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Water efficiency

What is water efficiency?

Water efficiency means promoting the sustainable use of water, while using solutions that enable comprehensive reductions in the waste of domestic water. Implementing water-efficient measures makes it possible to substantially save on water, energy, and costs.

While water efficiency and water conservation both promote the responsible use of water, they are two different things.

Water conservation is the effort to reduce the direct consumption of water. Everyday examples of water-saving measures in households include turning the tap off while soaping up your hands, showering only briefly, using dishwashers and washing machines only when full, and fixing leaks quickly.

Water efficiency, on the other hand, aims to make the use of water sustainable to a broader extent. The idea is to both reduce unnecessary water consumption and make water consumption more sustainable by focusing on responsible solutions for the use and supply of water.

In other words, water efficiency means reducing the water used by water functions without compromising the comfort and convenience of your water supply. Examples of solutions promoting long-term water efficiency are technology that measures water consumption, water-saving fittings and environmental certifications for properties.

Water efficiency around the world: reducing costs and taking responsible environmental action

There is a real need for water efficiency around the world. An increasing number of people are faced with water scarcity and the cost of water is constantly rising. Clean water is not an infinite natural resource, not even in Smartvatten’s home country of Finland, the land of a thousand lakes.

Implementing water-efficient measures can lead to substantial savings in the operational costs for property management, and can be directly felt in the pockets of shareholders, investors, owners and end users. Water costs are the largest individual cost of property management, when taking into account the complete sum of the costs of sewage, heating water, and water supply. A property’s water efficiency can also affect the costs of district heating, something you can learn more about here.

Water efficiency further aims for more ecological and sustainable uses of water. The drought many countries have experienced in recent years has had significant impact on the availability of potable water. Drought, excessive use of water, and changes to the soil are all examples of what affects that clean water. This means that how people use water and what kind of water-efficient measures they take has a significant impact on whether or not water resources will be sufficient for the future.

Water-efficient measures save water and money

The water efficiency of properties can be improved by a number of different measures, the most common of which are water-efficient measures, the impact of which is exponentially positive. As housing companies reduce their water pressure and flow rate and water fittings and appliances are designed to save water, these actions will prevent both the waste of water and unnecessary costs in the long term.

Which measures enhance water efficiency?

Environmental certifications for properties. Numerous green construction certificates take water efficiency goals into account as part of sustainable construction. Ecofriendly construction is a sustainable trend, the focus on which will only increase in the coming years.

Correct water pressure levels. It's a significant and unnecessary waste of water when the water supply is set at an excessive pressure level, which often happens in apartment buildings around the world. Flow rates should be set at a level where water can flow smoothly to the highest floors and is still sustainable.

Technology to measure water consumption. Once real-time data on water consumption is available, it can be used to implement water-saving measures that will have a permanent, positive impact on reducing water waste. A small water leak that's not noticed in time, for example, can lead to thousands of euros in waste and damage.

Water-saving water fittings and appliances. Measures like water-saving shower heads and dual-flush toilets can save up to dozens of liters of water every day per end user.

Energy-efficient household appliances. An everyday example of water efficiency is to invest in technology that avoids wasting water, like low-water-use washing machines.

Smartvatten – your partner in water efficiency

Smartvatten exists to improve water efficiency around the world. We provide solutions that promote responsible and cost-effective water consumption in your property.

All our solutions are based on measured data that we collect using real-time remote water consumption monitoring. Having access to accurate, high-quality information will enable you to implement solutions that make water efficiency an integral part of your sustainable energy use.