Water efficiency in schools
29 August 2019 Reading time: 4 mins
There is a growing realisation that water shortages are becoming a real issue here in the UK and that both global warming and population growth will further exacerbate the issue.
In order to help protect future generations we need to act now by using water wisely. In our latest blog in the series we are turning our attention to schools. By adopting water efficiency measures, schools can save money and help protect the environment, as well as play a role in helping to promote the importance of water efficiency to the next generation.
Here are our top five water saving tips:
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Track your usage
In order to be able to identify ways to reduce your water usage, it’s vital to understand how much water you’re using. If you haven’t already, then you can install an Automated Meter Reader (AMR) to track the amount of water you’re consuming. The data is collected every 15 minutes and then transferred to a central system, which allows you to monitor your water use, accurately, at a glance.
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Ensure facilities are in good working order
Hidden leaks and ineffective facilities could be costing you a lot of money and wasting an unnecessary amount of water. The simplest way to check for a leak is to turn off all of your appliances and taps and then look at your meter. If the dial on your meter is moving, then you may have a leak. If that is the case then get in touch and we will be able to help. To make your facilities more water efficient you can get lots of helpful tips and water saving devices with our free water efficiency packs.
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Think about pitches and green spaces
It’s best to avoid watering lawns in hot months, if protected well during the rest of the year then they will survive. If drought does hit, you can protect your pitches by adjusting the height of your lawn mower blades to 4cm and leaving the cuttings on the grass, as this will stimulate a dense growth that will trap more water.
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Use organic mulch to conserve water in your school’s gardens
In free-draining soils, you can mix in organic mulch to improve water retention. This will also reduce surface evaporation and help protect your plants from weeds. In heavier soils, mix the mulch with sand so that it opens up the soil and reduces the chances of the soil cracking during dry summer weather. Our guess is that younger pupils will revel at the opportunity to make mulch!
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Finally….but importantly, promote the importance of water efficiency
By incorporating key messages around water efficiency at school then children can be encouraged from a young age to use water wisely. Waterwise provide access to lots of interesting facts and figures and useful teaching tools on their website which is well worth a look.
By taking small steps such as tracking water usage and checking for hidden leaks, alongside helping to raise awareness of the importance of water efficiency, schools will benefit financially and environmentally and help to promote a key sustainability issue. It’s a win-win situation.
Look out for our next blog focused on water efficiency in hospitals, which will be published shortly. In the meantime, if you have any questions around water efficiency then please get in touch at TheWaterExperts@Business-Stream.co.uk or for further details visit our water efficiency page.
We’re fully committed to improving our environmental performance and are certified to ISO 14001:2015. You can find out more in our environmental policy.
