Running costs have been cut through water-savings, giving a boost to budgets at businesses, schools and care homes, in a large-scale, sector-leading approach to drop more than a million litres of water use a week, through efficiencies – equal to 4 million cups of tea.
More than 1,600 locations – engaged through business water retailer Water Plus – including nurseries, GPs, medical centres, Academies, Sixth Form Colleges, national supermarket stores, a top-flight football club and small businesses are now saving water – alongside primary and secondary schools, with tap flow rates dropped, which also saves energy due to cutting hot water use. Sites making savings were in one region.
So far, a saving of more than 900,000 litres of water a week – equal to 3.6 million cups of tea, holding 250ml each – is estimated, from water audits that took flow rates at each site on taps and showers and located leaks, that have now been stopped.
It’d cut more than £2,700, in a week, off water bill costs.*
It’s thought to be the largest water-saving approach, of its kind, seen – setting standards in large-scale approaches in the industry, with funding from United Utilities to reduce water use and cut operating costs for healthcare, education settings and small businesses.
Scott MacIndeor, who heads up the technical water efficiencies team at business water retailer Water Plus, said: “It’s been brilliant to be involved in this, drawing on our experience in this area – and to see how approaches to these sites, through our customer engagement, are delivering such great benefits, increasing efficiencies, cutting running costs and stopping leaks across customer locations.”
Alice Denholm, Water efficiency delivery manager at United Utilities, said: “This was an ambitious programme and it is fantastic to see the significant uptake and positive results. It shows the value of close work and collaboration, alongside customer-focused communication to engage, raise awareness and, ultimately, increase water efficiency and stop unnecessary water loss across a range of locations.”
Sites owned by national restaurant and takeaway chains, two national supermarket chains and two national pub chains are saving water, including a pub with 536 litres of water estimated saving, a day. A foodservice business that supplies schools and healthcare kitchens, has also had a water audit in the project.
Amongst more than 1,200 businesses engaged with by Water Plus and visited in the approach, 54,855 litres of water’s estimated to be saved, each day – making 274,275 litres over five days, including at hotels and restaurants – who are also seeing lower utility costs, due to needing less water. The water-saving visits and activity at the businesses were from 31st July, 2024, to 3rd November, 2024.
Other sites in the approach include:
- One charity site’s estimated saving is 302 litres of water, a-day, another national charity’s site’s is 106 litres of water each day, while a non-profit/social enterprise, working with adults who have physical and learning disabilities, is 54 litres, after visits in September and October.
- A top flight football club’s estimated saving is 180 litres on daily water use.
- One care home had showers that ran at an average 15 litres of water a minute and taps running at 28 litres a minute, before reducing water use. A total of 17 toilet leaks were identified, saving an estimated 8,064 litres, at the care home – and 20 shower savers were fitted.
- Another care home had 22 water leaks on taps – a manufacturer had seven leaks, with an estimated 182 litres a day water loss and another business had 12 leaks, with an estimated 424 litres a day water loss, which have now been stopped.
- One eatery in Liverpool’s estimated saving is 32 litres of water and a supermarket’s is 36 litres of water – each day they’re open – visits in October found.
Dentists, a parish council, tennis clubs, gyms, a community health partnership, university site, rugby clubs, a swimming pool and community centre have all reduced their water use.
Insight and data was used to identify sites that could see the biggest benefits, including the education and healthcare sectors, with Water Plus contacting them, in the engagement and awareness raising approach to increase water-saving – and reduce impacts on the environment.
Each site taking part has a free water audit and water-saving kit installed on taps, with any leaks identified in the checks at the buildings being isolated, or repaired. Audits to identify areas for savings, installing water-saving kit and leak repairs were funded through the wholesaler that covers the region the sites are in – United Utilities.
The sites are in Greater Manchester, Cheshire and Lancashire – and Merseyside.
Additional note:
180,160 litres of water a-day – equal to 720,640 cups of tea, holding 250ml each – is the estimated amount of water saved from water audits that took flow rates, at each site, on taps and showers and located leaks that have now been stopped.
*based on wholesaler water cost per cubic metre of water. Cumulative saving.
