The 20th to 27th August marks World Water Week and the Chartered Institute of Plumbing and Heating Engineering (CIPHE) is inviting all in the plumbing and heating industry to boost their efforts in educating the public on the importance of conserving water.
World Water Week’s mission is to create a more sustainable future by using knowledge to improve water governance. As part of the CIPHE’s role as an educational charity, the organisation’s CEO, Kevin Wellman believes that sharing accurate information is a fundamental step in making environmental progress.
“World Water Week is an important reminder for us all to redouble our efforts as an industry to reduce water waste however we can,” Kevin said. “When it comes to our homes, most of us are willing to make changes to help the planet but aren't aware of all the ways to do so. While it’s fairly common knowledge that some toilets and showers use more water than necessary, too many people are unaware of specific water saving devices, such as cistern bags or flow restrictors, or of product models specifically developed by manufacturers to be more efficient. More awareness of how to use systems more resourcefully is needed. A lot of this is where installers can be of service with expert advice.”
When it comes to water waste, one of the major factors is the number of leaks that remain unaddressed. Along with the environmental concerns of wasting water, there is also the added cost and potential property damage many customers will want to avoid. The CIPHE recommends installers offer a home health check to their customers in order to identify and remedy leaks and other areas of water and energy waste.
A home health check involves a competent and qualified engineer assessing a household’s water safety, heating, controls, hot and cold water services, above and below ground drainage, as well as renewables.
Kevin said: “Every day, plumbing and heating engineers are presented with the chance to have important conversations with customers. Discussions about the environmental impact home energy use must become daily occurrences with installers leading customers towards eco-friendly upgrades, additions and alterations to behaviours that might incur water or energy waste. Installers can use World Water Week as a reason to make a resolution to have at least one such conversation per day with their customers. It will likely save them money and will certainly help the planet.”