By Biba Hartigan

Water, water everywhere and not a drop to drink. In the last two years we've had the worst droughts and the worst floods in a century. Thanks to last summer's deluge, our groundwater supplies and reservoirs are full. However some areas of the UK are still suffering acute water stress. London is drier than Istanbul, and the south east of England has less water available per person than the Sudan.

The south east simply has too many people, placing the highest water consumption in the area with the lowest rainfall. Similar problems are emerging in areas of new build all over the country. And it's not just the water that's the problem. Treating and pumping water uses 2% of the UK's total energy supply.

Whether you run a small office or a large manufacturing plant, each business has individual water needs. According to Waterwise, the key to water efficiency is reducing waste not restricting use and all businesses benefit from engaging staff in water conservation. Raising awareness of the importance of saving water can be half the battle.

The first thing to establish is whether you have any leaks. Check your water metre some time when there should be no water use. If there is a change, there's a leak. A dripping tap could waste more than 5,500 litres a year. A burst pipe could waste thousands of litres a day and cause major structural damage. Lag all water pipes to prevent burst water pipes in winter and, by insulating hot water, less water and energy is wasted.

There are some very simple things to do to reduce water use in the workplace. If you don't have dual flush toilets, obtain a water saving device from your water company. These go in the cistern reducing every flush by one to three litres. When refurbishing, consider waterless urinals.

Aerated taps give the sense of a strong flow of water while reducing the actual flow by up to 50%. You don't have to change your taps; Tapmagic is a device that can be fitted to existing taps, reducing water consumption and saving energy. Aerated shower heads do the same job.

Alert staff to the water wastage of power showers which can use even more water than a bath and ask them to restrict showers to five minutes. Canteen and washroom equipment should be water and energy efficient and it's worth considering whether waste water can be reused elsewhere.