As part of a pioneering project, water efficiency audits have been delivered and free water-saving kit’s been installed, in 2024 – helping cut energy use and carbon emissions. It follows a large-scale project, also delivered by Water Plus, involving 200 sites, in 2023.
The work is down to a partnership between business water retailer Water Plus and the wholesaler for the Midlands, Severn Trent – through its £566 million Green Recovery programme.
A 37% average water-saving has been delivered across a wide range of sites in the 2024 work, including in the food and drink sector, sports clubs, a national supermarket chain’s sites, a football centre and schools.* Kit installed included water-saving taps and water efficient showerheads, which reduce the amount of hot water needed at sites, leading to energy savings.
Across 53 sites, it’s expected to save 9.5 million litres of water in a year – equal to 38.1 million cuppas, holding 250ml each – or 119,200 bath tubs, filled with 80 litres of water each – and cut more than £24,000 off water costs for the sites. It would mean a 3.5 tonnes of CO2e saving, from decreased water use, cutting carbon emissions in the UK.**
The savings delivered across three counties, through the Water Plus work, which also tracked water meter data, shows:
- A pub saw a 75% water-saving on its average daily water use, after water efficient taps and flow restrictors were installed through Water Plus.
- A sports club saw a 49% water-saving on its average daily water use, a tennis club saw a 39% water-saving on its average daily water use, with a rugby club seeing a 27% water-saving on its average daily water use following tap and toilet efficiency kit being installed. A football club also saw a 31% water-saving on its average daily water use.
- A pub that runs accommodation for hire, saw the average flow rates through taps decrease from 13 litres a minute to an average 2.4 litres a minute, an 81% water saving, and eight water efficient showerheads installed, reducing flow rates from an average 11 litres a minute, to an average 7 litres a minute.
- Three separate pubs saw 86%, 81% and 74% water-saving on their average daily water use.
- One primary school saw a 40% water-saving on its average daily water use, while another school saw a 38% water-saving on its average daily water use.
The 2024 work by business water retailer Water Plus involves more than 60 sites, with the water-saving kit and water-saving reviews at sites funded by Severn Trent under its Green Recovery approach, which seeks out ambitious and innovative projects that can help reduce impacts that can contribute to climate change and act as a blue print for others in the water industry.
Water is in Scope 3, for carbon emissions, so increasing water efficiency also helps with decarbonisation targets and progress towards Net Zero.
Scott MacIndeor, Head of Advanced Services at Water Plus, said: “It’s been great continuing to work with a wide range of sites, with this unique programme showing how building cross-industry partnerships can deliver much further-reaching results, quickly and at a large scale, for businesses and other sites. Significant water savings – and reduction in overall running costs at sites – have been delivered through some small measures that are making a substantial difference. As we continue building partnerships to deliver greater impacts, we’ve this year identified trade effluent efficiencies for the food and drink sector and manufacturers.
“Looking closer at your water use at your site and your consumption data is worth the time to help lower the amount you’re spending on water, cut energy use and help reduce impacts on the environment. So, it’s important for all organisations – large and small – to regularly check their water use – at least once a month, if their water meter is safe to access to see where opportunities may be and reduce risks from issues on site pipes.
“Small, low-cost things like tap aerators can cut hot water and cold water use. If less water needs heating, then less energy needs to be used – so there are less carbon emissions, unless your power is from 100% certified renewable energy already.”
Of the 59 sites where water kit is already now delivering savings, 45 were in Staffordshire – and included a range of businesses including 12 food and drink sector sites, sports clubs, including a football club and schools. Gyms and other businesses have also had water-saving kit installed since 29th January, 2024.
The project this year – and in 2023 – has been delivered by the Advanced Services team at Water Plus, who provide Value Added Services (VAS), including leak detection and repair, water audits along with water efficiency advice and projects. Sites that could benefit from water-saving steps were identified by the Water Plus team, who also searched for the best water-efficient devices that would have the maximum impact.
Kelsey Martin, Non-household Water Efficiency Manager at Severn Trent, said: “We’ve worked again with Water Plus who delivered an exceptional approach to water-saving, on a large scale in 2023, helping customers and communities, along with the environment. The 2023 work with Water Plus, which has been built on for 2024, is acting as a blueprint in the sector on how engagement with businesses around their water can deliver big results – on lower running costs and for water-saving.
“The Green Recovery programme seeks out ambitious and innovative projects on water efficiency – and the approach by Water Plus delivering results in 2024 – involved both of these elements, helping communities become more sustainable, save water and reduce bills.
“The last couple of years have been tough for businesses and we want to help – and it’s great to see that teaming-up with Water Plus again is delivering such significant savings at sites.”
A 34.6% average water-saving was delivered across 42 sites – and a 32% average water-saving delivered across 60 sites, based on water meter data – in the 2023 work. Where less hot water is used there is a reduction in energy needed for sites and reducing water use also reduces carbon emissions linked to providing the water to a building. The work also saw 200 water audits completed at sites including food and drink businesses, sports clubs, hotels, care homes and schools.
Sites involved in the 2024 water saving were located across three counties – Staffordshire, Derbyshire and Leicestershire.
More information about the small water-saving steps that can deliver for businesses of all sizes can be found on Future Net Zero here – and also on the Water Plus website www.water-plus.co.uk/better-ways-with-water/ .
If your site, or organisation, wants to explore the benefits and savings available to reduce running costs, email hello@water-plus.co.uk and include the subject heading “Be Water Wise”.
Additional information:
In the 200 site work, water-saving kit was installed over 10 months.
*37% average water-saving is across 59 sites where water efficiency kit was installed in 2024. Saving based on reduction in average daily use of water, per site. The water-saving kit is expected to deliver a 9536m3 annual saving in water across 53 sites.
** CO2e based on published conversion factors, June 2023, for water and wastewater per m3, based on 95% return to sewer.
