FMJ Facilities Management magazine providing industry-specific intelligence to FM and property professionals
Efficient water management has become increasingly more important in the UK, particularly in commercial settings, with the Environment Agency warning of potential water shortages in England by 2050
This World Water Day (22 March), Angela Nilsson, Divisional Managing Director (Service) at Stuart Turner Group, is discussing why a comprehensive approach, which includes strategic planning, enhanced worker training and a focus on innovation, will create better water management strategies that deliver for businesses and the environment.
Current challenges
In the UK, the average daily water consumption per person is 142 litres. Alarmingly, 47 litres of this is wasted due to inefficient appliances, faulty plumbing, and careless habits. This issue is exacerbated in commercial buildings, where up to 30 per cent of water is lost due to poorly maintained and inefficient equipment, leaks, and poor process control.
These significant figures reflect the broader challenges the industry has faced over the past decade, underscoring the pressing need for innovative solutions and the continuous development of workforce skills.
With growing budget pressures, businesses have been compelled to closely scrutinise their spending, which potentially leads to deferred maintenance and a subsequent increase in emergency callouts. Additionally, environmental changes such as heavy storms, increased flooding and periods of drought, have placed further strain on networks exacerbating these challenges.
There has been a growing tendency for water companies to bundle frameworks, combining multiple specialisms (e.g., water boosting, electrical, air conditioning) under broader categories like building or facilities management. This approach, while seemingly efficient, can lead to a lack of specialised expertise. Consequently, opportunities to optimise systems or implement more modern solutions are overlooked. This is where a strong collaborative approach is needed.
The need for expertise
Perhaps one of the largest obstacles affecting the entire technical sector, as well as construction, is the ongoing skills shortage, which significantly impacts how water management is handled.
The depletion of UK engineers can be attributed to many factors, including an outdated perception of the role to the lack of uptake in education. The ageing workforce means 19.5 per cent of engineers currently working in the UK are also due to retire by 2026, leaving a major experience gap.
Developing a skilled workforce is integral to addressing the UK’s water management challenges. This includes understanding that each level of expertise plays an important role in supporting networks across the UK- from apprenticeships to more advanced certifications.
Understanding the importance of utilising all technical knowledge and aligning tasks through a tiered approach is vital. This structure not only supports personal development but also ensures the availability of appropriately skilled personnel for various tasks. Using the latest software for efficiency, and placing a nationwide team of field-based engineers strategically near customers, will ensure reactive and efficient delivery and a reduced carbon footprint.
By prioritising employee development, fostering a supportive work environment, and embracing innovative solutions, businesses can contribute to a more sustainable future.
The importance of planning
Having a consistent water supply is of paramount importance, particularly when it comes to critical water users or high demand sectors such as hospitals, care homes, prisons, schools and universities. Historically, the industry focus has been on extending the lifespan of water management assets; many see this as value for money, and understandably, there is always pressure on minimising capital expenditure on replacing assets if it can be avoided.
However, maintaining older, less efficient equipment, such as fixed-speed pumps, can lead to increased energy consumption and higher long-term costs. Investing in more energy-efficient alternatives, such as variable-speed pumps, offers significant long-term savings. Not only this, newer technologies and products in this arena can offer greater savings and a reduction in operating issues and breakdowns when compared to older systems that may have become worn and outdated.
Engaging with specialist partners like Stuart Turner and AGM to deliver comprehensive planned preventative maintenance (PPM) is invaluable for proactively identifying and addressing potential issues before they lead to breakdowns. This approach enhances the reliability of systems and optimises the efficiency of commercial plant rooms ensuring consistent performance and reduced operational disruption.
Looking toward the future
Innovation is also a priority to reduce energy consumption while improving water boosting and pressurisation levels. Taking a bespoke approach to each project is also key. Asset surveys of plant rooms can provide a healthcheck status, helping to identify efficiency savings and provide improvement actions.
As well as implementing more planned approaches, and supporting more expert knowledge, the adoption of new products and systems is essential to pushing the sector forward. This includes AI-powered leak detection systems, smart water meters, or water recycling technologies such as rainwater harvesting, are all areas we in the service team at Stuart Turner are keen to explore.
Efficient water management does not come from one sole decision, it is a collective approach that relies on collaboration from all. Only when we start to open the discussion and change our perspective can we truly see the potential for better water management, and we all play a part in making these changes.
