GOOD PRACTICE: Proven technology and techniques for profitable environmental improvement

GG26GUIDE

SAVING MONEY THROUGHWASTE MINIMISATION:REDUCING WATER USE

© Crown copyright. First printed March 1996. This material may be freely reproduced except for sale or advertising purposes.

SAVING MONEY THROUGHWASTE MINIMISATION:REDUCING WATER USE

This Good Practice Guide was produced by the

Environmental Technology Best Practice Programme

Prepared with assistance from:

W S Atkins Consultants Ltd

March Consulting Group

Aspects International

With particular acknowledgement for contributions from:

Pilkington’s Tiles Ltd Stoves plc

Chloride Motive Power Batteries Ltd Borden Decorative Products Ltd

J W Lees and Company Lever Brothers Ltd

Colgate-Palmolive Ltd Milliken Industrials Ltd

The Environmental Technology Best Practice Programme is a joint Department of Trade and Industryand Department of the Environment initiative managed by AEA Technology through ETSU and theNational Environmental Technology Centre.

The Environmental Technology Best Practice Programme promotes the use of better environmentalpractices that reduce business costs for UK industry and commerce.

The Programme concentrates on two ‘permanent themes’ to achieve its aims:

WASTE MINIMISATIONManagement methods for systematically reducing emissions to land, water and air.

COST-EFFECTIVE CLEANER TECHNOLOGYTechnological solutions for reducing waste at source.

While these themes are applicable to every industrial sector, the Programme supplements them byfocusing on ‘areas of special attention’ which can either be an industrial sector or a particularpollutant.

The Programme provides all areas of industry and commerce with information and advice onenvironmental technologies and techniques. This is achieved through the elements described on theopposite page.

For more information about the Programme please phone the Environmental Helpline on 0800 585794

Proven technology andtechniques for profitable environmental improvement.

Good Practice Guides are handbooks

that provide detailed guidance on

proven technologies and techniques

that save money and reduce waste

and pollution.

Good Practice Case Studies are prime

examples of proven, cost-effective

technologies and techniques that

have already improved environmental

performance. Independent experts

evaluate projects that have been

implemented in industrial companies,

and the details are published in

Programme literature. In return for

co-operating with this process, host

companies are eligible for access

payments of up to £10 000.

New technology andtechniques for profitableenvironmental improvement.

The aim of New Practice is to help UK

industry and commerce to adopt new

technologies and techniques that

save money and reduce waste and

pollution.

New Practice Case Studies are the

first commercial applications of

innovative measures that improve

environmental performance. As with

Good Practice, independent experts

evaluate the projects and the details

are published in Programme

literature. In return for co-operating

with this process, host companies are

eligible for access payments of up to

£50 000.

Tomorrow’s technology andtechniques for profitable environmental improvement.

This is the Programme’s Research

and Development element.

It supports work progressing novel

environmental technologies and

techniques. The results of Future

Practice projects are published to

encourage companies to take up

successful developments.

GOODPRACTICE

NEWPRACTICE

FUTUREPRACTICE

BEST PRACTICE IN ACTIONenvironmental improvements that save money

ENVIRONMENTAL PERFORMANCE GUIDESthe benchmark for profitable environmental improvement

ENVIRONMENTAL HELPLINE 0800 585794the gateway to the Environmental Technology Best Practice Programme

The Programme’s Environmental Helpline has access to a wide range of environmental information. It offers

free advice to companies on technical matters, environmental legislation, conferences and promotional

seminars. For smaller companies, a free counselling visit may be offered at the discretion of the Helpline

Manager.

Environmental Performance Guides contain data on current environmental performance for a particular

industry sector, technology or operation and are compiled on the basis of replies to confidential questionnaires.

The Guides enable individual companies to compare their performance with that of others undertaking similar

operations and to identify potential areas for improvement.

For more information about the Programme please phone the Environmental Helpline on 0800 585794

While water costs may appear insignificant, the true cost is considerably higher than the basiccharges for supplying water and discharging effluent. Pumping, maintenance, capital depreciationand treatment costs should also be considered, as well as the value of lost materials.

Inappropriate use of water could cost a company 1% of its turnover, with half being technically andcost-effectively recoverable. Minimising the ‘hidden costs’ alongside water purchase costs andeffluent charges would save £10 000/year for a company with a £2 million annual turnover.

This Good Practice Guide outlines a systematic approach to reducing the costs associated withwater use and wastewater disposal. This procedure, which can be incorporated within existingmanagement systems, stresses the importance of:

■ involving all members of staff from senior management to plant operators;

■ developing a clear, easily understood plan;

■ determining the true costs of water consumption and wastewater generation;

■ identifying all water inputs and outputs;

■ drawing up a water mass balance;

■ allocating annual water consumption between major users;

■ brainstorming to generate water saving ideas;

■ implementing all feasible options;

■ maintaining savings.

The Guide also explains that reducing water consumption is both compatible and consistent withreducing contaminant concentrations. The approach needed to minimise water consumptionsuccessfully is also applicable to reducing contaminant levels in wastewater and may produceadditional cost benefits.

The potential cost savings and other benefits of reducing water consumption are highlighted in aseries of Industry Examples. All these successful water saving schemes are selected from projectsundertaken by participants in the regional waste minimisation club, Project Catalyst.

This Good Practice Guide is one of a series of three complementary Guides on waste minimisation.The others cover the use of raw materials, and teams and champions. Both are available freethrough the Environmental Helpline on 0800 585794.

S U M M A R Y

Section Page

1 Introduction 1

1.1 Industry examples 1

1.2 Adopt a systematic approach 2

2 The use of water 3

2.1 Water supply 3

2.2 Water disposal 3

2.3 Typical uses 4

2.4 Reducing contaminant levels 5

3 Costs associated with the use of water 6

4 Other benefits of reducing water consumption 8

5 Developing a water reduction programme 9

5.1 Who should be involved? 9

5.2 The plan 9

6 How to reduce water and wastewater costs 11

6.1 Draw up a water mass balance 11

6.2 Allocate consumption 12

6.3 Identify water saving ideas 13

6.4 Analyse different options 14

6.5 Maintain savings 14

6.6 Report success 16

7 Action plan 17

C O N T E N T S

This Good Practice Guide describes the costs associated with water use and wastewater disposal andoutlines a cost-effective procedure for reducing these costs. Participants in UK waste minimisationclubs have already achieved significant cost savings and waste reduction by applying this procedureto wastewater generation.

Other Good Practice Guides in this series are Good Practice Guide (GG25) Saving Money ThroughWaste Minimisation: Raw Material Use and Good Practice Guide (GG27) Saving Money ThroughWaste Minimisation: Teams and Champions. Both are available free through the EnvironmentalHelpline on 0800 585794.

1.1 INDUSTRY EXAMPLES

The nine Industry Examples (see Table 1) on the loose-leaf sheets in the back of this Guide describethe achievements of some of the participants in Project Catalyst, a regional waste minimisation clubcovering the Mersey Basin region. It is hoped that their success in reducing costs will encourageother companies to consider how they can reduce both water consumption and wastewatergeneration.

Industry Company Title

Example

1 Pilkington’s Tiles Ltd Wastewater reprocessing at a wall tile manufacturer

2 Chloride Motive Power Batteries Ltd Site water savings at a lead acid battery manufacturer

3 J W Lees and Company Tank room water savings at a brewery

4 Colgate-Palmolive Ltd Site water savings at a soap manufacturer

5 Stoves plc Recirculation of cooling water at a cooker manufacturer

6 Borden Decorative Products Ltd Site water savings at a wallpaper manufacturer

7 Lever Brothers Ltd Ongoing savings at a detergent manufacturer

8 Milliken Industrials Ltd Reduction in dye volumes at a carpet tile manufacturer

9 J W Lees and Company Wort cooling water reduction at a brewery

Table 1 Good Practice Guide 26 - Industry Examples

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1.2 ADOPT A SYSTEMATIC APPROACH

Companies considering a water and wastewater minimisation programme are advised to investigateall possible options before selecting the most appropriate for their circumstances. They should notbe tempted to simply follow one of the Industry Examples described in the Guide. Such a piecemealapproach will not necessarily produce the maximum savings possible nor will it generate a systemthat allows savings to be maintained and improved.

The recommended method of reducing water and wastewater use and the associated costs is toadopt the systematic approach described in this Guide. This approach will enable a company toidentify cost-effective, achievable savings.

Once savings opportunities have been identified, an effective system of Monitoring to Manageshould be implemented. Such a system will provide managers with the information they need tomaintain control over water and wastewater costs.

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PROJECT CATALYST

The Mersey Basin has one of the major concentrations of industry in the UK and it isrecognised that industry is a significant contributor to pollution of the threeenvironmental media: air, water and land. Project Catalyst was initiated to achieve andpromote cleaner production through waste minimisation in the region’s businesses,including manufacturing and service industries.

The project involved the participating companies’ sites in conducting a systematicaudit and monitoring programme to identify waste minimisation opportunities asdemonstration models for other companies to follow. It introduced managementsystems and training into the participant companies to ensure that the improvementscontinued as part of the company philosophy after the project had been completed.

Further details are available through the Environmental Helpline on 0800 585794.

In the UK, the use of water tends to be taken for granted. The perceived low costs are not regardedas significant and the infrastructure for its supply and removal is poorly understood.

2.1 WATER SUPPLY

Industry and commerce consume considerable quantities of water each year. This water is obtainedin two ways:

■ supplied by the local water company through the mains water system as potable water, ie water that is fit to drink;

■ abstracted directly from rivers or boreholes sunk into an underground aquifer.

A particular site may use water from several sources, eg from the mains, a river, a borehole, a canal,etc, depending on availability, quality and cost. Before it can be used for a particular purpose, thewater may require treatment. Treatment processes include solids removal, pH adjustment,deionisation, chlorination, deaeration, sterilisation, etc. These treatment processes usually generatetheir own wastewater flows.

2.2 WATER DISPOSAL

Virtually all the water supplied to a site, factory or office is returned to a river or the sea by:

■ direct discharge;

■ via the sewer and the local sewage treatment works.

Some of the water entering a manufacturing site leaves that site either as emissions to theatmosphere (eg due to drying operations) or in the site’s products (eg in the food and drinkindustry). However, these amounts of water generally form a small part of total consumption.

Wastewater may need to be treated on-site before being discharged either to a watercourse or tothe sewerage system.

Fig 1 shows a typical cycle for water taken from a river by industry and commerce.

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Licensed abstraction of water, by industry, totalled 1 420 million m3 in 1993. Non-domestic (ie mostly industry and commerce) use of water from the public supply wasapproximately 1 600 million m3/year in 1993/94. Hence, total water use by industry isaround 3 000 million m3/year.

Digest of Environmental Protection and Water Statistics No. 17 1995 (Department of the Environment);

Waterfacts 1994 (Water Services Association); 1993/94 Report on the Cost of Water Delivered and Sewage

Collected (Ofwat).

Fig 1 Generalised flow of water to industry or commerce

A saving in water consumption - and therefore purchasing costs - usually leads to a saving inwastewater volumes and thus disposal costs. A reduction in water consumption may also reduce theenvironmental impact of any subsequent discharge to a river.

2.3 TYPICAL USES

Water is used for different purposes depending on the nature of the business and the processescarried out. Table 2 lists some typical uses, together with the normal source of water for eachcategory.

Purpose Description Typical source

Cooling To remove heat from rotating machinery. Direct from river (when available).

To reduce the temperature of process Returned directly to river.

materials. Borehole.

To condense vapours.

Processing Direct contact with raw materials and Mains water.

products to dilute, mix, heat/cool,

separate raw materials and products.

Cleaning Used during maintenance activities to Mains water.

clean equipment for:

- hygiene reasons;

- product quality reasons;

- product changeover.

Sanitary Used by people for drinking, washing Mains water.

and flushing toilets.

Steam raising Generation of steam for process heating. Mains water.

Treating Abnormal events where water is used to Mains water.

spills/leaks/drips dilute and disperse.

Table 2 Typical uses of water

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At Pilkington’s Tiles Ltd wastewater volumes decreased by up to 100 000 m3/year. (See Industry Example 1)

2.4 REDUCING CONTAMINANT LEVELS

During its passage through a site, water becomes contaminated with various soluble and insolublechemicals. A frequently expressed initial concern is that a significant reduction in water use willincrease the concentration of these contaminants. Since both disposal costs and legislativerequirements tend to be concentration-based, it can be argued that there is no benefit fromreducing water consumption.

There are two major reasons why this argument is wrong:

■ Dilution is not the solution to pollution. Current best practice and the basic approachrequired by the Environmental Protection Act 1990 is to minimise all emissions at source andnot to simply dilute them down to an apparently ‘acceptable’ level.

■ Contaminant levels should be reduced as well. The approach required to minimise waterconsumption successfully is also applicable to reducing contaminant levels in the water.

The need to reduce water consumption is both compatible and consistent with reducingcontaminant concentrations.

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Chloride Motive Power Batteries Ltd achieved a saving of nearly £8/tonne of lead processed, by separating out the oxides from contaminated water.

This meant that both the oxides and the water could be recycled, and represented annual water-based savings of £110 000.

(See Industry Example 2)

One of the early priorities when implementing a programme to reduce water and wastewater costsis to identify the true cost associated with the utility. In general, this is unknown and sometimesmistakenly regarded as too low to be of concern.

The many possible components making up the total cost of water use are listed in Table 3. The truecost may be more than three times the total amount charged for supply and disposal.

Component Comments

Purchase price If mains water, this is usually charged per m3, and paid monthly. The cost is

currently set to rise at a rate greater than inflation.

Disposal price If discharged to sewer, this is usually charged per m3, and paid monthly. The cost

is currently set to rise at a rate greater than inflation.

Trade effluent charges are usually levied (on the basis of the Mogden formula) to

account for the chemicals present in the effluent, eg chemical oxygen demand

(COD), suspended solids content, etc.

Pumping costs Distributing water on the site incurs a pumping cost. The amount of electricity

used by the pumps is a function of:

- flow rate;

- distribution pressure;

- pumping efficiency.

Maintenance costs These are associated with:

- pumps;

- flow meters;

- corrosion of, or deposition in, pipework and equipment.

Maintenance of the pipework distribution system also incurs a cost.

Capital costs Excess capital costs will be incurred if the water supply system is not minimised

during the design stage of either a new supply or extension of an existing supply.

Treatment costs Costs are associated with treatment prior to use and/or treatment prior to

discharge. These costs are made up of operating costs (usually per m3) and

depreciation of capital costs.

Loss of valuable materials These include raw materials, products, by-products and treatment/cleaning

chemicals.

Table 3 Cost components of water use

In general, those responsible for water use within a manufacturing process are not responsible forits supply, disposal or costs.

In many cases the actual consumption of water by a particular manufacturing area of the site is notknown. It is therefore allocated as a proportion of the site’s measured consumption. However, thisapproach tends to encourage the incorrect notion that water is a fixed cost in the manufacturingmanager’s budget.

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The allocation of costs and how to manage them are discussed in more detail in Section 6.

Purchase and disposal costs for the whole site are usually known accurately from the invoices sentby the water company. However, the additional costs can be significant. Pumping costs,maintenance costs, capital depreciation costs, treatment costs and the value of lost materials shouldbe identified in order to estimate the true costs of water use.

While water costs may appear trivial compared with turnover (1 - 2%), in absolute cost terms theyoften represent a significant amount of money, eg £20 000 - £40 000/year for a company with anannual turnover of £2 million. Both water purchase and disposal costs are also increasing at a ratehigher than inflation. Significant reductions (up to 80%) can be achieved with paybacks that areacceptable to management (see the Industry Examples in the back of this Guide).

Cash flow is also improved as the savings result in lower monthly bills.

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Although the main perceived benefit of reducing a site’s water consumption is cost savings, thereare several other potential benefits.

■ Avoiding potential bottlenecks. The water company’s piped distribution system meansthat the supply of water to a site is relatively fixed. Increased supplies may not, therefore, beinstantly available for a site wishing to increase production and thus requiring more water.

Providing an increased water supply can be both expensive and time-consuming, dependingon the site location, the distribution network, the water company’s priorities, etc.

Reducing the consumption of water per unit of output is often the most cost-effective wayof avoiding a potential supply problem.

■ Helping water company planning. Water companies often produce medium-term andlong-term water demand estimates, which are then coupled with plans for new or upratedwater supplies.

The high capital costs of providing new supplies mean that there can be benefits to the watercompany - and hence to their customers - of a systematic approach by industry andcommerce to reducing water consumption, despite the short-term loss of revenue to thewater company.

■ Environmental benefits. Even after appropriate treatment to comply with consentconditions, the discharge of effluent to the river or sea may still have an impact on thataquatic environment. Reducing the amount of material lost in wastewater reduces its impacton the environment as well as saving money.

Any reduction in water consumption may also be linked to a reduction in the environmental impactassociated with supplying water, especially if water is abstracted from a river. The environmentalbenefit is doubled when both water abstraction from the river and wastewater flow to the river arereduced.

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5.1 WHO SHOULD BE INVOLVED?

At the beginning of the project, the following should be involved:

■ site management;

■ the project team (see Section 5.2.1);

■ the team leader.

However, all employees have a contribution to make and this should be encouraged. For example,during the data collection stages (see Section 6.2.1) some employees can be involved by beingasked about their use of water or asked to help with data collection. Other employees may beinvited to attend brainstorming meetings (see Section 6.3) where water saving ideas are thrashedout.

5.2 THE PLAN

Before embarking on a water and wastewater minimisation programme, it is important to have aclear and easily understood plan. Without an effective plan:

■ not all the achievable savings are identified;

■ the exercise becomes a one-off ‘purge’;

■ ongoing savings are not pursued;

■ employees are not motivated to help;

■ implementation of ideas is difficult;

■ the programme loses momentum and disappears.

5.2.1 Elements of the plan

To be successful, the plan needs to be written down in a concise manner. The elements of asuccessful water reduction plan are:

■ Scope of work

The plan should state whether:

- The whole site is to be addressed or just one part. Addressing the whole site hasadvantages (see Section 6), but for a large site, one area or department could be selectedfor a pilot study.

- Water only will be addressed or water and contaminants simultaneously.

■ Programme

A timetable covering all the planned activities should be drawn up. The overall programmemay last 12 months or more. Monthly milestones are therefore important.

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D E V E L O P I N G A W AT E RR E D U C T I O N P R O G R A M M E

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J W Lees and Company’s three-stage action plan for minimising water use led to savings of over £650/week.

(See Industry Example 3)

■ Project team

A team approach, with representatives from all the appropriate departments, is the mosteffective. However, the team should not be allowed to become too large or bureaucratic.

Essential members include representatives from the departments responsible for the use ofwater (eg production) and for the supply of water (eg the services or utility department).

■ Team leader or ‘Champion’

This post is generally applicable to larger companies. A ‘Champion’ is a member of staffwhose role is to advocate water and wastewater minimisation throughout the company.‘Teams and Champions’ are the subject of Good Practice Guide (GG27) Saving MoneyThrough Waste Minimisation: Teams and Champions, available free through theEnvironmental Helpline on 0800 585794.

■ Training

The team’s training needs should be identified. Information on useful publications andfurther guidance is available through the Environmental Helpline on 0800 585794.

■ Reporting

Ways of promoting awareness and disseminating details of progress to the rest of the siteshould be developed.

It is also important to identify a method of reporting regularly to either the Chief Executiveor the site’s management team. In this way, the team’s work will be recognised and becomepart of the site’s management system.

■ Resources

The resources needed to carry out the programme should be defined and approved. As aninitial guide, the team leader should allocate half a day each week during the early stages;team members will require less time.

■ Management systems for ongoing improvement

The need for ongoing improvement should be recognised and accepted by the team. Basicrequirements for maintaining savings (see Section 6.5) should also be considered.

■ Techniques and methodology

The systematic approach to be adopted should be defined (see Section 6).

■ Commitment and motivation

It is important to ensure that the team:

- knows why the work is being done;

- knows what it hopes to achieve;

- is aware of any constraints imposed on the programme;

- is able to communicate effectively;

- is motivated to achieve success;

- is committed to the task.

It is also important to review these aspects regularly.

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Colgate-Palmolive Ltd encourages participation from as many people as possible within the Company. Identifying all areas of water use has led

to an annual cost saving of £186 000. (See Industry Example 4)

Before examining ways of reducing water and wastewater costs, it is necessary to determine thetrue costs of water supply and disposal (see Section 3) and to carry out a survey of water use aroundthe site.

6.1 DRAW UP A WATER MASS BALANCE

The amount of water entering a site equals the amount of water leaving the site. This simpleobservation is called the water mass balance. Quantifying the components making up a site’s watermass balance is a powerful technique for identifying waste.

6.1.1 Annual water consumption

The first step is to determine the quantity of water consumed by the site over the last 12 months.Possible sources of data include:

■ water company invoices;

■ site meter readings;

■ operating data from site distribution pumps, ie pump flow rate x operating hours.

If there is more than one source of water (eg mains, river, borehole, etc), then each source willrequire consideration.

6.1.2 Effluent volumes

The amount of wastewater discharged as effluent over the same period should be obtained bysimilar means. The data may need to be adjusted to allow for the presence of various contaminantsin the wastewater. However, in many cases, this is not necessary because the total concentration ofcontaminants is relatively low.

6.1.3 Data validation

This is essential to ensure that accurate data are being used as the basis for action. Validation canbe achieved by comparing the volume of water entering the site, over a 12-month period, to thevolume leaving the site. Inputs must equal outputs (see Fig 2).

Fig 2 Site water inputs and outputs

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It may be necessary to allow for:

■ water removed through drying operations and discharged as vapour directly to atmosphere;

■ water removed in the product;

■ the addition of rainwater (see below).

While a balance of ±10% is acceptable, a balance of greater than 20% generally indicates anerror. If the error cannot be found, try to complete the balance for each quarter of the year or, ifpossible, for each month. If the error is present in each time interval, then it is likely that a keymeasurement is suspect, eg meter calibration. If the error varies from one period of time to thenext, then there is more likely to be a specific cause, eg an effluent meter may have beentemporarily out-of-order. It may be necessary to estimate volumes to allow such information gapsto be filled.

Rainwater

The route taken by rainwater needs to be assessed carefully. If all the rainwater enters the effluent,then the input is the annual rainfall multiplied by the area from which the rainfall drains. Forexample, if the rainfall is 1 m/year, this represents 10 000 m3 of water per hectare discharged fromthe site (1 hectare is equivalent to 10 000 m2). If this volume of water exits the site alongside thetrade effluent, unnecessary disposal charges will be incurred. To avoid a charge, rainwater shouldbe collected - provided it is not contaminated - and discharged to a surface drainage system.

Local or regional rainfall data can be obtained from the Meteorological Office.

6.2 ALLOCATE CONSUMPTION

The site’s annual water consumption can now be allocated between key areas. Ideally, theconsumption of each relevant item of equipment or key activity (eg cleaning operations) should bedefined.

6.2.1 Data collection

Useful data can be obtained from:

■ equipment suppliers;

■ design specifications;

■ spot check measurements, eg disconnecting a pipe allows a flow rate to be estimated bymeasuring how long it takes to collect a known volume;

■ estimations, eg in a laundry, the daily water consumption could be estimated from theknown volume of the machines and the number of times they are filled each day.

Relatively crude estimates are adequate for ‘trivial’ flows as the main purpose of this exercise is todistinguish the handful of major water users from the many minor ones.

However, it is important to determine total actual consumption and not rely on what is believedto be used.

Total annual estimates of water consumption should agree with the mass balance estimates toapproximately ±10%. A discrepancy of greater than 20% indicates that one or more of the useshas been missed.

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A site’s measured water consumption is often greater than the calculated quantity for identifiedplant items. Common reasons for this discrepancy include:

■ use of historically accepted data, not current data;

■ use of ‘normal’ or design data, not actual data;

■ cleandown water or ‘abnormal’ use is missed;

■ cooling water flow rates are higher than estimated;

■ areas or equipment that use water are left out of the calculation.

Collection of these data provides a valuable opportunity to involve a more diverse range ofemployees in the water minimisation programme.

6.2.2 Data display

The collected data should be displayed in a suitable format, showing individual water consumptionsin order of value.

The data can be expressed as a:

■ histogram of water consumption versus source of use, showing consumption figures indescending order of magnitude;

■ pie chart;

■ horizontal bar chart showing consumption in proportion to the width of the bars;

■ simple table.

A display that uses pictures is invaluable for disseminating results.

A good display shows the relative consumption of the ‘important few’ consumers that account forthe majority of the water used at the site. Adding the annual cost of the water to the display willhelp to emphasise the distinction.

6.3 IDENTIFY WATER SAVING IDEAS

Brainstorming is a technique whereby a team generates as many ideas as possible for solving aproblem. In this case, each significant area of consumption can be brainstormed to generate ideasof how to reduce the use of water at source.

6.3.1 The brainstorming team

The members of the brainstorming team need not be the same as the main project team. Otherstaff may be included who have either knowledge of the area to be brainstormed or the ability tothink creatively and be innovative.

6.3.2 The brainstorming sequence

■ Give an initial reminder of the project objectives, the current cost of water, and the need toreduce water consumption.

■ Describe the area or activity to be brainstormed. A flowsheet is often useful for this purpose.It should be explained by someone familiar with the area.

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6Stoves plc used colourful 3-D pie charts and other computer graphics to report the

saving of some £35 000/year to their employees. (See Industry Example 5)

■ Remind the team of the rules of brainstorming (see Fig 3).

■ Brainstorm and write down the ideas.

■ Stop after a set time or when new ideas stop coming.

■ Rank the ideas for likely success, likely effect on waste generation, and likely cost ofimplementation.

■ Agree those ideas to be pursued.

Fig 3 Rules of brainstorming

Starting with the largest water user, the process should be repeated down the list of users to thepoint where, say, 80% of water use has been covered.

6.4 ANALYSE DIFFERENT OPTIONS

The ideas generated by the brainstorming meeting will involve changes to systems, equipment andprocedures. Further work will be necessary to ensure the feasibility of these ideas and to determinethe costs and savings associated with each option.

Those ideas that prove to be technically, economically and environmentally acceptable should beformally reported to the site management, the main project team, and all those concerned. TheIndustry Examples demonstrate that the payback for water saving ideas is usually sufficiently shortto ensure that they are implemented.

Once approval has been given, water saving ideas can be implemented.

6.5 MAINTAIN SAVINGS

Once the main options for reducing water and wastewater have been identified, the programmecan be continued by various means, including:

■ departmental competitions;

■ suggestion schemes;

■ appointment of ‘water wardens’ as the primary contact in each area of the site.

In many cases, a system for continuous improvement will already exist at the site.

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At Borden Decorative Products Ltd, a water saving programme was incorporated into the existing Total Quality Management approach,

saving the Company an extra £143 500/year. (See Industry Example 6)

It is only when the continuous striving to reduce water and wastewater costs becomes part of asite’s normal management system that the approach becomes permanently successful.

6.5.1 Monitoring to Manage

A system should be set up to provide managers with the information they need to manage.Monitoring to Manage will help to:

■ maintain the achieved savings;

■ create the basis for ongoing improvement;

■ demonstrate success.

The simplest and most effective parameter to calculate is the water consumption per unit of output,eg m3 per cell, m3 per roll, m3 per tonne of product, etc. For a large site, it may be necessary toinstall water meters at key positions to enable the allocation of water to the different site areas orproducts to be measured.

Production data will already be available. However, it is important to establish a system for bringingtogether the water consumption data for an appropriate period of time (eg weekly) and thecorresponding production information.

Use of trend charts

The consumption per unit output parameter should be displayed versus time as a trend chart (see Fig 4). These data should be available to all employees. However, the statistical display must beaccompanied by the key messages.

Trend charts not only highlight success, they can also indicate failure. Any tendency to drift back toold ways can therefore be detected and corrected before problems arise. In addition, the reasonsfor any short-term improvement should be investigated so that the improvement can beimplemented permanently.

As experience is gained, a more sophisticated monitoring system giving more accurate data can bedeveloped. For example, when several different products are produced with the same equipment,the basic parameter for each different product could be incorporated into the evaluation modelinstead of using the overall product output.

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Chloride Motive Power Batteries Ltd calculated water consumption by tonne of leadprocessed, and saved nearly £8/tonne, a total of £110 000/year.

(See Industry Example 2)

6.6 REPORT SUCCESS

Successes should be reported in simple, clear, non-jargon English to maximise understanding by allemployees. Possible reporting methods include:

■ bulletins;

■ posters;

■ newsletters;

■ company magazines;

■ company prizes;

■ accounts reporting.

Trend data is one way of demonstrating success (see Fig 4).

Fig 4 Annual water use at Chloride Motive Power Batteries Ltd

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‘We used to use 27 m3 of water per tonne of lead. We now use 17 m3 per tonne,saving over £100 000 per year. Well done everyone!’

Stan Hilton, Site Engineering ManagerChloride Motive Power Batteries Ltd.

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A C T I O N P L A N7

Gain inspiration and motivation by looking at what other companies haveachieved.

Get people involved.

Appoint a team leader and team members.

Draw up a plan and a timetable of planned activities - a good plan is a simpleplan.

Determine the true costs of water use and wastewater disposal for your site.

Decide whether to address contaminant levels as well.

Draw up a water mass balance of water inputs and outputs to your site.

Allocate consumption between uses.

Rank uses in terms of annual water consumption.

Concentrate initially on the major uses of water.

Brainstorm to obtain water saving ideas appropriate to your situation andprocesses.

Analyse options for technical and economic feasibility.

Implement all ideas that are acceptable and particularly no cost/low cost options,eg good housekeeping.

Report success in a way that will motivate all employees.

Maintain savings, eg through Monitoring to Manage.

Seek further improvements by integrating waste minimisation into existingmanagement systems.

If necessary, obtain help. The Environmental Helpline (0800 585794) can:

send you copies of relevant Environmental Technology Best Practice Programmepublications;

suggest other sources of information;

arrange for a specialist to contact your company.