Review your infrequently used outlets
WTR09
Flushing of infrequently used outlets is a common feature of many water hygiene plans and a regular source of water waste.
Maintaining appropriate water hygiene is one of the many unappreciated tasks completed by building facilities teams. One of the central components of many water hygiene plans is the identification of water outlets which are infrequently used, these are a concern as the duration the water remains in the pipework could allow bacteria to multiply. To mitigate this it is commonplace to 'flush' or run the outlet for several minutes once per week to achieve a turnover of the water, replacing the older water with fresh water. This flushing is an source of water usage that you may be able to design out.
Water audits would identify this source of water waste, these vendors could help.
Water hygiene requirements and water conservation needs are well aligned. From a health and safety aspect, the hierarchy of controls tells us that eliminating a hazard is the preferred option to simply managing the hazard, which makes total sense. Applying this hierarchy to the management of infrequently used outlets would suggest that a periodic review is conducted to assess whether the outlet is needed at all, could it be removed completely? Removing such an outlet reduces the risks related to water hygiene and reduces the need to flush water directly to the drain.
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To give a practical example, imagine you have a tap in the corner of the buildings car park, which is never used. It has been there since the building was constructed but serves to purpose. Once per week the facilities team will switch the tap on and allow the water to run directly to the drain. Removing this tap and the related pipework allows you to demonstrate proactive water hygiene management, reduces water consumption and will save you the resource time required to conduct the weekly task. A win in every respect.