Hello,
Can anyone let me know about any projects involving water efficiency in businesses and schools? I am starting a project aimed at getting high-use businesses, as well as local schools to reduce their water use. I work for an NGO with a contract to the local Council.
My questions are as follows:
Businesses are highly varied. I don't know of any approach that will be commonly applicable to anything from an office to a sweet factory to a plant nursery. Can anyone offer any thoughts on how to deal with this and provide something meaningful to a broad spectrum of businesses without having to be an engineer and have specialised knowledge of the technical water delivery of each business? What studies are out there? What are the main barriers to businesses looking at reducing their water bills, and how has this been overcome?
Schools: does anyone have experience of getting schools to reduce their in-house water use? Which are the high probability changes one can aim for?
Many thanks,
Jacob Rawls
Water Wise Up Project Manager
EcoMatters Environmental Trust
PO Box 15 215 New Lynn WAITAKERE CITY
Auckland, New Zealand
+64 9 826 0555
+ 64 21 308083
Water Efficiency in Businesses and Schools
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Jacob
It is difficult to gain expertise in water efficiency practices in a wide range of industry types without working intensely within those industries, but even a novice will bring fresh eyes to a business and ask questions like "why do you do that process the way you do?" Where the hidden resource is ..... is in the minds of the staff - you just have to set up the right environment to unlock the resource. It starts with the managers being open and frank with their staff in wanting to make water use improvements (or any other envirionmental improvements) and that they will listen to their ideas and give them the credit for them (even reward them!). If the staff see that they are not going to get "ripped off", then they will open up and share their ideas - and don't laugh at the weird left field ideas (some have been the basis for some revolutionary changes). We are embarking on the use of "Eco-maps" which is a freeware concept by Heinz Werner Engel from Europe and it seems to have a strong uptake. The concept is that management sit down with staff in an environment as described above and draw a rough map of the factory site on a piece of paper. The staff are asked where they use water on the site and where it goes afterwards. This identifies the environmental impacts and is an excellent visual tool to identify where water can be saved or reused. (Eco-maps can be done for solid wastes, energy, soil contamination, air/ noise issues and risks to create an environmental management system). It seems to engage staff -even those who have language difficulties. I have tried it with a class of University students and it worked well. It could work well for school students as well.
Bryce Routley
Eco-Efficiency Projects Officer
Environment Protection Authority
Level 8, SA Water House,
77 Grenfell St Adelaide SA 5000
Phone (08) 8463 3707
Mobile 0403 209 335
Fax (08) 8124 4673
[email protected]
Hi Jacob,
Sydney Water has a very successful program called "Every Drop Counts" that involves a variety of businesses in water efficiency and reuse. You may also find relevant guidance in our new Water efficiency guide: office and public buildings, which is available electronically via http://www.deh.gov.au/settlements/publications/government/water-efficien cy-guide.html
The guide works through a range of barriers and opportunities for doing water efficiency in buildings.
Regards,
Paul Starr
Since 70% plus of the world's fresh water is being used in agriculture, I hope we can broaden this discussion at some point to include water efficiency in agriculture. I've read terrible things about the hardships being caused by the severe drought in Australia and other parts of the world, the terrible floods now in East Africa following years of severe drought, etc. The information being presented on this list serve about how to deal with these things is invaluable. In addition to using water more efficiently, we need to start capturing and storing water, using grey water, etc.
Thanks to everyone who shares what they know.
Nancy Adams
The Canadian Pollution Prevention Success Stories web site showcases a number of businesses and organizations that have implemented water conservation/efficiency measures. http://www.ec.gc.ca/pp/en/index.cfm?c=8&arch=yes#a Environment Canada's Canadian Pollution Prevention Information Clearinghouse (www.ec.gc.ca/cppic) contains a number of documents and resources (guides, manuals, fact sheets, case studies, etc.) for businesses on water conservation/efficiency in the database. I would suggest doing a keyword search for "water conservation". http://www.ec.gc.ca/cppic/En/search.cfm?txtSearchString=%22water%20conservation%22 As well the database also has a sector search option which you can use to narrow your search by audience type, information type, type of p2, etc. Please do not hesitate to contact me should you want more information on the web site or database.
Harmony Madill
National Office of Pollution Prevention/
Bureau national de la prvention de la pollution
Environment Canada/Environnement Canada
819-994-7262
http://www.ec.gc.ca/cppic
There are some good water efficiency technical manuals avail on line for download. This page describes them, you can get them on the CDROM for sale there, or you can google the titles and download them directly. http://cleanerproduction.com/hits/facilities.htm
Burton Hamner
Cleaner Production International LLC 5534
30th Ave NE Seattle, WA 98105
206-491-0945
[email protected]