Beacon encourages the hospitality industry to manage its water wastage this World Water Day

With three billion litres of water wasted in England and Wales every day due to leaks and faults in the water distribution network, Beacon, Britain’s leading purchasing company, and its suppliers are encouraging hospitality operators to consider their water management this World Water Day (22nd March), not only to make considerable cost savings but to improve their sustainability credentials and boost their corporate social responsibility too.

Working closely with some of Beacon’s leading water management suppliers, including Alliance Online, Wolseley and Pulse, Hans Ziebeck, Purchasing Director at Beacon, offers his tips on how operators can help to resolve the water wastage crisis this World Water Day.

“By considering different approaches that the hospitality industry can take to their water waste management, operators are able to lower their carbon emissions, improve sustainability and also save considerably on costs, resulting in larger profits in the long term.”

Small leaks can lead to big consequences

Whilst a leaking tap may seem insignificant, even a small leak can contribute large levels of water wastage within an establishment over time. According to research from Alliance Online, leaks and faults in the water distribution network create three billion litres of water waste in England and Wales everyday, and can contribute considerably to rising costs in water bills. By systematically reviewing the water maintenance within their building, operators are able to identify and resolve leaks, resulting in considerable cost savings as well as reduced water waste and an improvement in sustainability rating.

Water saving devices

An operator’s choice of appliances can also have huge implications for an establishment’s effective water management. For example, a water efficient dishwasher will use considerably less water compared to washing dishes by hand, due to the fixed amounts of water used to clean and rinse. Whilst an initial outlay will be required in most cases, updating to water efficient appliances does not always need to be costly – insight from Pulse found that by simply adding a displacement device in cisterns fitted before 2001, operators could save up to 5,000 litres of water per year; proving how a small change can lead to large savings

Waste not, want not

A further example of activity that leads to large amounts of water waste is consumer consumption. Whilst hydration is a requirement, and water should be easily accessible for consumers, many consumers will allow the tap to run cold before filling up their water bottles or glasses, wasting litres of water each day. Bottled water isn’t the answer either; with research from Pulse showing that one litre of bottled water actually takes up to five litres of water to produce. A solution to this could be to move away from bottled products, and instead install water fountains that run cold water immediately for guests to drink from. This prevents unnecessary water waste through taps, as well as reducing the need for plastic bottles of water, which are unsustainable.

Bathroom wastage

When it comes to water wastage within an establishment, the bathroom is the area that creates the most problems. Our supplier, Wolseley, found that on average basin taps deliver eight litres of water per minute, which is an unnecessary amount for their required use. As a solution, suppliers should instead consider installing hands-free infrared basin taps and spouts, which achieve a water saving of over 80% per year. Infrared taps can be installed everywhere, from guest en-suites to shared public spaces, and despite an initial cost, the long-term financial savings will far outweigh the initial outlay.

Hans continued: “This World Water Day, it is extremely important that the industry takes note of water wastage problems, with environmental issues high on the public agenda. By adopting some of these water saving initiatives, not only will an operator save money, but create a sustainability message for their guests which is imperative in today’s market.