All industries use water in some form or another. Checking water quality is something many businesses should do, but most don’t think about it when planning how to cut costs.
This article will discuss how keeping an eye on water quality can help save money for different types of businesses.
Table of Contents
For the Food & Beverage Industry
Water quality is crucial in food and beverage manufacturing. Even slight water contamination, like the presence of bacteria, can compromise the product. Failure to identify these issues can lead to product recalls that can cost up to €10 million. One example is Kinder’s recall of its chocolate products over salmonella fears in 2022. Using water monitoring, businesses can catch problems early and fix them to prevent expensive recalls and save money.
For the Hospitality Sector
In places like hotels and restaurants, the water quality can affect how guests feel about their stay. Keeping an eye on water quality can help make sure guests are happy, avoiding bad reviews. In certain scenarios the outcome can be much worse than a bad review. This was the case for the JW Marriott hotel in Chicago in 2012. In this example, reports of Legionnaires disease were traced back to a fountain in the hotel’s lobby, tragically causing 3 deaths. Settlements were upwards of $1.5million. Water monitoring can help hospitality businesses avoid situations like these.
For Data & Energy Facilities
Data centers and power plants need water to run efficiently. In data centers, water cools servers and equipment. Power plants use water for cooling, steam, and emissions control. Regular testing helps prevents contaminant buildup that can cause corrosion and scaling, leading to costly downtime. For a 10-mW data center, downtime due to water system problems can cost as much as €5,000 per minute. That amounts to up to €500,000 per incident. Water quality monitoring can prevent these incidents, helping businesses save money.
For Agricultural Businesses
On farms, water is needed to help crops grow well. If the water is poor quality, plants won’t be as healthy, decreasing productivity. High-quality irrigation water can make sure your soil is fertile to improve crop growth. 90% of Irish soils aren’t at optimum fertility. Fixing this issue can lead to increased income of €42,000 for a 35ha farm over 5 years. By checking water quality, agricultural businesses can improve soil fertility. This will help their crops grow well to save money and increase profits.
For Construction Companies
Poor quality water can cause big problems for construction companies as it can damage tools, leading to costly repairs and making it harder to finish projects on time. In fact, the global cost of corrosion is estimated to be €2.3 trillion. As a result, controlling corrosion can save between €345 and €800 billion globally every year. By checking water regularly, businesses can monitor water hardness to prevent corrosion before it starts and save money.
For All Industries
Compliance with water quality regulations is essential across all industries and sectors. By monitoring water quality, businesses can make sure they’re following these rules. This shows to the public that businesses care about the environment and public health. Plus, it saves businesses from having to pay big fines or penalties. For example, the British company Thames Water had to pay a £3.3 million fine in 2023 for toxic wastewater discharge. In this case, water monitoring would have identified wastewater contaminants before discharge, preventing legal repercussions.
In Conclusion – Save Money with Water Monitoring
Keeping an eye on water quality is a smart way for many different businesses to save money. Here at Southern Scientific Services we can help by monitoring businesses’ water, providing water quality data and expert guidance. With our help, businesses can ensure they’re using good water and not wasting any money.
