The first step to reducing water use is to begin measuring and monitoring it on a regular basis.

There are 2 main ways of monitoring water in your facility.

Monitoring how much water you pay for

You should have a system in place to analyse water use. This helps with benchmarking and early leak detection. It ensures you are only paying for the water you use.

There are 3 main ways to monitor water in your healthcare facility:

• scrutinise your bills
• read your water meter
• use an online logger installed on internal sub-meters or the mains meter to get a profile of daily water use

Monitoring the water you use

To reduce the amount of water used, you need a better understanding of where, when and why it is being used.

To understand this, and to get the most out of the water you are paying for, you need to address these 3 areas:

• daily use profile
• sub-metering
• survey of main water users

Find out more in our water efficiency - best practice guidance (PDF, 4MB, 24 pages)

Benchmarking water use

Benchmarking is a method to track water use over time and to compare water use in facilities. We have set up water benchmarks for healthcare facilities.

Find out more in our water use benchmarks fact sheet (PDF, 455 KB, 2 pages)

Leak detection

Detecting leaks helps to avoid wasting water, reduce expenditure, and prevents water contamination.

Our water leak detection fact sheet (PDF, 95KB, 3 pages) provides guidance to estates and maintenance managers.