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Tuesday October 7th 2008

Envirowise urges businesses to take advantage of bad weather

After one of the wettest summers on record, Envirowise is urging businesses to consider rainwater harvesting as an effective way to cut back on mains water usage and reduce costs.

Businesses in England and Wales currently use enough water to fill over 2.6million Olympic-sized swimming pools every year, with experts predicting that the fuel crisis could pale in comparison to the impact that limited water supplies and resulting price hikes could have if businesses continue current consumption levels.

According to sustainable business experts Envirowise, rainwater harvesting systems, which enable the collection, storage and conveyance of rain as a water source, could help UK businesses reduce dependency on mains water and future-proof operations against potential shortages and water price rises.

Rainwater can be utilised in many ways from toilet flushing through to cooling water in manufacturing processes, particularly as the 'soft' nature of the water means there is reduced limescale deposits. The benefits of using rainwater have caught on in many sectors, from the hotel and leisure industry, through to nurseries, gardens and sports grounds, who are using collected rainwater to help meet water needs and reduce mains water consumption.

Claire Sweeney, water specialist at Envirowise, a government-funded programme that offers practical environmental advice for businesses, says: “By utilising the rainwater that falls on the roofs of your site, you can reduce demand for mains water and assist local drainage by limiting the volume of rainwater reaching the ground.”

Tagged as: envirowise | water | waste

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