Breakthrough Issue 2 SPA02 | Page 64

Taking a fresh look at water use and wastewater can deliver more than just financial benefits
IMPACT

Rethink water

Taking a fresh look at water use and wastewater can deliver more than just financial benefits

More than ever , companies are finding themselves under public scrutiny for their environmental impact . Organisations simply can ’ t afford to make decisions that may damage their reputation – especially when it comes to a fundamental necessity like water .

Greg Pilbrow Sales Director at Veolia Water Technologies UK ( Veolia )
Evaluate your water usage and risks to protect business continuity and reputation
When we think of water usage , we often think of the direct operational costs . However , operational risks can prove even more costly . It is standard practice for many businesses to consider only the direct cost of water , including the operational costs ( OPEX ) and investments ( CAPEX ) in water infrastructure . In these terms , the additional investment in new technologies is now much more viable as water-related costs increase and companies realise that water is a resource that sustains their day-to-day activities . When indirect factors are considered , however , the case for change is equally compelling .
Unforeseen failure or inefficiencies in your water treatment plant or laboratory could all bring an eye-watering hit to your finances as well as your results . City of London School , for example , had been unnecessarily using 300 litres of excess water per day due to an old laboratory
Greg and his team are responsible for finding water treatment solutions for all areas of healthcare and life science industries . Greg has 14 years ’ experience in water treatment , and works closely with engineering and marketing to implement business strategy
still taking almost a day to fill a container with distilled water , until a new reverse osmosis system was installed . And a large pharmaceutical corporation also recently estimated that downtime in production due to an interrupted water supply could cost them up to £ 3 million a day .
Water is embedded in nearly every aspect of industry operations , right through the supply chain – and pollution or water scarcity can have a huge knock-on effect to your organisation . UK companies can help to tackle this by evaluating their own water usage and taking measures to use and protect this precious resource . We are encouraging everyone to take a fresh look at how water is used – from the wastewater
being considered a waste and a cost , to it actually being considered a resource or something they can reuse . Through improved water management there are opportunities to boost business productivity and profits , and protect your reputation . The way we all think about water needs to be rethought .
Imperial College rethinks water
Imperial College London is one organisation that recently rethought water . The college needed to replace its ageing and costly laboratory water
© Somchaij / Shutterstock
64 | UKSPA breakthrough | Summer 2017