Running dry - Water saving tips for the workplace

15/07/2015 Sidrah Ahmad

Australia is the Earth’s driest inhabited country. Due to its geographical location, Australia has been shaken by more or less severe droughts throughout its history. The last, and probably worst, was the so called Millennium Drought. From 1995 until the official end in 2012, Australia experienced a serious shortage of rain and continuously decreasing ground water levels.

The Government reacted by implementing water restrictions which are partly still in place and by providing a total of $4.5 billion in drought assistance. In the long run, droughts will not only affect the environment, but will also become a huge economic factor for domestic industry.

This makes it even more important for us to manage drinking water in a sustainable and responsible way. There are several water saving tips, not only at home, but also at work, to make sure we are all doing our bit for humankind.

Check it out

Maybe your company is already efficient with saving water (kudos to you!), but the only way to find out is to check it out! Contact your building’s water provider to do an assessment on the water that is being used. They can even provide some water saving tips for how you can save water based on your city, business size and resources.

Regulate your faucet water

A great way to control the water that comes from your office’s sink is to install faucet aerators. This tool is an affordable way to reduce the water consumption as it slows and regulates the stream that comes out from the faucet (it can help your company save money, too).

If it's broken - fix it

You might not think that a leaking toilet or faucet loses that much water, but it does add up. According to Thames Water, a leaking toilet can use as much as 400 litres of water each day. So, search for your tool box or pick up the phone and get to those repairs you’ve been procrastinating over.

Regulate your green grass

With the nicer weather, a lot more businesses are taking care of their landscape and although we want the grass to always look greener, we need to keep in mind what that work will take. Place a monthly water budget on your landscape work based on the water needs of your plant life.

Shut it down

If water isn’t needed in certain areas of your building – shut it off. Shutting off water to unused areas of your facility will eliminate unmonitored use.

The power of knowledge

We’ve said it before, power is knowledge! Put together a small pamphlet or an email telling your employees how they can save water at work. Include tips like, shutting the faucet off in between washing dishes, waiting for a full load before running the dishwasher and scrubbing your hands at the sink with the water off.

The current drought problem in California can affect us all, so why not change our habits now in hopes to prevent issues that might come in the future? Small adjustments make a big difference.