, especially if you work somewhere that uses lots of toilets such as healthcare, hospitality or just a high occupancy office.

Whether it’s something as simple as putting a water displacement device in your cistern or upgrading your facilities to a modern low-flow system like Novaloo’s Propelair Toilet, the good news is that a small change can add up to make a big difference if your business is counting the cost of water wastage.

2. Going green, on the green

Golf courses require an immense amount of water, with some estimates suggesting that a typical course can spend up to £8,000 a year on H2O alone. So, it makes sense to invest in water recycling technology, both from a financial and an ethical perspective.

Modern water-saving sprinkler systems from companies including NaanDanJain, Tavlit and Hunter Industries can have a dramatic impact on water usage. These smart systems have been designed to optimize every aspect of irrigation, providing maximum impact while using minimum amounts of water.

Other golf courses are now investing in technology, like Fluence Aspiral – which transforms raw sewage from the local area into top-quality irrigation-ready water, massively reducing water waste and their environmental footprint. After all, does a golf course really need brand-new water every time it needs a makeover?

Implemented correctly, these systems can save up to 40% of your businesses’ consumption, offering savings that mean these systems can pay themselves off after just 3-5 years. Beyond the bottom line however these systems also have a huge impact on the environment, helping to boost sustainability while minimizing the potential impact of grey water on our ecosystems.

3. A helping hand from mother nature

Some parts of our country receive up to four metres of rainfall a year - that’s thousands of litres of water that is literally going down the drain on your commercial property. But what if you could save some of this water and put it to work for your business? That’s exactly the idea behind modern rainwater harvesting systems, which collect rainfall and re-use it for everything from flushing toilets to irrigating crops. Even something as simple as a water butt can make a difference to your annual water costs.

At the other end of the water-saving-spectrum businesses can return the favour to Mother Nature. Thanks to modern science we can improve on natural processes such as agriculture, which currently accounts for around 60% of all water usage on the planet. However advances in soil-less growing and hydroponics mean we can grow the same crops using only a tenth of the water that traditional practices consume.

Penny UK is a leading expert on hydroponic systems – the cultivation of plants without soil. Plants are instead housed in inert growing media that feeds them nutrient-rich solutions, oxygen and water, which encourages stronger yields and superior quality than traditional soil-based methods.

Sustainable solutions

Today, we face a perfect storm of water scarcity that’s affecting people across our planet. Some 70% of Earth is covered in water, but only 3% of that water is usable. At the same time our population is growing exponentially, pushing demand for our planet’s most valuable resource to breaking point.

While much of the focus in recent years has been on cutting emissions, water scarcity will be the next challenge that our planet faces. We can all do our bit to cut water waste and just as we’ve seen with climate change, society will look to businesses to help make a change.

At GRENKE we support those who are in the business of making water waste a thing of the past. Whether they’re in toilets or water butts, hydroponics or recyclable car washes, we can help UK businesses access their product line and ensure we’re all doing our bit to reduce water waste.