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World Water Day: March 22nd

This year’s World Water Day awareness day takes place on March 22nd, driving discussions about what water means to people, what its true value is and how we can take action to better protect this vital natural resource of ours.

The hope is that the day will encourage businesses and individuals alike to consider how important water actually is to home and family life, livelihoods, cultural practices, wellbeing and the local environment.

For households, workplaces and schools, water can mean hygiene, health, dignity and productivity, while for cultural, spiritual and religious places, it can mean a connection with creation, community and even oneself. For natural spaces, meanwhile, it can mean peace, harmony and preservation.

However, global water resources are now under extreme threat as a result of a growing population, the impacts of climate change and increasing demands of both industry and agriculture.

Because of economic development and a booming population, agriculture and industry are becoming thirstier, which means that water-intensive energy generation is now rising in line with this in order to meet demand. Climate change is also making more water resources more erratic, while contributing to pollution.

And as societies take steps to balance the demands now being placed on water resources, the interests of many people are not being taken into account.

The value that is placed on water determines how it is managed and shared – and it’s important to recognise that its value is about a lot more than just its price… it has enormous and complex value for health, education, economics and the integrity of the natural environment.

If any of these values are overlooked, the risk is that this finite and irreplaceable resource of ours will be mismanaged.

Businesses keen to do more to reduce their water usage and consumption may want to take this year’s World Water Day as an opportunity and inspiration to really start making inroads in this regard.

Having a water audit carried out of your business premises is a great place to begin with this ambition, as this will reveal any vulnerable areas across your site.

Once these have been identified, we will then be able to recommend the most appropriate water-saving solutions to help reduce wastage, which will have the added benefit of saving you money in the long run, as well.

An audit will compare your water use, including volumes, with what you’re being charged for to highlight any discrepancies that could have led to you being overcharged in the past. It’s possible that you could see a 30 per cent reduction in charges for water supply and wastewater disposal after having a water audit carried out! If you’d like to find out more, get in touch with us here at H2o Building Services today.