Other Ways to Reduce Water Consumption
The information on this web page has been adapted from a factsheet provided by Northumbrian Water Limited.
How can my business reduce water consumption?
Most businesses are metered and therefore should be carefully monitoring their own water usage, otherwise they could be pouring money down the drain.
If your business uses water in its business processes we would be keen to work with you to look at your current water use and needs. Contact Regional Sales Group on 0191 3016161 to discuss your needs and arrange an estimate of the costs involved.
Northumbrian Water can carry out a water audit for your company of the water use in the toilets and kitchens of your business premises. There is a modest charge for this service, which depends on the length of the audit. Contact 0345 171100.
Alternatively, why not contact the Environment and Energy Helpline for a list of the many available publications under their Environmental Technology Best Practice Programme. They produce many water-saving publications, e.g. Cost Effective Water Saving Devices and Practices. If you have less than 250 employees they can offer a free environmental audit of your business premises. Contact 0800 585794 for further details.
How can young people help their communities?
If you are aged between 11 and 17 there is another great way of showing that you care about the community and environment you live in - you can enter a team into Northumbrian Water’s Square Mile Project.
The team, which can be any group of young people, use their imagination to create a project to make the square mile around their home, school or club a cleaner and more caring place to be. As well as helping to improve their community for the year 2000 and beyond, they may also win a fabulous all expenses paid holiday of a lifetime for their team! Previous prizes have included training to be astronauts at space camp in the USA, polar bear watching in Canada, white water rafting and safari in Namibia, wild west ranching in Arizona and swimming with Dolphins in the Bahamas.
For information you can telephone Northumbrian Water’s Education Advisor on 0191 3832222 or Durham Agency Against Crime on 0191 3888733.
What else can we do in the school itself?
As a company we are committed to supporting education within the North East Region. We have a comprehensive educational programme that provides literature and other support to both teachers and pupils. This includes:- A CD-ROM and other interesting educational and environmental literature, games and exercises.
- Speakers that can go into schools and other groups.
- Site visits to some of our working sites to explain the processes of water and sewage treatment.
- A mobile exhibition trailer - "Water - Our liquid Asset" appears at many large public events throughout the region.
- Taking part in educational events like Eco-Rangers - environmental taskforce.
- Support Eco-Schools in our region.
The majority of young people truly care about environmental issues. They learn about them at school, on the internet and on the television. But, it isn’t always easy knowing what to do or where to find help.
The Eco Schools award scheme is an excellent opportunity for teachers and pupils to gain help applying concepts and ideas, from environmental education and best practice, to the everyday life of the school. At the same time the school can gain a prestigious European Environmental Award.
The Eco Schools award scheme is aimed at ages 5 to 16 and can help schools to:
Improve the schools environment
- Reduce litter and waste
- Reduce fuel and water bills
- Increase environmental awareness
- Involve the local community
- Gain business sponsorship
- Gain local publicity
- Create links with other schools in the UK and Europe
Protecting Water Quality
From the garden pond to the village stream, wetlands are both part of the landscape and home to a vast array of animals and plants. But thoughtless acts of pollution and careless use of the resource can threaten this watery environment. You can do your bit to help.....
Most modern residential and industrial estates have been developed with two drainage systems. The foul water system takes sewage (from toilets, baths, kitchen etc.) direct to the Sewage Treatment Works - here we do our bit, treating it and returning it to the environment. The surface water system collects rainwater (from roof tops, roads, pavements, etc) and discharges this directly back into the local stream - this is where you must do your bit.
- Ensure that new washing machines and dishwashers, extra toilets and bathroom are correctly connected to the foul water system (we even find wrong connections to the surface water system on brand new housing estates!). Their waste products will otherwise be deposited, untreated, in local rivers.
- Don’t pour oil, paints, grease, chemicals or detergents down the drain - these can kill wildlife and cause extensive damage to ponds and rivers.
- Be careful where you wash the car - significant concentrations of detergents, petrol and derivatives from road grime (containing heavy metals) may wash down the surface water drain and into local streams.
- Don’t use the toilet as a dustbin - bag it and bin it instead.
- Don’t throw that snake down the drain! - yes, it’s amazing what people put down the drain - we even had a 10 foot python turn up at a sewage treatment works! But more everyday objects like newspapers, nappies, sanitary items and fat, can block drains, causing unsightly, smelly and damaging floods.
- Ensure drains from farmyards and industrial areas are correctly connected and have adequate contained emergency spillage areas, or bunds, to contain any accidental discharges.
Water for wildlife - Biodiversity Action for your Wetlands!
Wetlands, such as ponds have suffered a huge decline - more than 75% of ponds in the UK have been lost this century.
Fresh water is vital for much of our wildlife, which cannot exist without it. For instance, around 3500 of the UK’s invertebrate species live in fresh water (up to half of these in ponds), whilst some 600 species of plant (a third of England’s plant life) are found in or by rivers. Use too much water in your community and you will endanger their survival; allow village ponds to dry up or pollute small streams and you may destroy their habitat.
Northumbrian Water have developed their own Biodiversity Action Plan (BAP) to highlight those wetland species and habitats most in need of protection in our region and to direct resources towards their conservation and enhancement.
You can do your bit for your community’s water and wildlife as well.....
- Consider forming a Biodiversity Action Group for wetlands.
- Carry out a survey of ponds, streams and wetlands in your community.
- Find out the source of water for each individual habitat.
- Identify the potential threats to water quality from household pollution, industrial and agricultural run off.
- Monitor the water level and assess potential problems of drying out due to overuse of water elsewhere in the community.
- Identify the key species (frogs, newts, water voles, otters, dragonflies etc.) and habitats (reed beds, fens, ponds etc.) and develop a conservation management plan or Biodiversity Action Plan to protect them.
- Contact the Durham Biodiversity Partnership for assistance and advice, c/o Durham Wildlife Trust on 0191 5843112.
WaterAid. What else can we do to help others?
Not everyone is as fortunate as we are. In one day you flush more water down the toilet than some people in the third world get in a week.
Over one billion people worldwide lack access to safe water. One third of the world’s population do not have access to effective sanitation. A child dies every four seconds from water related illnesses. In the UK we take safe water for granted, but for many people living in the developing world safe water close to home is little more than a pipe dream.
WaterAid is the UK’s specialist development charity working to help provide a safe water supply and sanitation systems to some of the poorest communities in Africa and Asia. Their approach is practical and cost effective. All technologies are low in cost, appropriate to local conditions, and easy for communities to operate and maintain for themselves. Coupled with an active programme of hygiene education, lasting health benefits can be achieved.
Whether you are a fundraiser needing colourful materials for your event, a teacher looking for something a bit different for your geography class, or a member of a club or group wanting an inspirational video to show, WaterAid can help you to help them.
If you would like to know more about how you can get involved with WaterAid in the UK please contact the Community Fundraising team on 0171 7934551. If you have any queries about making a donation to WaterAid please contact the Donor Services team on 0171 7934526.
WaterAid is always happy to answer any questions you may have about its work overseas.
WaterAid is also on the Web. WaterAid's website contains a wide range of information about what WaterAid does and where they work. It includes up-to-the-minute news on events and activities both in the UK and overseas as well as extracts from reports and publications.
If you are looking for general information on WaterAid or a strategic overview of water and sanitation issues or if you would like to request copies of publications visit their website on www.wateraid.org.uk.
Finally, please make a note of these handy Northumbrian Water telephone numbers:
0800 393084 - freephone leakage hotline to report water leaks.
0345 171100 - customer services or to request a free water saving hippo to place into your toilet to help save water (especially useful if your toilet is old or has a large cistern) and a free water conservation pack. (Calls charged at local rate.)
You can also visit our website on www.nwl.co.uk.
And finally! The problems of pollution and how to conserve the world’s limited natural resources may seem too big for one person to solve. But you would be amazed at how even the simplest actions can make a difference.
Remember there are many ways to save water - if we all save drops, we can all save lots.
