Water for All: Ways Businesses Can Reduce Their Water Usage

By Chris Meyer  |  March 22 , 2019

The fact that clean water will readily flow from the faucet is a given in the developed world. In developing countries, though, finding potable water is often a daily struggle.

That’s why today, World Water Day, is dedicated to “tackling the water crisis by addressing the reasons why so many people are being left behind.” And one of those reasons is the rate at which businesses and individuals in the developed world use water.

According to the African Wildlife Foundation, “If the entire global population had the water habits of the average European or North American, we would need about three and a half Earths to sustain us.”

As gloomy as that may sound, the good news is, there’s no shortage of products, education, and new technology that our businesses can leverage to conserve the water supply.

Four Products to Help You Reduce Water Usage

1. Dilution Control Systems

In addition to reducing the use of chemicals and being safer for humans, dilution control systems also help save water. In this type of system, the cleaning chemical is automatically diluted with a pre-specified proportion of water to chemicals. The proportions are set based on the manufacturer’s recommendations or the customer’s needs, and they ensure that the exact amount of water needed is used each time no more, no less.

2. Cleaning Machines & Equipment

Cleaning machine and equipment manufacturers have taken notice of the increasing number of businesses who’ve started to see the value of more sustainable business practices. As a result, newer models have become very efficient, using only the water needed to clean the floor. Keep an eye out for equipment that’s achieved the CRI certification such as the Advance AquaPLUS Battery Carpet Extractor or the Advance Spectrum Vacuum.

3. Microfiber Cloth Material

Microfiber material is specially designed to allow cleaning professionals to pick up dirt, dust, and trash electrostatically. That means minimal water is needed to get things clean. Plus, since products made with microfiber material tend to last longer and can be washed hundreds of times, your business will produce less waste.

4. Automatic Water Faucets & Flushing Devices

New, eco-friendly automatic water faucets and flushing devices and low-flow toilets can significantly reduce the amount of water used in a facility’s bathrooms. In fact, in a case study published by Cleanlink, a Class A office building cut thousands of dollars off their water bill in a one-year test of Rubbermaid’s ecoUrinal and AutoFaucet.

In fact, URIMAT manufactures waterfree urinals which could make your restrooms even more efficient, plus they have a replaceble trap that prevents the build-up of organic matter, such as urine deposits and fats, in waste pipes which eliminates odor issues often seen with waterfree urinals. By eliminating the need to flush, a waterfree urinal can save, at a minimum, as much as 300 gallons of water each day in a typical office building.

Moreover, all these devices serve to make your restrooms more hygienic as well because they’re touch-free.

WAXIE’s Educational Resources for World Water Day 2019

1. Rethinking Our Water Resources

For a previous World Water Day, WAXIE’s Briana Smith wrote an informative post that detailed the Future of Wastewater and Greywater. Give it a read or send it to a colleague to gain an understanding of the important role wastewater and greywater plays in the present and future of water conservation.

2. WAXIE’s Water Conservation Page

At WAXIE, conserving and reusing water is not something we talk about once a year… it’s a vital part of every day in our customers’ businesses and our own. Head to the Water Conservation page to learn more about what you can do to reduce water usage, the products that’ll help you do it, and what droughts mean for our country’s future.

3. Water Conservation-related Blog Posts to Read

We’re always thinking up new ways to help your business conserve water. And we’ve collected all our ideas—from water-friendly landscape planning tips to the value of microfiber technology, and everything in between. Head on over to see all our water conservation-related blog posts.

4. Case Study: Phoenix, Arizona’s Water Conservation Planning

Even in certain parts of developed countries, especially in the Southwestern United States, water supplies are increasingly at risk. Phoenix, Arizona is a prime example of a developed city whose water is at risk but they’re taking a bold, proactive approach to this problem. To learn more about how they’re addressing the crisis, read this story by the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Sciences.

Emerging Technology to Keep an Eye On

Orange County’s Toilet-to-Tap System: While recycling wastewater has been done since the late ‘60s in a limited capacity, as the OC Register points out, “no groundwater systems are of the scale of Orange County’s.” Of course, not everyone’s onboard as residents have a difficult time stomaching the idea of drinking what was once wastewater. But this type and scale of water recycling innovation is worth learning from.

Design Innovation in Pipe Sizing: At the Emerging Water Technology Symposium, Stephen Buchberger, Ph.D., and Department Head of Civil & Architectural Engineering and Construction Management at the University of Cincinnati presented a new approach to pipe sizing that “will improve the water and energy efficiency of every building that is designed using the new method.”

Further Reading and Promotional Materials for World Water Day

Adjusted for population, the United States is the world’s largest consumer of water. This puts us in a position to make a significant difference for the rest of the world. To get the word out, share this post and explore the UN’s World Water Day website for stories, facts, and promotional materials.

Chris Meyer is content writer for WAXIE who leverages his background in facilities technology to discover and deliver educational insights to readers who want to make the world a cleaner, more efficient, and sustainable place. Chris has Bachelor’s Degrees in English and Finance from University of Hawaii at Manoa.