Water

• disposal costs for wastewater, either as a percentage of the amount of water you use or by the strength of your effluent.
• losses due to leaks and wasteful appliances.
• the energy you use to heat or cool water.
• staff time spent wasting water.
• pumping, storing and additional treatment costs.
• meter size charges. Your water supplier sizes your meter by estimating the amount of water you use. If you have a larger than necessary meter you will be charged more than you need to be.
• carbon cost of the supply and transfer of water, which will contribute to your businesses carbon footprint.

How to save water

Many businesses can save up to 50% of their water costs through implementing simple and inexpensive water minimisation measures.

To find out the best way for your business to reduce water firstly you need to have a good understanding of your water demands. This can be achieved by keeping records of your businesses daily or weekly water use, which in turn will help you decide the best ways to save water and money.

Easy things to measure include;

• check your meter readers and pipes regularly to ensure you detect a burst or leaking pipe
• ensure your meter size is appropriately sized to the amount of water use

WRAP offer the Rippleffect, a FREE initiative to help businesses of all sizes reduce their water use and save money.  The intiative is delivered in three monthly online training modules, backed by webcasts, telephone support and in-depth publications. Joining the Rippleffect will help your business understand how much water your company uses, simple ways to save water and money and how to measure the water and cost savings that you have made.

Resource Efficiency East provide businesses with a free water efficiency review, which includes a two-day package of fully funded professional advice on water efficiency, over a six month period, for businesses keen to reduce water use.

Financial Assistance

Businesses can claim Enhanced Capital Allowances for water efficient products that are listed on the Water Technology List. Enhanced Capital Allowances (ECAs) enable a business to claim 100% first year capital allowances on their spending on water conservation plant and machinery.

ECAs enable businesses to write off the whole of the capital cost of their investment in the water conservation plant and machinery against their taxable profits of the period during which they make the investment, helping businesses with cash flow and shortening the payback period.

Aquafund provide financial assistance for UK based private and public sector organisations to help them make water savings and reduce water consumption. Organisations can improve water efficiency by up to a third with a guaranteed 50% cashable saving.

Other sources of information

Anglian Water provides information about the water and wastewater services they provide to their business customers.

WaterWise provides information on water saving and efficiency for businesses. They also provide some case studies which demonstrate what other businesses have done to reduce the amount of water they use and waste.

The Environment Agency provide information on what your business needs to do to comply with water regulations from water abstraction to discharge consents, as well as information on how to save water.

Netregs provides guidance on water use and efficiency legislation, how to save water, why we should save water and information about abstraction

The Chartered Institution of Water and Environemntal Management (CIWEM) website outlines the main issues relating to water use efficiency, taking account of legislation, water industry operations and other matters of concern to legislators, regulators, the public and other stakeholders.