UK business wasting water worth £10m daily

Companies across the UK could save £10m every day if they tackled water efficiency, according to sustainable business experts Envirowise.


Almost two thirds (61%) of businesses quizzed by the government-funded body said they had no idea how much they spent on water and had no systems in place to measure their water use, while even more (85%) said they had no plans in place to reduce water use.

Envirowise estimates bills could be cut by as much as a third with effective water management plans in place.

UK Businesses sitting on untapped cost saving of around £10million per day

UK businesses are collectively missing out on combined cost savings of as much as £10 million per day by failing to maximise the potential of water efficiency, say sustainable business experts Envirowise1.

In a recent survey of UK businesses2, almost two thirds of respondents said they do not currently measure or monitor their water use at all, and a huge 85% do not have any water reduction targets in place.

“With more than 9.8 billion cubic metres being used nationally each year, there is significant potential for businesses to save money and reduce their environmental impact by taking action on water efficiency,” said Envirowise water specialist Claire Sweeney.

She urged businesses to join the organisation’s water saving campaign Ripple Effect saying that those that singed up before September 14 would receive free support to help them develop a better understanding of how they could save water and cut their costs.

“The Rippleffect programme is delivered in three accessible online modules over a six-month period, helping businesses to benchmark their water use, identify valuable cost savings and set targets for improvement,” she said.

More than 500 UK businesses registered for the Rippleffect in 2008.

New features for 2009 include water efficiency advice in areas such as rainwater harvesting, vehicle washing and boiler & cooling tower operation.

Sam Bond

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