Ever wondered how your business can become water secure? General Motor's 2015 water costs rose by $2.1 million and its electricity costs by $5.9 million due to the 2015 drought in Brazil.

A company's profits can be drained by inefficient water usage and water loss. Smaller businesses than General Motors might not have survived such a drastic increase in costs. As CEOs and managers, you must remain proactive in your approach to building a water-secure business. The future is here and boy does the future look dry.

While exact numbers are hard to come by, UNESCO reports place the value of water to the economy at hundreds of billions of dollars globally. Yet, for all its apparent abundance, water is often a scarce resource. This fact usually goes unrecognised and leads to inefficient water usage and copious water wastage and here's why you should care.

Let's talk about the real issue

“What’s the issue?” you say. “We’ve got bigger fish to fry. The world is entering a recession, employees are leaving left, right and centre. And these blokes want me to focus on water? Are you even considering what you’re saying?”

We very much are. And you know what else is for real? The fact that even a single leaky faucet in an office can potentially lead to tens of thousands of gallons of water lost in a year. Now imagine dozens of faucets, leaking day and night, imagine those sprinklers someone left on an entire night, the swimming pool that was accidentally emptied. Do you hear that rushing sound? That’s your company’s water bill spouting ever higher. That persistent drip-drip? That’s the sound of your profits trickling down the drain. The austerity times call for smart managers to find ways to shore up profits. With the sheer inefficiency of water usage in most workplaces, there is some real low hanging fruit that just needs to be taken advantage of. So let us walk you through some easy to implement and super effective techniques toward achieving a water-secure future by improving efficiency and reducing wastage.

Measure to Manage Water

Water is as significant to the world’s economy as oil or data. More than 97 percent of the world's water reserves are saltwater. Most of the freshwater in the world is trapped in glaciers, leaving less than 1% available for human and ecological needs. Every year, we withdraw 4.3 trillion cubic meters of fresh water from the planet’s water basins. Our primary uses for the resource are agriculture (which accounts for 70 percent of withdrawals), industry (19 percent), and households (11 percent).

As Peter Drucker sagely put forth,” What gets measured, gets managed” It probably won’t shock you to know that most managers do not have a finger on water usage even in the hospitality industry. The average cost of water has increased over 55% in the past eight years in 30 major U.S. cities, which shows that conserving water is not only sustainable but also financially smart. An average hotel bill includes 10% water consumption. By implementing sustainable practices, hotels can reduce water consumption per guest by 50%. Here’s the thing, measuring water usage is…tedious and usually imprecise. That’s where we come in. That’s our cape streaming in the wind. Give us a second while we pause the Aquaman music.

What if we told you that we have a solution to your water woes? We have married technology and expertise to create a battery-powered device that uses ultrasonic vibrations for live water auditing. Not only that, it comes with inbuilt telemetry, letting you track these statistics on a phone, tablet or computer from anywhere in the world. Say goodbye to those tedious on-site inspections. But hold your horses, we also help you develop the needed know-how and infrastructure to ensure a water-smart future free from water stress. Data-driven monitoring using our suite of devices let you engage in live water budgeting and stay within your set goals.

Have a Plan, Man

So now that you’re equipped with state-of-the-art measuring systems, you need to conduct an audit. We have observed that the most common culprits are bathrooms, laundry, pools, and landscaping. Establish realistic goals for the reduction of waste by using the Pareto Principle or 80:20 analysis. It's a great idea to know your monthly water bill stretching back at least 3 months and have a target reduction in mind. You'll find it easier to educate and empower your employees when you have an idea in mind of what a water-secure future looks like for your organization.

How to Stem the Tide of losses?

The only way to ensure businesses don’t fall behind in efforts to become water secure is to be proactive and stay ahead of the game.

Washrooms and Toilets

• Washroom water usage can be reduced by up to 50% through smart monitoring and implementation of water-saving measures.
• Installing low-flow toilets and dual flush toilets drastically reduced water wastage
• Leaky faucets may seem like a minor issue but can lead to thousands of dollars in losses in a year.
• Faucet aerators mix air and water to produce a more misty flow.
• Encourage usage of showers instead of baths.
• Discrete signage encouraging water conservation for guests fosters a more environmentally conscious approach.

Laundry and Washing

• Laundry and Washing take up a sizable chunk of resources.
• Consider phasing out older units and investing in more water-efficient models.
• Explore soaking techniques that use less water.
• The use of greywater drastically reduces the amount of water wasted.

Pools

• Pools at hotels and resorts are often a signature attraction for guests.
• Strictly monitor drainage times to ensure pools are not accidentally drained.
• Flow monitors are simply essential for pools.
• Install pool covers; evaporation plays a significant role even at night time.

Landscaping

Beautiful landscapes are all the rage in offices and resorts alike. However vast swathes of turf and exotic foreign species represent major stresses to an organisation's water resources

• Monitor sprinkler usage and consider installing smart sprinklers that use AI to control watering.
• Use more native plant species that are adapted to the local climate. They consume considerably fewer resources than exotic species.
• Consider using artificial turf systems to save water without compromising on aesthetics.

Water is an invaluable resource. Sadly, most of us interpret this as meaning it has no value. As droughts ravage vast parts of the globe, water scarcity is becoming more and more of a reality. Reports say many of the world’s basins could see a supply decline of around 10 percent by 2030 and up to 25 percent by 2050.

The UN estimates that by 2050, a quarter of the global populace may live in a country affected by chronic shortages of freshwater. Some countries may face a 6 percent GDP decline due to the crisis by 2050, according to the World Bank.

Our smart measurement and analysis systems will allow you to achieve these goals and not only drive up profits but also save the planet. And that's kinda badass of you. So take the first step towards building a smart water-secure. Let us help you get off the ground and implement a bespoke water conservation system while staying cost-effective. Plus get round-the-clock support from our skilled team.