Urban Water
Saving water in business
We've compiled a list of handy water saving tips to help you cut costs and encourage your staff to make the most of your business' water.
- Lever or mixer taps (with a single lever or knob) let you find the right water temperature quickly. This means staff won't waste water trying to get the balance right
- When cleaning, get staff to use a bucket to wash and rinse where possible, instead of running the taps or hose
- Checking for leaks in taps, pipes and hoses is an easy way to reduce water wastage. Remember, one leaking tap can waste more than 2,000 litres a month!
- Leaking taps can waste up to 200 litres of water each day. To reduce leaks, turn your taps off lightly and replace washers as soon as they begin to leak
- Don't forget - there are lots of clever things you can do to save water in your business's garden too
- Encourage staff to wait until they have a full load in the dishwasher before using it. This saves water and energy, and reduces the amount of detergent entering the sewer system
- Rinsing your dishes in a plugged sink or bowl rather than under a running tap saves water and is just as easy and effective
- What you put down the drain can cause blockages and pollute our environment. Remember to regularly clean the lint filter on washing machines, and use a sink strainer when you pull the plug out of tubs.
- Provide incentives for staff to save water by linking water conservation to staff performance reviews
- Use visual tools like charts and graphs to highlight water savings to employees
- Mention water conservation plans and progress in staff meetings
- Use communication tools like bulletins, newsletters and emails to send staff water saving ideas, announcements, progress reports and news of special achievements
- Include water conservation policies and procedures in staff training programs
- Establish an ideas box to encourage employees to suggest ways to save water
- Encourage your staff to adopt water saving practices
- Think about installing your own wastewater treatment system to recycle water and cut down on water bills
- AAA-rated low flow taps or tap aerators are more efficient than ordinary taps and reduce splashing
- Think about installing dual-flush toilets. They use half as much water as conventional models
Join Sydney Water's Business Program. Sydney Water can work in partnership with your business to save water and money.
Saving water and money
You could save up to 30 per cent of your water bill by reducing your water consumption and using water wisely.
Identify your water usage and costs
The following steps will help you understand your water usage and costs:
- Check your water bills for the past two years to see how much water has been used. Sudden or gradual increases in water use may indicate leakage
- To get an accurate picture of your annual water costs, add the other hidden costs of increased water consumption such as pre-treatment costs, labour, electricity and chemicals
- Read your water meters regularly to identify any unexpected increases in water use that may indicate leakage. To confirm if there are leaks, carry out a night flow test when water use is nil or at a minimum
- Identify equipment and practices that waste water
- Identify the water intensive areas of your business to target specific areas of high consumption.
Develop a water conservation plan
To develop an effective water conservation plan, your business needs to:
- Gain senior management commitment to ensure resources are adequate to support the plan
- Appoint a "water manager" who is responsible and accountable for your plan
- Conduct a water survey to identify your water usage and costs.
For your water survey you will need to gather the following information:
- water bills for the past two years
- meter sizes
- plumbing diagram (if available)
- list of known water consuming equipment or processes
- number of employees on site
- other water-related costs (eg. chemical and energy costs)
- cost of maintenance personnel performing preventative or reactive maintenance on water using components
- chart your water usage and display this in a public area.