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Manufacturer renews water partnership following continued excellent service from trusted experts Water Plus
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A manufacturer with a base in Scotland has renewed their water partnership for five years with Water Plus.

SEH Europe provides the UK, European and global semiconductor market with silicon wafer products including 150mm and 200mm Polished Wafer and Epitaxial Wafer and are based in Livingston, Scotland.

The company also tracks its water use at the site through a data logger, providing online information on water use. It also has a Combined Cooling Heating Power Plant (CCHP), generating all the energy needed in their operation at the Scotland site.

Robert Crail, Principal Engineer at manufacturer SEH Europe (Shin-Etsu Handotai Europe Ltd), said: “Water Plus is easy to deal with, responding to any queries I have in a fast and efficient manner and gives me an excellent level of service. Because of this I was more than happy to renew our contract for water services for the next 5 years. This allows me to forecast costs and work with Water Plus in the longer term, addressing any needs we might have, with regard to our water use and effluent discharge.”

Helen Murphy, Key Account Manager with Water Plus – who is based in Scotland and works with Robert and the company, said: “SEH Europe has been with Water Plus a number of years and know they get the knowledge, expertise and value through their water partnership with Water Plus, so it’s great we’re continuing our work together.”

SEH Europe is part of an alliance dedicated to corporate social responsibility in supply chains and has committed to Net Zero by 2050.

Water Plus, which has a base in Glasgow and one in Staffordshire, provides water and wastewater billing and customer service, along with a range of technical water services and information around water efficiency, for organisations of all sizes across England and Scotland. In March 2023 it’s won a UK Customer Satisfaction Award in the Sustainable Customer Service category, including for its work with organisations around their water use and awareness raising. It was also shortlisted for three Water Industry Awards in 2022, including Water Retailer of the Year and Water Efficiency Project of the Year.

Water Plus also won two National Sustainability awards in October 2022, including one for Water Reduction approaches around water efficiency work and awareness-raising – and won four Green Apple Environment Awards in November 2022, including Gold for Water Management.

To partner with Water Plus for your water and wastewater, contact hello@water-plus.co.uk.

More information – and examples – of how Water Plus is helping organisations, is available at: https://www.water-plus.co.uk/about-us and more tips to #BeWiseOnWater , increase efficiency and reducing risks to operation can be found here and here.

Save Water, Save Money and reduce risks to operations, by gaining more data and seeking out the experts
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Looking closer at water use at a site during the year can have a range of benefits for organisations – large and small.

Being more aware of water that’s used helps organisations reduce water waste and risks to supply interruptions on site water pipes too.

Tracking water use throughout a year can also provide more benefits – with more than 45 sites alerted to water issues spotted by data loggers on water meters in just one day, after a rise in temperatures following colder weather in December 2022.

The Water Plus Advanced Services team was closely monitoring the data feeds to alert organisations too and issues included a manufacturer that saw water use increase from 200 litres an hour – to 2,000 litres an hour, tracked by a data logger through the Water Plus online smart portal. They acted immediately when the Advanced Services team made contact and isolated the issue on a site pipe.

Water know-how, to keep in mind, for your sites

Along with knowing what water you’re using where, at sites, it’s also important to cut out any water waste to not only reduce costs but reduce the chance a pipe issue causes the flow to stop.

Cutting out any water waste, like drips or leaks, also helps reduce impacts on the environment – along with reducing the carbon emissions linked to water, which is under Scope 3.

If less water needs to be moved around by pumps at a site, or if less is used overall, for example across an industrial or manufacturing facility, then there’s an energy saving there too.

And organisations say looking closer at their water use has saved them energy, saved water and helped them budget*.

Having a plan in place pays off

Having a water action plan, so you and staff on-site know what to do in a water emergency, is essential to save time and money if the worst should happen.

Do you have clear channels staff can report water issues quickly and easily – to prevent any issues affecting a building, or its water supplies?

Take time to:

  • Understand your water system and monitor use throughout a year. A survey found 92% of people, from public sector and private sector organisations, said they wouldn’t know if there was an underground leak at their organisation.**
  • Know where the stop taps are, and make sure staff and facility managers can find them – and turn them off, when needed. It’s worth checking during a year – as part of maintenance routines – that stops taps are in working order and haven’t seized up.
  • Check what your insurance covers – know who has financial responsibility.
  • Know who to call in the event of an emergency – have numbers ready, so you can respond to leaks or water emergencies quickly and effectively.
  • Consider a plan for emergency water delivery to your site, in case of a supply interruption.
  • Insulate exposed pipework, tanks and cisterns – plus, it’s worth checking your site, if it’s left empty at times – and keeping an eye on the weather for additional surface water or icy conditions.

Water Plus provides water and wastewater billing and customer service, along with a range of technical water services and information around water efficiency, for organisations of all sizes across England and Scotland.

It’s been shortlisted for two UK Customer Satisfaction awards in 2023 and a Green World Award in 2023. It was also shortlisted for three Water Industry Awards in 2022, including Water Retailer of the Year and Water Efficiency Project of the Year.

To request data loggers, or additional water efficiency services, contact the Water Plus team at: hello@water-plus.co.uk .

More tips to #BeWiseOnWater can be found here.

* Survey in February 2022 of customers contacted to encourage more water meter readings to track their use closer and submit more reads to Water Plus during a year. More than 43% of respondents to the survey had seen a benefit of reading their water meter more often out of 65 who completed the survey. Of those who saw a benefit, 41% said they had saved water (with the example on the question of saving water helping to spot a leak or a dripping tap), and 20% had saved energy (with the example on the question of using less hot water).

** Online poll in January 2022, during presentation, with 26 responses on survey question.

5 Minutes With… Scott MacIndeor, Head of Advanced Services at Water Plus
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Scott MacIndeor is Head of Advanced Services at Water Plus, the UK’s largest water retailer which has won seven awards, since September 2022, for its work with organisations.

The company is also shortlisted for two UK Customer Satisfaction Awards in 2023 and is a Finalist in the Sustainable Business category in the Business Champion Awards 2023.

FM Briefing chatted to Scott MacIndeor (pictured), who leads the Water Plus team providing Value Added Services including leak detection and repair, additional water tracking capability and other technical water efficiency measures and support…

  1. What’s the best thing about your role?

Every week is varied and different – and I find it great to work on new ideas and review what approaches will work best for a site, or organisation, around the water they use. The water industry continues to evolve, particularly for a water retailer like us, and it’s exciting all the things we’re working on currently for customers and for our business, for this year and the future. People may think water is a low priority and not interesting – though it’s an area where there are so many possibilities on what we can all do with it and an incredible resource. 

  1. How can saving water save energy and help a business?

Using less hot water means lower energy costs. Low-cost push taps and aerators can cut flow rates by 16 litres a minute, so you’re using less water. This can reduce showers to 6 litres a minute – making a big difference for workplaces, gyms, spas and leisure facilities. Heating less water helps the environment too, as less energy is needed overall – and less water needs to be transported to sites through the network.

For me, at home, it’s more about small steps each day – so I turn off the tap while brushing my teeth, for example, as I don’t need that water and it’d just go down the plughole.

  1. Why is it important to note down meter readings regularly, during a year?

It’s worth noting your water use to help your budget – and spot potential leaks from damaged pipes on your site, which can affect your supply. You’re billed for every 1,000 litres of water used, measured by water meters, so saving water and tackling drips and leaks promptly is important.

On water meters, the important digits are the black ones. It’s worth noting your meter serial number – along with taking a photo of the reading, just in case your water retailer asks for this.

Remember to only read your meter if it’s safe to access – though if accessing the meter is not easy, then data loggers that can feed information into an online area, can really help. In fact, data loggers have helped identify a number of opportunities – along with issues – early, helping facility managers and site teams to react quickly to prevent damage to sites and further additional water costs.

Providing meter reads to your water retailer reduces bills based on estimates too and organisations have told us it has helped them budget, as well as delivering wider benefits like saving them water and saving energy too.*

  1. What other services can Water Plus offer businesses?

We’ve got access to the tech – and years of experience and knowledge – to help organisations use water more effectively, reducing waste and running costs. Plus, we already help organisations towards green sustainability goals, including Net Zero – and help lower energy costs when less hot water is used.

Services we can provide range from water efficiency site reviews to bespoke and unique projects that can help overall efficiency. Basically, our Advanced Services team is happy to talk about how we can help organisations – whether they’re a single site manufacturer, or a multi-site across the UK.

  1. What actions are Water Plus taking to help reduce impacts on the environment?

We’re engaging with our employees – and organisations we work with – to help reduce impacts we can all have on the environment. We have a Cleaner Climate Promise, which involves additional action including an ongoing tree-planting site appeal in 2023 to boost green canopy in the UK – and we’ve supported renewable energy projects that prevent carbon emissions as well as supporting wildlife and biodiversity work in communities in the UK.

If you have a suggestion for a tree planting site in England or Scotland, then email hello@water-plus.co.uk with the email subject heading “Nominate For Trees” and include some brief details on how trees would help the area suggested. Water Plus will review all suggestions.

More on what we’re doing to help the environment, can be found at: www.water-plus.co.uk/about-us/corporate-social-responsibility-sustainability/ 

  1. How is Water Plus helping the UK towards Net Zero?

Amongst the additional action we’ve taken on reducing carbon emissions in 2022 and 2023, we’re big on water efficiency and finding ways to help organisations gain more benefits from looking closer at their water use. This has included, more recently, work with BAE Systems – with details here on how it’s helping their aims and an NHS Trust, which can be seen here.

To request data loggers, or additional water efficiency services, contact the Water Plus team at: hello@water-plus.co.uk.

More information – and examples – of how Water Plus is helping organisations, is available at: www.water-plus.co.uk/about-us .

* Survey in February 2022 of customers contacted to encourage more water meter readings to track their use closer and submit more reads to Water Plus during a year. More than 43% of respondents to the survey had seen a benefit of reading their water meter more often out of 65 who completed the survey. Of those who saw a benefit, 41% said they had saved water (with the example on the question of saving water helping to spot a leak or a dripping tap), and 20% had saved energy (with the example on the question of using less hot water).

Manufacturer makes water-saving after early action at its site, thanks to working with Water Plus
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The Advanced Services team at Water Plus – and water tracking technology with an online portal – helped a manufacturer after water use, which jumped from 200 litres an hour to over 2,000 litres an hour, was spotted.

Using water is an important part of the operation for YKK (U.K.) Ltd, which has its main site and offices in Runcorn, Cheshire, and manufactures zips and other fastenings for textiles. For part of their water monitoring, they worked with water retailer Water Plus to install a data logger to track their use more closely throughout the year.

The Water Plus team were closely monitoring water use for sites with data loggers when the temperatures plummeted to -8C in Cheshire – and during the rise in temperatures afterwards, that can see ground movement and cause more water pipe issues for sites. Through the Water Plus Value Added Services (VAS), the Advanced Services team alerted YKK (U.K.) Ltd to a water use rise they had spotted.

As soon as the manufacturer was made aware of the water issue, they took immediate action and isolated the pipe involved, preventing further water waste – and further costs from an ongoing water loss.

Robert Cooney, Plant Maintenance Engineer from YKK (U.K.) Ltd, said: “The excellent customer service and communication from Water Plus has all made a big difference for us. Thank you to the Water Plus team for bringing the water usage to our attention and for their ongoing support and the expert advice they provide. The data logger and online portal are a great help to our operation.

“If this water issue hadn’t been identified early, then it could have impacted our operation, which is why we’re working with the experts at Water Plus to help us with our proactive water management for our business. Without the customer support Water Plus provides, the increase in water would have gone on for longer undetected.”

There are water costs for every cubic metre of water (each 1,000 litres) measured through a water meter at a site – showing the importance for quick action when needed. And more tips to #BeWiseOnWater can be found here.

The water issue involved a leaking drain leg on a cooling tower, which has been isolated. It started after very low temperatures seen in the UK earlier in the month.

Water Plus provides water and wastewater billing and customer service, along with a range of technical water services and information around water efficiency, for organisations of all sizes across England and Scotland. It’s been shortlisted for two UK Customer Satisfaction awards in 2023 and was shortlisted for three Water Industry Awards in 2022, including Water Retailer of the Year and Water Efficiency Project of the Year.

Along with account management services, Water Plus technical water experts have helped organisations of different sizes find the opportunities to cut water waste, running costs and risks to operations, including adding data loggers that feed information into an online portal, making water across multiple sites easy to track.

To request data loggers, or additional water efficiency services, contact the Water Plus team at: hello@water-plus.co.uk.

More information – and examples – of how Water Plus is helping organisations, is available at: www.water-plus.co.uk/about-us .

Additional note:

Water use increased on 18th December, 2022. The water increase was substantially reduced within 2 days.

Be wiser on your water to save energy, increase efficiency and cut carbon emissions – with expert help
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Water can cut carbon emissions linked to your organisation – and help reduce energy bills – and this really can involve just a few simple steps. 

Mark Taylor, Advanced Services Operations Manager in England for Water Plus, a Green Apple Environment Award winner and the UK’s largest water retailer, said: “Low-cost push taps and aerators can cut flow rates by 16 litres a minute. Showers can be reduced to 6 litres a minute – making a big difference for workplaces, gyms, spas – and leisure facilities. Heating less water helps the environment too, as less water needs to be transported to a site and less energy is needed to make the water hot, reducing carbon emissions linked to this.

“Tracking your water use regularly is also key to exploring opportunities around reducing carbon emissions at your organisation. If you’re an industrial company, or a manufacturer, you could include these in your daily sites checks, if the water meter is safe to access.

“Use a lot of water or have more than one meter? Data loggers, that can be placed on water meters and feed information on water use into an online portal, help you spot saving opportunities too – and highlight additional areas needing attention. This data can also be used to see what seasonal trends there may be for your site – whether the weather is hot – or during the colder months when pipes and the ground can be affected by changes in temperatures.”

Work between the Water Plus Advanced Services team and organisations in the UK – including installing data loggers on water meters in the last year – has resulted in around £4 million of additional water waste being stopped in the space of just 17 months (and an estimated billion litres of water stopped from being lost unnecessarily)*.

To request data loggers, or additional water efficiency services, contact the Water Plus team at: hello@water-plus.co.uk – and include “FM Briefing” in the email subject heading.

More tips to #BeWiseOnWater on the FM Forum website here .

Water Plus, works with organisations across England and Scotland and increased its EcoVadis Sustainability rating from Bronze to Silver in Autumn 2021, following action they started in 2021. It puts them in the top 30% of organisations globally for their approach. The water retailer is also shortlisted for four National Sustainability Awards in 2022 including Water Reduction and Team of the Year as well as its work supporting carbon reduction and biodiversity in the UK.

* From 1st January 2021 to 26th May 2022, estimated water loss totalling 1333399.46 m3 (cubic metres of water) at an approximate cost of £4 million – has been stopped due to Water Plus’s engagement with organisations (statistic based on actual water meter readings for water loss that has been stopped through repair or isolation). There are 1,000 litres in a cubic metre of water (m3). Estimate based on if water loss ran for 12 months.

Water-saving will help on energy costs – get additional support from our experienced Advanced Services team
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Reducing resource use and improving efficiency are key steps organisations will need to take to retain credibility on green steps they’re taking on their Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions, to help lower impacts on the environment. 

Although water is under Scope 3 on your emissions, it shouldn’t be looked at last as it can help lower energy costs too. Getting more data on where water is used is an important first step.

Green Apple Environment Award winner Water Plus installed more than 400 data loggers on water meters in the space of six months in 2021 – providing further information on how it’s used across buildings.

Mark Taylor, Advanced Services Operations Manager in England for Water Plus, said: “With energy costs in the news, there are some areas where there are low-cost opportunities and options for organisations, particularly if the number of people at sites is fluctuating through a year. This is why tracking what water is used throughout a year is important.

“As there are carbon emissions linked to the water you get through taps, and the wastewater taken away and treated, it also shows that by just boiling the water you need in work kitchen kettles – to reducing water waste from any leaks, including dripping taps, running toilets from cisterns – and elsewhere at your site – soon adds up to lowering running costs, creating less carbon overall and using less energy too.”

Here’s where water-saving can make an impact:

  • In January 2022, a site had a 12 cubic metre an hour water leak but was not sure where on their pipes. They contacted Water Plus Advanced Services, who located the source of the issue and carried out the repair work. The leak, which data loggers on the water meter and the online portal also tracked, would have cost £22,000 in a month.

Work with organisations by Water Plus is also being recognised this year. The water retailer is shortlisted for Water Efficiency Project of the Year in the Water Industry Awards 2022 and was named a Finalist in the Environment Award at the Better Society Awards 2022.

To contact our team, please email hello@water-plus.co.uk – and include “FM Briefing” in the email subject heading. More tips to #BeWiseOnWater on the FM Forum website here – and at: www.water-plus.co.uk/sustainability .

Save Water, Save Energy – And how our experts can help you
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By Water Plus

With the spotlight on energy costs and increasing focus on what organisations are doing to reduce impacts on the environment, there are small steps that can be taken now to help in the future.

Using less hot water through small steps like tap aerators in kitchens and facilities and cutting any areas of water waste helps. And using less water overall means lower Scope 3 emissions.

Tracking water use closer during a year allows those managing facilities to spot any issues early – including leaks that can be underground and not easy to spot. Data loggers, which can be attached to water meters, feed updates daily into a smart online portal to help manage multiple sites and spot opportunities for efficiencies.

Barry McGovaney, Sustainability lead at Water Plus, which is the UK’s largest water retailer and a Green Apple Environment Award winner, said: “Hot water can cost between 2 to 4 times more than cold water, once energy costs are considered, and water efficient taps, showerheads and other measures can all help there. It’s important to know what water you’re using, where and when, along with regularly checking site pipes, fittings and water meters, if they’re safe to access, ideally each month.”

Here’s the big impact data loggers, installed through the Water Plus Advanced Services team, have:

  • A manufacturing facility had a leak on one of their main site pipes, which had a fracture and was losing 21 cubic metres of water an hour – that’s 21,000 litres an hour. If this had not been identified, and quick action taken to organise a repair in December 2021, it would have cost around £10,000 a week – and £41,000 if it was running for a month. After contacting Water Plus, the Advanced Services team quickly pinpointed the leak’s location and made the repair.
  • A distribution centre was alerted to a leak that saw 10 cubic metres of water an hour seeping away underground – with a cost around £690 a day.

To contact our team, please email hello@water-plus.co.uk – and include “FM Briefing” in the subject heading.

More tips to #BeWiseOnWater at:  www.water-plus.co.uk/sustainability .