Skip to content
If you own or manage a school, college or university, you will know that water is a fundamental part of your annual budget and considerations throughout the year. Having access to water is a necessity for the health and hygiene of both students and staff. Ensuring access to clean water while adopting water saving methods wherever possible is a difficult balancing act.
Castle Water are the UK’s leading independent water retailer and have offered water saving advice and support to businesses in the education sector for over a decade. These measures have only gone on to improve, as the availability of water saving devices has grown and the education of pupils and staff on water efficiency measures has increased.
With schools, colleges, and universities closing soon for the summer break, it’s imperative that meter readings are taken before the buildings close and updated with your current water retailer. Castle Water customers can update their meter reading on their online portal account, or by getting in touch with our Customer Service team.
Water saving measures for schools and universities
There are several free and additional resources available to schools and universities to assist with water efficiency and cost reduction.
Focus Academy Trust, with a total of 8,000 students, switched their water and wastewater services to Castle Water and saved an impressive £7,500 a year on their water services bill.
Verulum School also reduced their water costs through Castle Water’s advice. After we helped them recover £13,600 from leak allowance, we found that one of their water accounts was being billed on an unmeasured tariff. Castle Water notified Verulam School of the account and about the value of having a meter installed. Verulam agreed this was the best approach and a new water meter was installed, saving the school further expense.
There are several other methods Castle Water customers benefit from to help reduce their monthly water bills. Here are just a few:
Switch business water retailer
One of the easiest ways to save money on your school’s business water bill is by switching to a water retailer offering a better rate and additional advice and resources to save water and reduce costs. Castle Water offers instant quotes to schools and universities through their online quote tool.
Water efficiency audit
A great way of checking to see if your school or university is doing everything it can to save water and reduce costs is by undergoing a water efficiency audit.
A tailored water audit at your business premises comprises innovative solutions and a joined-up approach to your immediate goals, plus potential compliance support and collaborative working to help you realise corporate social responsibility plans and ESG reporting.
During the audit, our experts will take a detailed look at water usage across the entire campus and will make recommendations of measures you can implement to decrease water usage or make more efficient use of wastewater and rainwater, efficiencies that could easily pay for themselves in just a few months.
Submit regular meter readings
Submitting regular meter readings at your school or university is the best way to ensure that you are only ever paying for the water you use and identifying leaks early. Education sector buildings should be taking meter readings and submitting them to their water retailer before closing for summer and winter breaks.
If left unchecked, leaks can contribute to costly water bills. When Swindon Borough Council detected an anomaly in their expected water usage, we helped them investigate and were able to track the problem down to a leak which was quickly repaired. The Council estimated that this saved them a quarter of a million pounds on their yearly water bill.
Recycling greywater
Greywater is the wastewater produced by sinks, showers, dishwashers, washing machines as well as rainwater collected from guttering. Rather than allowing this water to go to waste, you can opt to invest in a system that diverts wastewater and using it to flush toilets, water grounds and wash cars and pavements. The bonus is, you’ll end up paying lower wastewater charges due to the reduced output, and you’ll be recycling wastewater into a new purpose.
Integrating water saving devices
There are a multitude of water saving devices you can integrate into your school or university to help save water and reduce water costs.
One option in buildings such as schools that have a large number of communal toilets, are the installation of water saving bags into each toilet cistern, which can save up to three litres per flush.
Tap and shower aerators in campus accommodation, gyms and swimming changing rooms can save up to half of the amount of water normally used in these areas.
Other water saving devices that can require a higher investment are dual-flush toilet systems, urinal controls, waterless urinals and sensor taps.
Educate your students and staff
Informing your students and staff that you’re looking to reduce your water usage due to the effects overconsumption can have on climate and the environment can lead to these individuals making a positive impact on water efficiencies.
An increased awareness within young people on sustainability and water poverty, means that this population is already motivated to be part of an eco-friendlier and more efficient world.
Simple tips they can incorporate into their daily lives like taking shorter showers, turning off taps when brushing their teeth, and not leaving unnecessary taps running is key to making many small steps that result in a large stride.
Start becoming more water efficient today
For more water efficiency tips, read our water efficiency guide. It’s packed with easy and practical quick wins to help your school or university save water and money.
Interested in switching supplier? Castle Water has a variety of services on offer, including business water services, water saving devices and water efficiency audits. Get your instant online quote today.
