Often it’s everyday things that we take for granted and are easiest to overlook. We know water can easily fall into this category, especially when you have a busy farm to run. But when your business is in the sector that’s the second largest user of water in the UK - and it’s a critical daily necessity - it’s always worth pausing to give water another thought.
In April 2017, for farmers, as for all businesses, the way you pay for the water you use and your wastewater services changed.
The ‘traditional’ water companies are still responsible for getting clean water to farms and taking away wastewater. They’re now referred to as wholesalers. What has changed though is that you pay for this water and wastewater through a water retailer, like us. Retailers do the billing, take meter readings and provide support with customer service.
One thing that hasn’t changed in England and Scotland is who’s responsible for the water pipes. Once inside a farm’s boundary the water pipes, above and below ground, there, maintanence and repair arrangements, is down to the farmer.
It’s important to keep this in mind because a farmer is responsible for the cost of all the water delivered to their site – even if it’s lost in a leak. And sometimes these can be underground and out of sight.
On a busy working farm it’s easy to put leaking pipes and equipment aside for another day but the cost of these drips can soon add up.
There’s some simple things you can do which don’t take up much time, can reduce the amount of water you use - or might be losing - and can make a real difference to the size of your water bill.
If you suspect you have a hidden leak on your land then we have some tips on how to carry out your own checks.
Remember, you can submit meter readings through our online My Account service where you can also access your bills - and print or download copies - at times that suit you. Register for My Account today.
We have a leak detection and repair service to help find where leaks may be. There is a charge for this service but in the last year alone our team saved business sites just over £2million on water that would otherwise have been wasted. Our Advanced Services team can let you know more about our services and you can get in touch with them at advancedServices@water-plus.co.uk
You may also want to explore the option of a data logger on your water meter or all your water meters, if you have multiple sites.
These provide a flow reading and data loggers across a number of sites are a good way to track consumption levels, to see where and when water is being used and potential areas for savings. Email our team at advancedServices@water-plus.co.uk to ask about this option. Please note, there is a charge for providing and installing data loggers, but if used correctly the savings you can make should easily cover the cost.
**The saving figure in this blog is an estimated annual cost if the leak at the business had not been repaired or isolated. Figures are for leaks the Advanced Services team at Water Plus was contacted about between 2 November 2017 and 16 October 2018.