Balfour Beatty’s ‘2020 vision commitments’ include the reduction of water use, to go beyond industry benchmarks and set new standards.
In an article in The Times newspaper yesterday (6 June), Lord Chris Smith addressed the risk of drought affecting parts of the UK after the driest spring on record.
He pointed out that water was a finite, precious commodity that needs to be conserved.
“During the course of May, East Anglia has only had 20 per cent of its average rainfall for the month. Central, South East, and South West England have had around half of their average rainfall for the period,” the former Labour cabinet minister wrote.
He added: “Too often we assume that water is an infinitely available resource – when in fact it is a precious, finite and essential ingredient for life. We need to use it wisely. And to plan for, and manage, that use as best we can.
“Some businesses are showing a real lead in this. Industrial processes often use large quantities of water; so it’s hugely welcome that companies like SABMiller and Balfour Beatty are finding ways of reducing their demand for water, and that Levis are using up to 96% less water to produce their latest line of jeans. Farmers are beginning to invest in ways of storing more water during winter months in order to use during the summer. New buildings can be designed with water efficiency as well as energy efficiency in mind. And we can all try and use just a little bit less.”
Balfour Beatty aims to reduce water use throughout its supply chain.
In its own offices, the contractor has installed self-closing taps and waterless urinals. On construction sites it captures rainwater for vehicle/plant cleaning, concrete batching and dust suppression.
It is now planning to increase business awareness of the issues, risks and opportunities surrounding water use.
“We will develop a foot-printing tool to help us determine where reductions can best be made. We believe this will be a sector first,” the company states.
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