There are many ways businesses can reduce their water consumption. The key is to get the staff members on board. Make water saving a priority for your company, set targets, offer staff rewards for meeting these targets and keep staff informed of the company’s progress and achievements. By making staff part of the decision-making, they will be more invested in wanting to see a reduction in the company’s water consumption – saving the business money.
Here are some ideas to help reduce your business’s water consumption.
- Nominate a water champion to monitor water use and make suggestions on where improvements can be made. The monitor can help with training new staff and educating the team on changes to the workplace to reduce water consumption.
- Ensure the person paying the utility bills understands what your normal water use should be. This can help identify leaks or faulty appliances so they can be fixed as soon as possible.
- Replace washers and seals regularly and keep up to date with maintenance of water using equipment.
- When upgrading facilities, install water efficient or low water use items. They may cost more initially, but they will make up the difference in cost savings over the life of the product. Visit the Australian Government Water Rating Website for details about the water efficiency labelling and standards scheme.
- Where possible use recycled water or harvest rainwater. For more information on the use of recycled water refer to the Victorian guideline for water recycling.
- Include native plants in your landscaping around buildings. Once established, they require less watering and there are many drought-tolerant species you can include in your garden.
- The Victorian Energy Upgrades for businesses provides discounts on a wide range of products to save water and energy. Over 141,000 Victorian businesses have been involved in the program. Most businesses can participate with the exception of the top 100 highest energy users. Water efficiency products include pre-rinse spray valves, shower heads, pool pumps and hot water systems.
- Get to know Victoria’s permanent water saving rules to ensure you are doing the right thing at work.