Thread: Save water in the workplace?

On a regular basis, I see lot of my good friends in the workplace waste a lot of water. Starting from the coffee machine to wash room .. water is lost almost everywhere.

For example, taps are open many of the time - if not open at least loosely closed, leaks, faulty flushes, drinking water is utilized for cleaning and washing and even they talk while the water is running...

Please discuss some thoughts on how to deal in a helpful manner and without hurting anyone. Everyone knows that changing a person's habit is itself an difficult task.

All tips are welcome. Thanks in advance.

stop drinking water

I think businesses, particular factories will get a lot more water conservation by training employees to identify and report leaks than asking them to turn off the faucet while they talk for example--even a few drops a minute adds up to vastly more water wasted.

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Bio, this thread is in the hard science part of the forum...please try to make meaningful contributions...or failing that, a heck of a lot more clever jokes.

Industry Standard Faucets

Faucet shown here is in Chrome finish. Available in 22 finishes.

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Your purchase will also include: Faucet, FA444 Automator, Stainless Steel Braided Hose, Mounting Hardware, 4 AA Batteries Pre-installed, 1 year warranty. 100% Q.C (every faucet undergoes 9 point inspection before leaving the factory). Please Note: Drain Sold Separately.

Your purchase will also include: Faucet, FA444 Automator, Stainless Steel Braided Hose, Mounting Hardware, 4 AA Batteries Pre-installed, 1 year warranty. 100% Q.C (every faucet undergoes 9 point inspection before leaving the factory). Please Note: Drain Sold Separately.


Just install this type of faucet and it will automatically stop when hands are removed from under it. If you but them in quantity you can get them even cheaper.

Turn off the tap when brushing teeth or shaving: a running tap wastes 10 litres per minute.

Originally Posted by Woggroup

On a regular basis, I see lot of my good friends in the workplace waste a lot of water. Starting from the coffee machine to wash room .. water is lost almost everywhere.

For example, taps are open many of the time - if not open at least loosely closed, leaks, faulty flushes, drinking water is utilized for cleaning and washing and even they talk while the water is running...

Please discuss some thoughts on how to deal in a helpful manner and without hurting anyone. Everyone knows that changing a person's habit is itself an difficult task.

All tips are welcome. Thanks in advance.

The link below is from April 2012. ' How much does your water company leak?

The water industry in England and Wales loses 3.36 billion litres of water a day in leaks.
The water companies are investing in improvements to their network and leaks are now 35% lower than in the mid-1990s.
However, if all the pipes could be fixed it would save enough water to supply 22.4 million people every day. "


I absolutely agree with you, when you are finished turn the tap off, but the biggest loss of water in parts of the UK comes from leaking water mains.

BBC News - How much does your water company leak?

Does the automatic faucet above offer false savings, once the manufacturer of its batteries are included?

Originally Posted by Dave Wilson

Originally Posted by Woggroup

On a regular basis, I see lot of my good friends in the workplace waste a lot of water. Starting from the coffee machine to wash room .. water is lost almost everywhere.

For example, taps are open many of the time - if not open at least loosely closed, leaks, faulty flushes, drinking water is utilized for cleaning and washing and even they talk while the water is running...

Please discuss some thoughts on how to deal in a helpful manner and without hurting anyone. Everyone knows that changing a person's habit is itself an difficult task.

All tips are welcome. Thanks in advance.

The link below is from April 2012. ' How much does your water company leak?

The water industry in England and Wales loses 3.36 billion litres of water a day in leaks.
The water companies are investing in improvements to their network and leaks are now 35% lower than in the mid-1990s.
However, if all the pipes could be fixed it would save enough water to supply 22.4 million people every day. "


I absolutely agree with you, when you are finished turn the tap off, but the biggest loss of water in parts of the UK comes from leaking water mains.

BBC News - How much does your water company leak?

Does the UK even face water shortages? I thought it rained a lot there.

I always laugh when I hear people in Oregon here in the USA talking about how to save water. It's not like we ever get to be short on it. It's not like if we save it, we can ship it down to California (where they do have shortages.)

I'm pretty sure it goes down the drain then back into the system, so it doesn't really get wasted, just costs the company money.

Originally Posted by Weterman

I'm pretty sure it goes down the drain then back into the system, so it doesn't really get wasted, just costs the company money.

And you and I and every tax payer money building the water collecting, delivery, purification, sewerage systems to manage all the water and waste...and the environmental impact of redirected water and establishing that infrastructure. It's a heck of a lot more to be concerned about than extra water bills even in the temperate rain forest.

Originally Posted by kojax

Originally Posted by Dave Wilson

Originally Posted by Woggroup

On a regular basis, I see lot of my good friends in the workplace waste a lot of water. Starting from the coffee machine to wash room .. water is lost almost everywhere.

For example, taps are open many of the time - if not open at least loosely closed, leaks, faulty flushes, drinking water is utilized for cleaning and washing and even they talk while the water is running...

Please discuss some thoughts on how to deal in a helpful manner and without hurting anyone. Everyone knows that changing a person's habit is itself an difficult task.

All tips are welcome. Thanks in advance.

The link below is from April 2012. ' How much does your water company leak?

The water industry in England and Wales loses 3.36 billion litres of water a day in leaks.
The water companies are investing in improvements to their network and leaks are now 35% lower than in the mid-1990s.
However, if all the pipes could be fixed it would save enough water to supply 22.4 million people every day. "


I absolutely agree with you, when you are finished turn the tap off, but the biggest loss of water in parts of the UK comes from leaking water mains.

BBC News - How much does your water company leak?

Does the UK even face water shortages? I thought it rained a lot there.

I always laugh when I hear people in Oregon here in the USA talking about how to save water. It's not like we ever get to be short on it. It's not like if we save it, we can ship it down to California (where they do have shortages.)

Yes, it rains quite a lot here in the UK. I live in the North West of England, I do not recall ever having a water shortage, other than the occasional hose pipe ban in the summer. This is from the Environment Agency. I was very surprised when I read the link below.

" Although our country is often considered to have a wet climate, we are facing increasing pressure on our water supplies. The problem is particularly acute in the South East of England where large numbers of people living and working mean that water is scarcer than anywhere else in England and Wales. In fact, there is less water available per person in this region than in many Mediterranean countries. *

http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/static/documents/Research/waterressesummary_2005304.pdf


The link is a few years old but the issues remain the same.

Does the automatic faucet above offer false savings, once the manufacturer of its batteries are included?

I do not understand the question. You buy regular batteries when the ones that come with it die.

Originally Posted by cosmictraveler

Does the automatic faucet above offer false savings, once the manufacturer of its batteries are included?

I do not understand the question. You buy regular batteries when the ones that come with it die.

It requires water to refine/process materials and manufacture most things including batteries and there's a further environmental impact from battery disposal. An automatic faucet uses batteries thus the battery's impact should be included in its environmental impact--it also might not save as much as we think considering it's slower to turn off the water than people who are careful about water conservation.

Thier chief benefit is not having to share and touch yet another moist and bacteria covered surface with others right after they've gone to the bathroom.

Right, but battery manufacture sites can be located in places where water is abundant. Faucet water has to come from nearby to the faucet.

There are some places in Canada where you could put a battery manufacturing plant and it wouldn't hardly impact anyone's fresh water supply, because there's abundant fresh water all around you and hardly anybody lives there.

Originally Posted by kojax

Right, but battery manufacture sites can be located in places where water is abundant. Faucet water has to come from nearby to the faucet.

It does not matter. If it's relatively little water needed by a factory than it probably connected to the water grid and costing everyone (already covered).

If a lot of water is required, than it's probably drawing off a river or other source, and likely having a significant environmental impact by water being diverted from riparian habitats, spawning grounds or underground reservoirs and all too often being returned downstream loaded with pollutants. Given battery manufacturing has in large part shifted overseas to developing nations with lower pay and either lack of environmental regulations (or governments incapable of enforcing them) it is pollution by proxy. The main point is there is NO FREE RIDE, and everything should be considered with all impacts throughout the lifecycle of every product before we conclude that something is better or worse for the environment.

Originally Posted by Lynx_Fox

Originally Posted by cosmictraveler

Does the automatic faucet above offer false savings, once the manufacturer of its batteries are included?

I do not understand the question. You buy regular batteries when the ones that come with it die.

It requires water to refine/process materials and manufacture most things including batteries and there's a further environmental impact from battery disposal. An automatic faucet uses batteries thus the battery's impact should be included in its environmental impact--it also might not save as much as we think considering it's slower to turn off the water than people who are careful about water conservation.

Thier chief benefit is not having to share and touch yet another moist and bacteria covered surface with others right after they've gone to the bathroom.

Battery recycling by type[edit]

Most types of batteries can be recycled. However, some batteries are recycled more readily than others, such as lead-acid automotive batteries (nearly 90% are recycled) and button cells (because of the value and toxicity of their chemicals). Other types, such as alkaline and rechargeable, e.g. nickel–cadmium (Ni-Cd), nickel metal hydride (Ni-MH), lithium-ion (Li-ion) and nickel–zinc (Ni-Zn),can also be recycled.

http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j...KWlDHoMGX7woAA

Recycling isn't a free ride either, often a marketing tool or excuse for overconsumption. Most small batteries are not recycled. Here's a detailed study that compared different recycling scenarios, recycling often has greater impact than simply tossing them into landfills, and of course, has far greater impact than not using them for unnecessary things. (see pages 4 and 5 of battery life cycle report)
http://www.epbaeurope.net/documents/...inelca2011.pdf

Again my point is not that it is always bad or good....but EVERYTHING we use, regardless of how much is recycled has a significant environmental cost to someone somewhere and to the natural environment. (all too often for Americans who are willfully ignorant or don't give a crap about things not in their backyard).

Instead using coffee machines that use a carafe, maybe workplaces can invest in coffee machines that make single cups. Not only would this cut down on waste, but the paltry investment might even increase employee morale by making work a more pleasant place to be: Every cup is fresh, and machines often have settings and functions that offer a variety of blends - including non-coffee beverages such as hot chocolate.