Water Reduction

Find out how much water your business is using by reviewing your water bills and regularly reading your meters and sub meters. From here you can begin to set reduction targets. As part of its Sustainable Tourism Action Plan, Visit Kent is asking all tourism businesses in Kent to make a commitment to water reduction.  Make sure your staff are on board and begin to adopt everyday habits that help with water consumption. Set water usage targets and encourage everyone to work towards these.

Have a member of staff check your meter every month to look for changes in water use as this could indicate a leak. Try to also check the meter at night or when you know no water is being used in order to monitor leakage. Your water supplier may offer water audits to see how efficient your organisation’s water usage is.

Using dual-flush and low-flow toilets can save thousands of litres of water a year. Alternatively, use a cistern displacement device in your toilet cistern to save water. Check that urinals are only flushing when needed and consider water efficient urinals – avoid uncontrolled urinals. Many people don’t know which button to press on dual-flush toilets so signage can help avoid misuse.

Some water companies will give away free ‘leak strips’ to stick to the toilet bowl which change colour at signs of a leak. South East Water offers a range of free products to help save water.

Mending dripping taps as well as replacing taps with low-flow or spray taps when they reach the end of their life will reduce the volume of water used. Fitting sensors to taps as well as tap aerators can also make a big difference.

Use engaging signage to encourage guests to turn off running taps when brushing teeth.

Fit a water efficient showerhead. These use less water but still ensure adequate water pressure for guests. South East Water offers a range of free products to help save water.

Ask kitchen staff to rinse fruit and vegetables in a bowl of water rather than under a running tap and be sure to wash up in a bowl rather than under a constant running tap.

Encourage staff to save left over cooking water for use in stocks and soups, or alternatively save to use on plants and in the garden.

Always make sure your dishwasher is full before turning it on and ideally avoid pre-rinsing. Use the eco mode to save water and energy. When your machine needs replacing, buy the most water and energy efficient model you can.

If you are an accommodation provider, don’t automatically wash towels and linen. Use engaging signage to give guests the option and explain why it is important to reduce water use.

If your laundry is outsourced then asked the company what they are doing to reduce their water consumption.

Use the eco setting on the washing machine, make sure it is full before using it and where possible, reduce the temperature of the wash.

When your machine needs replacing, buy the most water and energy efficient model you can.

If you have outdoor space then collecting rainwater to reuse in your gardens is a must. It is easy and straight forward to do, with plenty of cost effective water butts on the market.

Talk to a plumber about implementing a greywater recycling system which would reuse water from showers, baths, sinks etc for irrigation purposes as well as toilet flushing.