Friday 15 December 2023
Sustainability sessions stepped up, engaging staff and increasing water awareness to help green targets at sites
More than 130 tonnes of carbon emissions and 360 million litres of water have also been saved in 2023, for a range of businesses and public sector organisations, through work by multi award-winning business water retailer Water Plus.
The water savings are based on water meter data since the start of April 2023 and include repairs to underground leaks, along with introducing more water efficiency measures at sites.
It includes 100 million litres of water (100,000m3 of water) saved for a multi-site business in 2023.
The sustainability days saw staff across manufacturing sites, including in the food and drink sector, along with hospitals and other sectors gain more information and understanding on the small steps that can add up to big results, making water that’s used go further, cutting down on areas of water waste and helping reduce energy use and carbon emissions.
Key Account Managers from Water Plus delivered the sustainability and water awareness sessions as part of their work with organisations. In work to help future careers, more than 160 pupils have also received water-saving tips in visits to Water Plus and a careers day in 2023.
Mark Taylor, Advanced Services Operations Manager in England, at Water Plus, said: “Small changes in a business can lead to big water savings and reduce energy use and carbon emissions – all helping towards sustainability targets and goals and helping reduce impact on the environment. There are carbon emissions linked to all water that’s used at a site - and the wider benefits from making what’s used go further can be tracked through a number of ways.
“Where less hot water is used, or less moved across sites then there are energy savings too. Engaging employees will help drive additional benefits. Employees can be a great source to suggest changes and different approaches to improve efficiency with water and processes even further, along with flagging areas where water waste may occur, such as a leak.”
Data loggers on water meters, providing daily updates to an online portal through Water Plus, allows businesses to easily see opportunities for savings. Water meters are not always in easy-to-access locations where people can take readings safely, so technology that helps to track readings can be useful there too, particularly if you have a number of sites.
Water Plus is highlighting the water volumes saved in 2023 as part of its Be Wise On Water awareness-raising activity, which includes seasonal messaging around the importance of regular water pipe checks, including during colder months – and highlighting carbon emissions linked to all water that flows through sites in the UK.
Water Plus won a Gold for Carbon Reduction and a Water Management award, for work with organisations around water use - and increasing water efficiency - at the Green Apple Environment Awards in November 2023. In March and April 2023 it won three customer awards, including a UK Customer Satisfaction Award from the Institute of Customer Service.
Overall, Water Plus has won 16 awards, since October 2022, including a Best Business Water Retailer award, two National Sustainability Awards, eight Green Apple Environment Awards and a Global Gold for Water Management, in the Green World Awards 2023, for work with organisations around their water use and its steps to increase water efficiency, help reduce water waste and support projects that help communities.
More tips around water-saving and wider benefits from tracking use more, during a year, are available at: www.water-plus.co.uk/better-ways-with-water . The web page also includes more information around the services Water Plus can provide. To partner with Water Plus, the UK’s largest business water retailer, email hello@water-plus.co.uk .
Additional notes:
360,000m3 of water was saved since April 2023, based on water meter data at sites in England and Scotland. There are 1,000 litres in a cubic metre of water (m3). Carbon emissions based on Conversion Factors for m3 water and wastewater, published June 2023. 132.4 tonnes of CO2 based on 95% Return to Sewer.
