Businesses encouraged to embrace sustainable water management

Businesses are being urged to consider a fresh approach to managing their water usage and disposal, through a new sustainable management concept, which aims to underpin business resilience and generate cost savings.


The concept aims to build business resilience by promoting and optimising the use of on-site water resources such as surface water, rainwater, greywater and groundwater via borehole extraction.

Hydro International, commercial water consultants Cadantis, rainwater harvesting specialists Aquality and drilling contractors Geotechnical have joined forces to launch SWiM – Sustainable Water Management for innovation, investment and infrastructure.

Hydro Consultancy’s David Schofield said: “While 2012 has been confirmed as the second wettest on record, statistically the UK saw more days in drought than in flood during the whole of last year. Meanwhile, our precious groundwater resources continue to be depleted at an alarming rate.

“Some major business users consume vast amounts of high-quality potable water for everything from toilet flushing to cooling tower supply, irrigation to vehicle washing. Consequently, they pay a high-quality price for it, too.

“Meanwhile rainfall generally runs off the impermeable surfaces of their buildings, car parks and yards. Quite often it is held back in underground tanks before being discharged off-site sometimes to become someone else’s problem – in many instances the water company is supplying the same potable water they are consuming.”

Conor McGlone

Action inspires action. Stay ahead of the curve with sustainability and energy newsletters from edie

Subscribe