Water efficiency drive wins recognition for Bentley

The 339,000sq m facility in Crewe employs more than 4,000 members of staff, all of whom were asked for their suggestions to reduce water usage. This, coupled with analysis by the in house environmental team, resulted in a raft of water efficiency and usage reduction measures.

Addressing the water used in the manufacturing process, Bentley renovated the water treatment facilities in its paint shop and built a water recycling facility, enabling it to re-use water from the preparation process as cars enter the paint shop.

Elsewhere, leakage was also an issue, and significant investment was made in modernising and replacing major sections of the water main and fire hydrant systems across the site to prevent water loss.

Domestic services were also audited, and the introduction of automatic taps and low-flush toilets in washrooms alone resulted in a saving of 1,500cu m per year.

The overall saving was 35.7% in 2012 resulting in a total usage of 109,284cu m.

According to Bentley manufacturing board member Michael Straughan, the work is ongoing and further water initiatives are planned.

And activity isn’t restricted to its water footprint. Bentley has also installed the UK’s largest roof-mounted solar panel array, comprising more than 20,000 panels, which have reduced its carbon footprint by more than 2,500 tonnes per year.

edie staff