Water

The best way to manage your organisation's or building's water use is by monitoring it. By installing a water meter you will be able to identify if there are any leaks in your building and where savings can be made by reducing water use. A watter meter could also save your organisation money by providing an accurate record of your water use rather than an estimation.

The average leaking loo can waste between 200 to 400L of water each day and is one of the leading ways our water is wasted. Signs that your toilet are leaking can be the constant noise of running water, continuously moving water at the bottom of your toilet bowl or unexplained high water bills. Another test that can be carried out is, half an hour after the last flush, place a piece of toilet paper on the back side of the toilet bowl. You will see the paper get wet if there is water flowing down the back of the bowl, indicating a leaky loo.

Put in place regular building checks for leaking toilets, taps, water tanks and other plumbing. This could be completed alongside or comparably to fire saftey checks. Inform and educate your staff and volunteers around why these checks are important and establish a procedure individuals can use to report leaks for repair.

Install water saving devices on your plumbing. These can include flow regulators, tap inserts and sink plugs. Many water providers offer free equiptment to their customers. These are an easy win for your organisation as you are able to start saving water before thinking about areas such as education and behavioural change.

Collect rainwater by diverting water from gutters into water butts instead of down the drain. These butts can provide water for your garden that does not come from your main supply - saving your organisation money.

Wasting water also wastes energy. Do what you can to minimise water waste. Some ideas to get you started:

• Encourage staff and volunteers to use reusable water bottle by having a water bottle refill site.
• When you're filling up don't keep the tap running.
• Use the sink plug or washing up bowl when washing dishes, rather than under a running tap.
• If you use a dishwasher, make sure it is full before running an eco cycle.
• Make sure you only use the amount of water that you need.
• Turn the tap off in between uses.