1-06-2026

Sustainability Guide: How to save water in the workplace

A practical guide to help organisations to reduce water use, cut costs and support their sustainability goals.

Water is essential to all business activities and operations. By understanding what you use, you can not only operate more efficiently but also cut costs, strengthen resilience and reduce your environmental impact. In this guide we look at the challenges facing businesses, practical ways to improve your water use, and the benefits you’ll see as a result.

As SMEs account for 99.4% of all enterprises in Wales, your business can play an important role in reducing your water use and minimising your local environmental impact.

The challenge

The changing climate, to warmer winters and drier summers, is putting Wales’s water supply under pressure. Businesses, particularly those that rely on water-intensive processes, need to manage their demands to ensure that enough clean water is available for communities and the environment.

Steps to reduce your water use:

Measure and monitor your water use to better understand where you can reduce waste. This could include monitoring your water when it is not being used to help identify leaks.
Educate your team on the importance of water efficiency so they can contribute effectively to your water-saving goals.
Work with your water supplier and ask if they can help assess your water usage or help to design a water efficiency plan.

If you own any buildings or premises, you could also consider:

Investing in green infrastructure such as green roofs to allow for better water management and rainwater harvesting. This could include smaller scale projects such as bike storage.
Installing water-efficient devices such as waterless urinals, efficient flush toilets and automatic sensor taps.
Installing leak detection on all water services in the building, including pipework and pumps.
Harvesting rainwater by collecting rainwater on-site to reuse in your business. This could be simple as installing a rooftop gutter and storage tank.

You can also look at making changes along your supply chain to reduce your indirect water use. This will have the added benefit of reducing your indirect energy use too.

The benefits for business

Reducing water consumption can have tangible benefits for your business, as well as to the community and the environment. Using less water can help your business to:

Save money by managing your water use effectively.
Enhance your reputation by demonstrating your commitment to wider sustainability goals.
Bring your staff together to make positive changes improving team cohesion whilst raising awareness of environmental issues.
Improve your resilience – by using fewer resources and implementing measures that help your efficiency, you can more easily manage supply disruptions and challenges, and help future-proof your business.