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Triple benefits of saving water

Sustainability Tips for Everyone Sustainability in Equine Practice
11 Apr 2022 BEVA

 

Using water resources in a responsible way is part of our commitment to build a sustainable future. Fresh water is a limited resource, vital for the most basic societal and environmental needs. Its availability is under increasing pressure due to factors such as climate change, and the rising population (European Environment Agency 2020). Rainfalls providing water resources are made more unpredictable by the effects of climate change, whilst the same amount of resources will have to be shared between an increasing number of people and activities. Meanwhile, a certain amount of blue water, carried by rivers, lakes and underground, will have to stay available to maintain their very flows (Waterfootprint 2022).

Fresh water perfectly exemplifies the complex interactions between the needs of the environment, society and businesses, in the face of limited availability.  It synthetises, in a single element, the broader picture of the environmental challenge. All dimensions have to be considered in order to obtain sustainability: such concept was formally expressed as the Triple bottom line by John Elkington (Thomopoulos and Embery 2013).

 

Triple bottom line by Elkington 1997 (in Thomopoulos and Embery 2013).

 

In an equine hospital, for instance, we can easily notice water consumptions related to people’s sustenance and business activities.

The employees of a practice can consume as much as they would in a domestic setting, which approaches 140 litres per day per person (Energy Saving Trust 2021).

Adding to that, the practice will have to account for the daily water consumption of each patient -25 to 30 litres on average- plus the amount needed for clinical activities, for repeatedly cleaning consult rooms and theatre.

There is a real wealth of useful information and measuring tools available on the web, such those provided by Waterwise (2021), which can help individuals and businesses to use water more wisely. That can be achieved either by reducing consumptions, installing saving devices and/or acting on maintenance. For instance, significant savings can be obtained by making sure that all the plumbing hardware works properly. It’s very surprising to know that fixing a dripping tap could spare up to 5000 litres of water a year (Ofwat 2021), or, that a seemingly harmless leaking toilet could be responsible for wasting 600 litres of water a day (Anglianwater 2019). To cut water consumption for surgical preparations, the Vetsustain Green practice checklist (2021) suggests using alcohol-based solutions, instead of running a tap, which can waste up to 12 litres in 2 minutes (Anglianwater 2019).

In addition, since 20% of the energy bill is linked to heating water, using less of it will not only reduce the water bill, but also the heating related costs (Waterwise 2021)

There are many ways we can save precious water resources, and each responsible act will have a triple benefit towards the environment, people’s lives, and our own business.

References:

Controlling your bill [WWW Document], n.d. . Ofwat. URL (accessed 8.28.21).

Greener Veterinary Practice Checklist [WWW Document], n.d. . Vet Sustain. URL (accessed 9.14.21).

Save Water – Waterwise, n.d. URL (accessed 8.28.21).

Simple ways to save water at home, 2021. . Energy Saving Trust. URL (accessed 8.28.21).

Thomopoulos, N., Embery, J., (2013). “Two birds with one stone: enhancing education for sustainable development and employability” in Richard Atfield, R., Kemp, P. (ed.)

Enhancing education for sustainable development in Business and Management, Hospitality, Leisure, Marketing, Tourism. pp.1-10

Water saving tips game [WWW Document], n.d. . Anglian Water Services. URL (accessed 8.28.21).

Water use and environmental pressures — European Environment Agency [WWW Document], n.d. URL (accessed 9.14.21).