Water savings that rock!

Water is an essential element in many business operations, but through some clever thinking and ingenuity there is always a means to becoming more water efficient. Edstein Creative Stone is an example of one such business that is just a stone’s throw away from making their company completely water self-sufficient! The initiatives that this stone manufacturing business has implemented saw them win the 2010 savewater! award® for small business.

Traditionally, stone manufacturing has been reliant on water for lubrication and cooling during the cutting and polishing process. Edstein Creative Stone, through the introduction of a chemical treatment process, has been able to overcome this by filtering the waste products from the water used during cutting and polishing, allowing this water to be re-used for further manufacturing. Additional water required to top-up the system, due to losses from evaporation and removal of waste, is now provided by a 250,000 litre rainwater tank. Water consumption in the 12 months to September 2009 was 24.5 megalitres, compared to only 0.6 megalitres in the 9 months to June 2010, which equates to a saving of 96.8% or 9.5 Olympic-size swimming pools!

Edstein Creative Stone, receiving the 2010 savewater! awards® Small Business Award from the Honourable Phillip Costa.

Does your business think outside of the box when it comes to water saving? The national 2011 savewater! awards® call for entries have now opened, giving you the opportunity to showcase your business’ water savings efforts. The savewater! awards® are now in their ninth year, and have emerged as Australia’s leading awards for water sustainability, recognising and rewarding excellence in water conservation and efficiency.

This year there are two opportunities for your business to be recognised, through the business category and the Prime Minister’s Water Wise Award.

Entries for the national 2011 savewater! awards® close at 5pm (AEST) on Monday 8 August 2011. If you want to receive the Prime Minister’s tick of approval, check out www.savewater.com.au – download an application form and submit your entry now! Good luck!