Water Audits

Water Audits For Business

One of the very first steps that we do here at H2o Building Services to help you reduce your business water bills and save money is to carry out a water audit.

Doing so means we can find any historical billing issues where you may have been overcharged, as well as making potential water-saving recommendations to reduce usage and lower costs.

What is a water audit for a business?

A desktop water audit will compare the water usage of your business, including volumes, with what you’re being charged for.

This is a detailed assessment that aims to identify inefficiencies across your entire site, as well as opportunities to save costs and conserve water.

Onsite inspections can also be carried out to check for leaks, analyse water meter accuracy and assess current technologies to ensure more accurate billing and minimise water consumption.

Your water usage will also be compared against industry standards in your sector to further identify areas ripe for improvement.

At H2o Building Services, we begin with an in-depth analysis of your historical water bills. We ask for a complete record of water supply and wastewater billing, going back at least 12 months. If you operate multiple sites, bills will be requested for each one and from each supplier.

We also request details of how water is used at each site you operate to give us an idea of actual use onsite to compare against your bills. Information we may ask for includes:

• Staff levels
• The number of public toilets
• Details about car valeting bays
• Swimming pool capacity/plunge pool details
• Gym, pool and leisure club membership numbers
• School and college pupil/staff numbers, as well as details of leisure facilities, catering and laboratories etc

For manufacturing, process and plant operations, which use high volumes of water, more in-depth information may be requested, including copies of trade effluent bills and effluent flow sampling/monitoring data.

Once all relevant information has been collated, a preliminary desktop report is produced within ten days.

What are the benefits of a water audit for UK businesses?

There are many benefits associated with having a water audit of your business site carried out. These include:

Lower bills

You can reduce your water bills following an audit, as it will help you identify weak areas across your site, ensuring that you can implement the most appropriate water-saving solutions and update these over time as the needs of your business change.

It is often possible to achieve a 30 per cent reduction in charges for water supply and wastewater disposal.

Apply for refunds

A review of historical water bills means you can apply for refunds for instances of overcharging in the past.

We regularly find grounds for clients to claim funds for recharging, with typical returns ranging from between £500 and £500,000.

More predictable billing

Business success hinges on accurate budgeting and forecasting, both of which can be facilitated following a water audit, as you’ll enjoy greater insight of how you use water and how charges are made.

Greater operational efficiency

An audit will highlight any wasteful practices you may be unaware of, while suggesting infrastructure updates and behavioural adaptations that can improve water usage efficiency without compromising productivity.

Improved risk assessments

Water audits will also help you identify potential areas for risk that could affect your business, from supply chain disruption to water contamination. This enables you to develop mitigation strategies that will make your business more resilient.

Enhance environmental reputation

Consumers are increasingly keen on spending with businesses that have strong environmental values and codes of practice.

Water conservation, upheld by regular water audits, will reduce the strain in local resources, make your business more sustainable, reduce your overall carbon footprint and ensure that consumers look upon your brand more favourably.

Enhanced regulatory compliance

As environmental and water regulations tighten in the future, you can avoid legal complications and fines by ensuring compliance with all relevant regulations by having regular water audits carried out.

How do businesses get overcharged on water bills?

Billing errors, leaks going undetected, incorrect tariffs, complicated structures, incorrect meter installation… there are many reasons why overcharging on water bills can happen.

These include:

Wastewater and surface water charges

Charging structures for water services can be complicated and it’s common for businesses to be charged incorrectly because of site area charges or miscalculations.

Incorrect tariffs

You may be moved onto a higher tariff without your knowledge, or the meter you have installed might be the wrong size, both of which can lead to you being presented with incorrect standing charges.

Out of contract rates

If your current contract with your retailer has expired, you may be paying higher rates than previously.

How to reduce water consumption in a business

A water audit will reveal the most effective ways in which your business can reduce water consumption. These will likely include:

Water leak detection & repair

Water leaks are hard to find unless you identify a spike in usage through regular bill reviews. They take place hidden away below ground or are so small that they’re barely noticeable until you see structural water damage start to appear.

Smart meter installation can monitor usage in real time and identify issues on the network quickly, allowing you to intervene before significant amounts of both water and money are wasted.

Water-efficient fixtures & fittings

Becoming more water efficient onsite will likely include installation of low-flow appliances, taps with aerators, motion-sensor taps, automatic flushing systems and so on.

Rainwater harvesting

You can collect the rainwater that builds up on the roofs of your buildings and use it for non-potable applications such as laundry, car washing, toilets and watering plants, thereby reducing your reliance on mains water.

Greywater recycling

A greywater recycling system will allow you to reuse domestic wastewater from sources such as washing machines, laundry, sinks and showers. It can be used for toilet flushing, irrigation and so on.

Best practices for business water management

Water management strategies can be implemented by businesses of all sizes to enjoy significant water savings and environmental benefits.

These include:

• Creating waste usage goals for every team and department
• Carrying out a water audit
• Regular water bill reviews
• Holding regular water efficiency training sessions
• Creating awareness schemes
• Taking regular water meter readings
• Install sub-meters to monitor usage across different parts of your site
• Smart meter installation
• Following a proactive maintenance schedule for water systems

Common water usage issues for UK businesses

A water audit will reveal which, if any, water usage and consumption issues your business is currently facing, including:

• Worn-out fixtures and fittings
• Old and inefficient appliances, industrial equipment and plumbing systems
• Undetected water leaks
• Poor estate-wide water monitoring
• Fragmented reporting systems
• Lack of staff awareness

Water audit costs for business

Typically, onsite water audit costs will depend on the geographical location of your business, ranging between £500 to £800 per day. If you’d like to find out more, get in touch with the H2o Building Services team today.

Water efficiency grants for businesses in the UK

Investigating the different water efficiency grants available for UK businesses can help you claim back certain costs. Funding programmes include:

Enhanced Capital Allowance

Here, businesses are able to claim back 100 per cent of the first year’s allowance for qualifying water-efficient equipment, including for uses such as toilet flushing and laundry.

Industrial Energy Transformation Fund

Bigger companies may be able to take advantage of this scheme, where funding for investments in low-carbon and energy-efficient tech can be matched.

Innovate UK

If you’re in the technology, manufacturing and/or engineering sector, you may be able to get a grant for innovative projects that focus on sustainability.

Water Management Grant

This grant is currently closed but it’s worth keeping an eye on it as future rounds may open up once again.

You can apply for grants to fund capital items to boost farm productivity through more efficient irrigation, the use of best practice irrigation equipment and farm reservoir construction.

Water audits: Call H2o Building Services today!

Working with H2o Building Services means you can take full advantage of our 30 years in the industry and our outstanding track record of saving organisations of all sizes large sums of money on their water bills.

There’s no commission taken on savings and refunds, with all professional costs and fees agreed upon up front. You keep every penny you save.

For a free no obligation preliminary desktop audit, get in touch with the team today.

Water Audits – H2O Building Services – Infographic

As the first step to saving you money from your water bill, H2O Building Services will carry out a water audit. An audit will compare your water use, including volumes, with what you are charged for.

Download Water Audit Infographic