A primary school and leisure centre are among the businesses across the county that have been awarded grants from Southern Water. The Southern Water Business Partnership Fund has awarded five grants of more than £90,000 in total to businesses across the Southeast region for water saving ideas. The ideas from the five businesses could potentially save more than seven million litres of water per year with the help of the Southern Water grants.
READ MORE: Thousands of pensioners could be owed more than £100,000 in DWP error Splash Point Leisure Centre in Worthing was granted £40,000 by Southern Water and will use this grant to help re-use swimming pool water with an industrial filter. It has the potential to save 7,100 litres of water per day. Mark Byerley, operations director at South Downs Leisure, said: “Sustainability is a key strategic objective for South Downs Leisure and water consumption is a key part of this strategy.
"We have been looking at several ways we are able to reduce water usage and Southern Water has been great in supporting this. The audits carried out highlighted areas that we can improve upon and have a real impact.” Old Barn Garden Centre in Horsham will use their £17,000 business grant from the water company to install above ground water harvesting tanks, which could save up to 438 litres of water per day.
Lancing Parish Council said it will use its £2,900 business grant by fixing battery-operated tap basin sensors in their toilet facilities, cistern displacement devices and battery sensor controlled urinals. This could save up to 1,035 litres of water per day. Elm Grove Primary School in Brighton will use the £700 business grant on rainwater storage, saving 1,858 litres of water per day.
Water Retailer Wave will use the £30,000 business grant from Southern Water to carry out a survey to assess the potential of a project that would install shower flow restrictors at a prison. If successful this could save 7,600 litres of water per day. Kimberley Turnbull, water efficiency manager at Southern Water, said: “As the Southeast population grows and the amount of water available stays the same, we need to actively embrace new ideas to save water.
"Our Business Partnership Fund is a practical solution to saving water and in turn, means taking less water from the environment. We wish to promote water efficiency in our region wherever we can.” The next round of grants will be open from October to December 2024, with successful projects being awarded in January 2025.
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