While it’s unlikely we’ll see any hosepipe bans for at least a few months, it’s important for businesses to not let water efficiency slip down their list of priorities over the winter period.
Actively working to save water shouldn’t just be a concern during the summer, because the benefits can be enjoyed by businesses year-round. Only using the water you need is not only good for the environment, it’s also the best way to keep your bottom line down.
Here are our top tips for saving water during the winter:
Make the most of the winter weather
As the weather takes a turn for the worse, many of us wish for summer – but the colder, wetter weather we see in winter can actually provide us with a great way to save water.
In the UK, we’re lucky enough to have very high quality drinking water, but we use a lot of this water for tasks that don’t require potable water. Many of these tasks, such as flushing toilets or running your heating or cooling systems, can run just as effectively on low quality water – like rainwater!
So while the weather can be wet and miserable in the winter months, savvy businesses will see this as the ideal time to carry out rainwater harvesting – collecting and reusing the rain that falls on your premises in place of your mains water (wherever it’s safe to do so!). Click here to find out how your business could benefit from rainwater harvesting.
Protect your pipes
Now is the time to ensure that your water pipes are protected from the harsh winter weather. That means checking that any pipes that are exposed to the cold are lagged, and that all of your hot water pipes are insulated.
Outdoor pipes must be insulated from the cold because when the temperature drops below freezing, lagging will help them to retain warmth and prevent them from freezing, which is a common cause of burst pipes in the winter months. And don’t forget to insulate your indoor pipes too! Insulation will not only help to protect them from the cold, but also help the water running through to stay warm, meaning you won’t have to waste water while waiting for it to heat up.
Check for leaks
Burst or broken pipes aren’t always as obvious as you might expect, but during the winter they become more likely, even if you’ve protected your pipes as far as possible.
If undetected, hidden leaks can lead to large amounts of water being wasted and leave your business facing unnecessarily high water bills. So it’s important to have a good understanding of your typical water consumption, and know how to spot the signs that you have a leak. Find out how to check for leaks, and what to do if you find one, here.
Get started today
Whether your business already has a well-established water efficiency plan in place, or whether you’re simply looking for advice on how to get started, our Insight hub is likely to have some tips that could help you to cut down your water usage. Check out our Water Efficiency Guide for more information!