waterwise checkmark for offices · toilets and retrofitting dual flush mechanisms or cistern...
TRANSCRIPT
Waterwise
Checkmark
for Offices
April 2019
We are facing greater pressure on water resources in the UK due to climate change,
population growth and the need to protect the environment. A report by the National
Infrastructure Commission set out a 1 in 4 chance over the next 30 years that large
numbers of households and businesses will have water supplies cut off for an
extended period of time. It estimated the economic impact of severe restrictions in
England at between £25 and £40 billion.
Waterwise is an independent, not-for-profit organisation with the vision that water will
be used wisely, every day, everywhere. We developed the Water Checkmark to
improve water use by products, appliances and in a range of business settings.
Offices are a key area where we can reduce water use. On average water savings
from simple water efficiency measures could be between 30% and 67% (based on
Thames Water Smarter Business Visit Programme).
Attaining the Checkmark for your office can help can help you demonstrate to staff,
stakeholders and customers your sustainability credentials.
Introduction
This document has been produced to help building owners, facility managers, building engineers and designers to meet the Waterwise Checkmark requirements.
Checkmark application process
Where is water used in the office?
Benchmarking water use
Reducing your water use
Completing your application
Application Checklist
What is in this guide?
Download the forms from waterwise.org.uk
Use guidance and checklist to meet Checkmark standard
Submit forms to Waterwise
Independent review and assessment
Award Decision
You can use this guidance to support you in completing the Checkmark for Offices application
form, and take the opportunity to improve your water efficiency along the way.
We will need evidence of your water using activities to be provided alongside the application, so
as you go through the guide think about taking photos, downloading data or jotting down
information about your site to make the application really stand out.
Checkmark application process
Water use is influenced by fittings such
as taps and toilets, but also the actions
of office users - both are important.
Actions Matter!
Toilet Flushing
Hand Washing
Cleaning
Urinals
Showers
Canteens and
kitchens
Where is water used in the office?
“You can‟t manage what you can‟t measure” is really important when considering water
efficiency. Access to billing or metering data can help you identify how efficient your office is and
regular meter reads can also help to identify any signs of leaks, or unexpected usage.
You can find out information about your meter reads, and therefore your water use, from:
Your water bills from your water retailer.
Reading your water meter.
Accessing any water monitoring system provided by a building management or water
management company that might be in place.
You will ideally want to collate water use information over at least one year to understand any
trends in consumption. The more frequent your meter reads, the more you can understand about
patterns in consumption, such as how variable consumption is if the number of people in your
office varies a lot.
When you apply for the Checkmark you will need to provide us with evidence that you monitor
and understand the water use at your office—for instance you could provide us with screenshots
of monitoring or copies of your water bills.
Benchmarking water use
FLOOR SPACE
If you have a highly variable number of staff in the
office, then you might find it useful to consider a floor
area factor for benchmarking. Simply divide your water
use, in m3 per year by the net lettable floor area of
your office in m2.
OCCUPANTS
If staff numbers are quite stable, or you have relatively
few occupants for the size of space then you will
probably find it useful to benchmark water use on a
per occupant basis. Simply divide water use, in m3 per
day (you can assume 253 days in a year unless you
know differently) by the number of people occupying
the office on a normal day.
If your calculated consumption is
higher than around 0.55m3 per m2
per year then it is highly likely you
could save water
If your calculated consumption is
lower than around 0.55m3 per m2
it’s a great start, but you may still
be able to make savings If your calculated consumption is
higher than around 15 litres per
person per day then it is highly likely
you could save water
If your calculated consumption is
lower than around 15 litres per
person per day it’s a great start, but
you may still be able to make savings
Saving water in the office isn‟t all about refurbishment and new
fittings. Whilst it is great to consider water efficiency when
bathroom and kitchen facilities are refreshed, there are low and
no cost actions that can be taken at any time to save water.
The way we use fixtures and fittings can be as important as
the fitting itself and so we encourage signage, tips and
reminders for office users so that making water-saving
decisions is at the forefronts of their minds every time they
use a tap, or flush the toilet. We have provided hints and tips for suggestions that you can put on
posters and stickers over the next few pages.
Of course, retrofitting or replacing older high water use fixtures and fittings will also help to reduce
water use and we have included details of the performance of some of today‟s most efficient
products as well as information on retrofitting activities that can save a lot of water with every use.
Finally, one of the biggest sources of wasted water in offices are dripping taps, leaky loos and a
lack of maintenance. Ensuring that office users can readily report problems and that these are
dealt with quickly and efficiently is important for a successful Checkmark application.
The more participation you achieve from
office users, the more water you will save!
Reducing your water use
Between 5 and 8% of all toilets are thought to be
leaking and it could be invisible to the eye.
Each leaking toilet could be wasting as much
water as a needed to supply a whole household
each day—up to 400 litres!
Did you know?
Toilets are considered water efficient if they:
Are low flush volume (4.5 litres) single
flush
Are dual flush (6/4 litres or better)
Are older and retrofitted with a cistern
displacement device such as a hippo or
„save-a-flush‟.
Actions you can take in the office include:
Checking the flush volumes of your
toilets and retrofitting dual flush
mechanisms or cistern displacement
devices.
Ensuring flush buttons are labelled.
Posters and signs to remind users not
to dispose of anything other than pee,
poo and paper down the toilet.
Routinely check toilets for signs of
leakage using an over-night test with a
piece of toilet paper.
You may also wish to consider if your toilets
could be flushed with rainwater from your
roof if you are considering major
refurbishment.
Toilets
Urinals
Urinals are considered to be water efficient if they
are controlled via a mechanism that ensures they
only flush when the building is occupied.
The most basic form of this is to have a timer that is
set to match office occupancy hours—although this
can mean that flushing occurs during weekends
when the building might not be used.
Intelligent urinal controls include infra-red sensors
that flush when a person is detected.
You will also want to check that the volume of water
being flushed is not too high—the fill should be at a
rate not exceeding 10 litres per hour for a single
urinal.
Waterless urinals are also available that use a
variety of systems to prevent blockages and odours.
Urinals only need to flush when the
offices are in use—clever flushing control
is key to efficient water use.
Control is vital
USER CONTROL AND FLOW
Taps can be considered efficient based on both the
flow rate they deliver, and also the manner in which
they are controlled. A very low flow basin tap that can
be left running will still waste a lot of water!
User controls that help to restrict the run time include:
Percussion (push top) taps
Infra red sensor taps
Ask users about the run time—do they find it too short
or too long and re-calibrate as necessary.
THE CONSTANT DRIP
Drippy taps can add up to a lot of wasted water, so its
very important that they are identified and repaired
quickly. Putting signs up to encourage users to report
any signs of dripping, and then fix them quickly!
Drips can often be fixed by replacing washers or
ceramic cartridges depending on the type of tap.
Intelligent taps can drip or malfunction as well. If water
gets on a sensor it can cause the tap to run
continuously. Again, encourage users to report
problems or alert users to simple fixes.
Basin Taps
Basin taps and flow regulators are available that have
flows as low as 1.7 litres per minute. For hand washing
very low flows are appropriate, but if basin filling is
required then consider a slightly higher flow rate.
Basin taps can also be fitted with aerating technology
that results in the feel of a higher flow to users.
Showers
Providing showering facilities for staff is increasingly popular. It is important to make sure as more
people use such facilities that they have low flow rates whilst still providing a good shower
experience, and that short showers are encouraged.
Actions you can take in the office include:
Provide shower timers and put up posters
encouraging short showers.
Make sure pipe work is lagged to reduce the
length of time before the shower warms up.
Test the shower flow rate and see if your
shower is suitable for retrofit with a more
efficient shower head or flow regulator.
If in a hard water area, regularly descale
shower heads to ensure good performance.
If installing new showers, consider some of
the latest technologies that exist for saving
water and energy use.
Showers are typically considered efficient if they
have a flow rate less than 8 litres per minute.
It is not recommended to change the shower head
on an electric shower, but most other types can
successfully be retrofitted to reduce flows.
Did you know?
Rinsing cups and spoons under a running tap is one
of the least efficient ways to wash crockery. Try
encouraging teams to wash mugs together in a bowl
of water—water saving and team building!
DISHWASHERS
Using a dishwasher uses less water and less energy
than washing up by hand. Put up posters and signs
making sure it is full before being put on, and look at the
water use specification when investing in a new
appliance—details are found on the energy label.
Kitchens
WASHING UP BY HAND
Many offices contain plants to provide a healthy
working environment, and others may have grounds
that require landscaping and maintenance.
If possible, simple rainwater collection should be used
to provide water for plant watering. It may be possible
to connect guttering to a water butt, or larger rainwater
collection vessel,
Landscaping should be carried out sympathetically to
the climate conditions on site—using drought resistant
planting if needed and minimizing the need for
watering.
If you are considering a major refurbishment it may be
possible to retrofit rainwater harvesting systems that will
allow you to store and use water more widely.
Plants and Landscaping
Many plants will enjoy being watered
with rainwater rather than tap water as it
is the correct pH and contains no
groundwater minerals.
Rainwater
Regularly descaling taps and showers can help to
ensure continued good performance and reduce
the likelihood of drips occurring.
Did you know?
Issues with dripping taps, leaking loos or leaks
on pipework are wastes of water and need to be
identified and fixed rapidly.
Ensure you have a system in place and person
responsible for maintenance within and around
the office, and know who can be contacted—
plumbers, building owners and water retailers—
should an emergency arise.
You can save energy as well as water by
lagging hot water pipes to taps and showers.
Actions you can take in the office include:
Having posters and signs up to make
sure people know who, or where, to
report any maintenance issues.
Routinely inspecting water using
fixtures and fittings, particularly less-
well trafficked areas.
Monitoring water use on site for signs
of leaks breaking out.
Running campaigns or activities to
engage users in the water use and
maintenance of their office building.
You could also publicise water savings or
actions taken as a result of maintenance
activities to encourage more, or faster
reporting of problems.
Building maintenance and leaks
Completing your application
We hope this guide has been useful in helping to identify what a water efficient office might look
like. As you go through your application consider the ideas presented in the guide and provide us
with evidence of the steps that your office is taking.
We welcome photos, copies of posters, monitoring, action plans or even videos if it helps to
demonstrate that water efficiency is important to the office and
users of it.
Please provide as much information as possible so that our
assessors can determine whether or not your office meets the
requirements of the Checkmark for Offices. We don‟t expect all
offices to have everything outlined in place and we do
understand that sometimes the infrastructure or design of a
building can make some actions difficult.
You should read the scheme terms and conditions when you
complete the application form, and submit the completed form
along to [email protected]. Evidence of your payment for
the scheme will be needed before the application is assessed.
What happens next?
Your application will be logged into our
system and assigned within 5 days to
one of our assessors.
Your application will be reviewed and all
evidence you have provided considered.
The assessor will decide whether the
office can be awarded the Checkmark.
If you are successful, the assessor will provide feedback to the
scheme manager including a clear statement of why the application
meets the criteria, or an aspect that was particularly impressive
that can be used in marketing materials and promotion.
We will provide you with a certificate for display in your office and
the logo along with guidelines on its use. We will also request a
statement from you for use in promotional materials as we are
keen to publicise successful applicants and celebrate water saving
achievements with you.
Independent review and assessment
Award Decision
Application Checklist
Before you submit your application, use this checklist to remind you of the types of activities that
you should tell us about, and finally… good luck!
Metered water use and regular monitoring, smart
meters and leak alarms
Dual flush toilets, cistern displacement devices,
urinal controls
Aerated or low flow taps and tap controls
Water efficient showers
Dishwashers
Rainwater collection and use
PHYSICAL
Posters and notices encouraging water saving
in and around the office
Competitions you‟ve held to promote water
saving
Wider water saving tips you promote
Shower timers, washing up bowls and other
devices to help people take water saving actions
Maintenance logs and ease of reporting drips
and leaks that are spotted
BEHAVIOUR
Your notes, thoughts and ideas
For more water efficiency tips and information
please visit www.waterwise.org.uk
Phone: 020 79172826
E-mail:[email protected]
180 Piccadilly
London
United Kingdom
W1J 9HF