Water conservation & other facts

Water is used in almost every sector and industry in some form or the other, not to mention, everyday, to perform our most vital needs. To add to all of this, we take, having an endless amount of water for granted and have been doing this for years. This has led to us abusing the abundance of water and hence now we are facing water shortage, the world over. With grave problems such as global warming lurking over our head, we need to pool together and conserve and save as much water as we can. This is the only way we can ensure clean drinking water for the generations ahead. If we do not mend our ways and keep taking this luxury for granted, our future generations will suffer and in all probability, not be able to survive.

Water conservation is the need of the hour and if we do not act fast it maybe too late. Due to years of us abusing the abundance of water, we are, for the first time facing a lack of the amount of clean drinkable water. This wasn’t even considered a possibility a few decades ago.

Lets take a look at a few facts in context to water, which should help you realize the importance of water conservation. Lets take a look at the global breakdown of fresh water: 97.5% of water is in the oceans and this accounts for salt water, 2.24% of water in the world is inaccessible as it is found in the polar icecaps and glaciers. Accessible fresh water from rivers and lakes make up for only 0.26% of the water stock the world over. This very simply means for every 100 liters of water available, only 3/4^th of a tablespoon is fresh drinkable water. Quite surprising isn’t it?

Even daily activities like brushing and showering waste more water then you can imagine. Did you know that when you leave the tap running for 5 whole minutes while brushing you waste 45 liters of water? If you instead use a mug of water, it would save 44.5 liters of water. Imagine how much water that would save over a period of time. Also while you’re soaping up and leaving your shower on while doing so, 90 liters of water are wasted. If you switched off your shower for tat time period instead, you would save approximately 70 liters of water. Things like watering your plans, or washing your car using a hose pipe waste even more water.

These are things we do on a daily basis, which waste so much water. If we all just make a few changes, and turn off the tap every time we do not need it, it would make all the difference in the world. Only by making these small initial changes can we slowly help in doing our part to conserve water.  

Water saving tips for industries- Part II

In the previous article we looked at a few ways in which, starting a water conservation program could help save water in a industry/factory. Now lets take a look at a few other steps that we could take to ensure water conservation in an industry.

1.      You must first survey your facility and identify the major water source points. This would help you in knowing the key areas of your facility, which provide you with the much-needed water.

2.      Try and build a hematic of all the various water source points along with the entry and usage points. You must know where your water comes from and what exactky it is used for.

3.      Keep a daily chart in which you note down, the water consumption in your industry. This will help you figure the daily water consumption and also you will always know if there ever is a large amount of water that is unnecessarily wasted.

4.      You must also always monitor your facility at periodic intervals to make sure there is nothing going wrong which could result in water wastage. 

Another place where an umpteen amount of water is wasted is in the bathrooms and for other such maintenance activities. Large industries and facilities require many bathrooms depending on the number of employees in the area. There are several things that could be done to ensure less water wastage while performing such activities. A few of these tips are:

1.      You should installer-waving devices, which would ensure less water consumption, which in turn would decrease the water wastage as well.

2.      Adjust the level of flow on all the water devices in accordance to the amount of water that is required. This would make sure a lot less water is wasted.

3.      Also try and use recycled water for toilet flushing and other such low-end applications, which do not require absolutely clean drinking water.

4.      Do not wipe the floors clean with water every time they get dirty, instead sweep the floors at timely intervals.

5.      Also tell the cleaning crews to try and use as little water as they can, this would also help cut down on water wastage.

6.      Keep a check on all the water fittings and facets to ensure there are no leaks, which would cause wastage of water.

These are a few easy to follow tips to be kept in mind in your facility. These tips may sound trivial, but you have no idea how much water such small steps can save. Only by starting with such baby steps can we take larger steps in the future to curb water wastage.

Water saving tips for industries

Industries always require a large amount of water to function, irrespective of their nature. All industries consume tons of water and in turn give out gases and fumes; there are industries for literally every possible sector. Which means there are industries strewn the world over. Since industries are such a big source of water consumption there are certain things that they could do in order to save water and keep its wastage to the minimum.

Lets have a look at these few tips through the course of this article:

1.      The first and foremost thing that could be done is starting a water conservation program at your industry. This would ensure awareness of water conservation among your employees; this is the first step in the long process of water conservation.

2.      Install various signs through the area of the industry in the most prominent places, this would ensure the idea of water conservation is never forgotten amongst all the employees.

3.      Try and monitor the water usage in the various parts of the industry and bifurcate it on the basis of a water budget.

4.      Give an employee the job of monitoring the water usage of a specific area. This would make the particular employee feel a sense of responsibility towards the water wastage of that particular area.

5.      Place suggestion boxes all across the prominent areas of the industry, this would make it more interactive and you could get some brilliant suggestion from your employees. Another way of getting more out of your employees would be by setting up an initiative for the best water conservation plan/suggestion. Knowing that there is a reward at the end of it would ensure your employees try their best to come up with the most innovative ideas.

These are a few ways in which you could facilitate water conservation in your industry or factory. Try and follow these steps to start the long process of water conservation in your industry. All big tasks start with small ideas and initiatives. In the next article we shall take a look at the various other things that could be done to curb water wastage in your factory.

Water saving tips in irrigation and landscape scenarios

Did you know that every year, the amount of water that the global agricultural sector uses, takes more then 160 cubic centimeters of water out of the soil, then nature replenishes in the form of rain? And this is just one sector. In the previous articles, we have seen various ways to save water in our kitchens, bathrooms, and when doing our laundry. This time lets take a look at the various things we could do to save water in landscape and irrigation related scenarios. Any form of irrigation and landscaping requires a large amount of water; even if you’re just growing a few basic fruits or vegetables, the most important requirement to grow anything is water and sunlight. There are several ways in which we could save large amounts of water in our farms and growing patches. Let’s have a look at them:

1. We all have to water our vegetables and fruits in order to ensure they grow healthily, no plant will ever grow without the sufficient amount of water. When watering your plants try and discourage the use of hoses as they cause a lot of water wastage as you have to waste lots of water on a small patch of land. Also the constant running of the hose makes for a lot of water wastage. Instead of using hoses, try and implement sprinklers in your lawns and gardens. Sprinklers use a lot less water and also have a much larger radius to ensure all the plants get equal and sufficient water.

2. Resort to drip irrigation; this applies water at a very slow pace to the root area which requires the water most. Also, it eliminates runoff and evaporation of water.

3. Try and use recycled water whenever possible.

4. If you are growing plants just for their aesthetic appeal, choose plants which do not require a lot of water to grow. This in the long run, will save you a lot of water.

These are a few ways in which we could save water in our gardens and farms. Please keep them in mind the next time as we all need to pool together and conserve water so that our future generations do not suffer because of our foolish mistakes.

Water saving tips for your laundry

Water is the most essential element for our survival, there is no replacement or substitute for water. In recent times, water cuts and water shortage are being experienced the world over, water conservation is the need of the hour and we need to act fast in order to save the one element we cannot survive without. We require water to perform our most vital daily needs, and due to years of abusing the ample amount of water given to us, we now no longer have the guarantee of always having clean drinking water. This is why we must pool together and do our share to conserve water and drastically reduce our wastage of water. Even areas that receive a sufficient amount of rainfall are found having a shortage of water during the summer season.

In the previous article we have discussed the simplest of ways to cut down water wastage in your bathrooms and kitchens. In this article let’s take a look at the various steps we can take to save water and reduce its wastage when it comes to doing our laundry.

1. When washing you’re clothes, ensure to run the machine only once it is fully loaded (even if your machine has the setting to adjust the load). Do not run the machine whenever there are a handful of dirty clothes lying around. Doing this will help save a lot of water, as a washing machine requires the use of a large amount of water every time you use it.

2. If your washer has the option to adjust the amount of water required for each load, this will make your washer use the least amount of water required, this would ensure your clothes get washed and also you would be saving a great amount of water.

3. If any of your clothes have a tough stain, pre-treat them before washing. This would ensure the stain would go away with one wash and make sure you won’t need to rewash the same apparel to get rid of the stain.

4. Change the setting of your washer to the shortest load cycle when washing clothes which aren’t heavily dirty.

5. Also, frequently check the washer hoses and the condition of your washing machine to ensure no leaks which may result in water wastage. 

6. Also, do not unnecessarily use copious amounts of detergents when you’re washing a small amount of clothing. Use the directions as suggested by the manufacturer and use only the amount of detergent your clothes would actually need. 

Keep these basic pointers in mind when doing you’re laundry the next time around, and you will end up saving a large amount of water and playing your part in conserving our most vital element, water.

Water saving tips for your kitchens and bathrooms

Water Conservation is a term loosely thrown around by many and followed by a mere handful of people. Water conservation basically means using water wisely, and in today’s world with grave problems such as global warming, water conservation is the need of the hour. We mustn’t take it for granted and instead be careful how we use water. Everyone must realize the importance of water, as there can be no life without it. This is a responsibility each one of us have, and we must all do our part to conserve water. You do not need to start with extreme measures like collecting rainwater and recycling it for other purposes; you could start with very basic simple things like switching the sink tap off while you’re brushing.

Let’s take a look at a few water saving tips which you could practice in your homes:

In your kitchen:

1. Try and not keep the water running without plugging the sink 

2. Turn all the taps off when not in use, there’s no point in unnecessarily keeping the water running. 

3. Run your dishwasher once it’s completely full; do not keep doing an entire cycle for just a few dishes. This would help save a lot of water.

In your bathrooms:

1. While you’re performing daily tasks like brushing and shaving, do not keep the water tap running. This will save a ton of water as these activities take 4-5 minutes to perform.

2. Try and cut down on the duration of your showers, showers are a major cause of wastage of water, as we just tend to stand under the shower for minutes at end. Try and cut down the length of your showers, and alternatively try and take a bucket bath every once in a while.

3. If you’re taking a shower, turn it off while you’re soaping up and shampooing instead of just standing on the side and leaving the water running.

4. If you’re lucky enough to have bathtub, don’t fill the tub to the brim unnecessarily bathing pets and babies requires much less water.

5. Also, always check if your bathtub drain plug doesn’t leak, replace it if need be.

These are a few basic easy to follow tips you should keep in mind to lower water wastage in your kitchens and bathrooms. In the next article we will discuss the various tips to reduce water wastage when you’re doing your laundry.

  

Ocean energy and its potential

In today’s world we are facing mammoth problems such as global warming; due to this scientists are trying to discover as many alternate forms of sustainable energy which will in no way damage our environment. The concept of zero carbon cities, which we spoke about in our previous blogpost is completely based on sustainable energy and marks the way forward for our planet. The day is nearing when all the energy we consume will run on renewable sources of energy; this is because all our reserves of oil, gas and coal will run out. Some of these renewable sources of energy are solar energy and wind energy, which have gained a lot of visibility and are being used the world over. Another form of alternative energy which has off late been the main topic of discussion among scientists is ocean energy.

The Wavebob, a device used to convert ocean energy into electricity

The seven seas are full of energy, they are suppose to be the world’s largest solar energy collector and storage system. The National Renewable Energy Laboratory believes that on an average day, the sea absorbs solar radiation which is equivalent to around 250 billion barrels of oil.

Oyster, wave energy converter

Ocean energy would seem like the most obvious form of alternate energy, as 70% of our planet is made up of water bodies. However, there are many technological hurdles which need to be crossed before ocean energy can yield something concrete. The greatest hurdle when it comes to ocean energy is if it could be financially viable? However certain companies have taken up this huge challenge.

Greenwave, a shallow water oscillating column 

One country doing tons of research on ocean energy is Australia. Ocean energy has an umpteen amount of potential in Australia as it lies on the southern coastline. This belt faces waves which are over a meter in height, which make it an endless energy source and have the potential to generate gigantic amounts of electricity. The three top companies specializing in ocean energy in Australia have already started their projects and we should hope to see some great work being done in this field in the near future.

Biowave, an underwater ocean energy converter

Another country witnessing a lot of research in ocean energy is Ireland. There are several reasons why Ireland is the ideal country to invest in ocean energy. One of those main reasons is that the Irish government has allotted a large chunk of its energy portfolio for ocean energy. By 2050 Ireland plans to export most of its marine renewables to other countries that are a part of the EU. There are four companies that each have their own technology, they plan to combine these different technologies and pave the way forward for ocean energy in Ireland.

Our carbon footprint & zero carbon cities

Today, global warming is a major threat to us all; we should all take up certain measures to reduce our carbon footprint. In case you do not know what a carbon footprint exactly is, it is the direct impact our activities have on our environment, as every resource we consume, leads of an emission of CO2. Right from the car we drive to the manufacturing of the clothes we wear.

There are several plans, ideas and inventions people have come up with and proposed in order to reduce the global carbon footprint. One of such ideas is the concept of having zero carbon cities. A zero carbon city runs entirely on renewable energy and in no possible way hurts the planet. There are two such cities that have been proposed at the moment. One is Masdar City in Abu Dhabi and the other Dongtan, which is situated in China.

Masdar City will accommodate 50,000 people and will run completely on renewable energy like solar and wind power. This carbon and waste free city will be powered by a large central photovoltaic power plant. Masdar City promises the highest quality of life with the lowest carbon footprint. All automobiles will be banned in this city and instead a mass public transit service will help people commute. The city’s wall will keep out the hot dessert winds and ensure the circulation of cooler winds across the city.

Dongtan is situated at the eastern end of Chongming and plans to house 80,000 people by 2020. This will be the second project for a zero carbon city, and the entire city will be linked by a self sufficient zero greenhouse gas emitting transport system. People will walk or cycle and use sustainable public transport vehicles for longer distances. Waste will be a major resource as everything in the city will be recycled.

The concept of zero carbon cities marks a way forward and could help us save the environment which we have ourselves destroyed. If these cities are a success it could make a significant difference in our battle against global warming.

Wind powered rotating skyscraper

In today’s world where global warming is the biggest concern on everyone’s mind, the only way forward is to sustain what we have and try and find alternate forms of energy which would be less harmful to our environment. One form of alternate energy which has become quite popular is solar energy. People have realized that the sun is our biggest form of free energy and we shouldn’t miss out on it. Hence there are lots of people opting for solar energy to power their homes, cars etc.

The proposal of building a wind powered rotating skyscraper is a big step forward for the future of being energy self-reliant and less dependency on external sources. This concept was proposed by Dr. David Fisher, an established Italian architect.

It is an amazing concept supposed to be built in the beautiful city of Dubai and involves a central concrete core which would be surrounded by 59 different independent rotating levels. What would set this building apart from every other is the fact that it would generate its own electricity with the help of the gigantic horizontal wind turbines which would be placed in between each floor.

Imagine if this project becomes a reality with the building not needing any external power source, it will push global warming way back. On the lighter side, you can have a different view everyday from your house depending on your mood J as it rotates.

Article by Jitesh Parekh 

Welcome to the official blog of Grundfos India

Welcome to the official blog of Grundfos India, one of the nation’s leading pump manufacturers. Grundfos group produces over 18 million pump units annually, from circulators for heating and air-conditioning to centrifugal pumps for Building services and industry water supplies.

We at Grundfos believe that our future depends on our adapting to energy saving initiative and use of new forms of non-conventional energy for a sustainable world. Hence, we have invested a large part of our time and resources in innovating new products and solutions and promote them to all our stakeholders that primarily include our customers and our business partners.

Further, with the drastic changes in climate (due to greenhouse gas emissions) and depleting natural resources, our only way forward is to develop climate friendly solutions in order to deliver earth in its original splendor to the future generations.