UK businesses are being urged to consider a fresh approach to managing their water usage and disposal through a new sustainable management concept, which promises to underpin business resilience and generate cost savings.
An alliance of four expert water related companies has come together to launch SWiM -Sustainable Water Management for innovation, investment and infrastructure –a pioneering approach to guiding businesses or major projects towards a fully integrated and sustainable approach to managing water.
The SWiM concept looks to build business resilience by promoting and optimising the use of on-site water resources such as surface water, rainwater, greywater and groundwater via borehole extraction.
“It’s the logical approach, really,” explains David Schofield of Hydro Consultancy (the consultancy arm of Hydro International), which is collaborating with specialist commercial water consultants Cadantis, rainwater harvesting specialists Aquality and drilling contractors Geotechnical to launch SWiM.
“While 2012 has been confirmed as the second wettest on record, statistically the UK saw more days in drought than in flood during the whole of last year. Meanwhile, our precious groundwater resources continue to be depleted at an alarming rate.
“Some major business users consume vast amounts of high-quality potable water for everything from toilet flushing to cooling tower supply, irrigation to vehicle washing. Consequently, they pay a high-quality price for it, too.
“Meanwhile rainfall generally runs off the impermeable surfaces of their buildings, car parks and yards. Quite often it is held back in underground tanks before being discharged off-site sometimes to become someone else’s problem –in many instances the water company is supplying the same potable water they are consuming.
SWiM can deliver a real commercial advantage to companies by helping them to integrate their water management in a genuinely sustainable manner. It will also help them to demonstrate Corporate Social Responsibility.”
The alternative sources of water can be used for a wide range of applications including, irrigation, laundry, toilet flushing, vehicle washing or even potable consumption (with appropriate treatment). Above or below ground storage traditionally used for managing surface water runoff can be designed to operate as multi-benefit structures.
Through SWiM, a business is guided through the different project stages required to deliver a bespoke, integrated water management solution, from initial project appraisal through to detailed design, construction and turnkey commissioning if required.