ADVICE & OPINION
WATER MATTERS
FMJ AIMS TO SUPPORT TECHNICAL EXPERTISE IN THE FM MARKET
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employers can do to ensure their drinking water supply is part of this
Living healthily has transformed
over recent years, and the wider
‘wellness’ or ‘wellbeing’ concept is
now increasingly popular. Much more
than just eating your five a day and
getting regular exercise, wellbeing
applies to all aspects of daily living to
take care of mind, body and soul. This
may be more achievable for homelife,
but wellbeing at work is hugely
important to ensure a productive,
happy workforce.
With its own accreditation in place,
the WELL Building Standard, which
assesses air, water, light, nourishment,
fitness, comfort and mind, wellbeing
has gradually moved up the agenda for
employers and is being considered a
priority at the build stage of a project.
Studies have shown that employees
who are happier and healthier are more
productive and take fewer sick days, so
it makes sense that more employers are
investing in ways to ensure the comfort
of their sta‡ .
Modern o‡ ices are becoming
more flexible, with light and space
all considered - even ways to ensure
workers move more - making working
conditions comfortable, enjoyable
and healthy. But in addition to the
16 JUNE 2019
building itself, how can facilities
managers maximise employee
wellbeing?
WHY WATER MATTERS
One such detail is ensuring the inclusion
of a filtered drinking water system.
The UK Workplace Health, Safety and
Welfare Regulations of 1992 (regulation
22) states that employers must provide
an adequate supply of drinking water
for all employees that is free from
contamination, easily accessible and fit
for purpose.
As well as the legal requirement is
the simple fact that water is crucial to
wellbeing. Even in a sedentary role,
where we may not consider hydration
to be as important as roles that include
physical activity, the body loses water,
and even slight dehydration can impact
on brain function. In fact, just a one per
cent drop in hydration can cause a 12 per
cent drop in productivity.
But, whether you want a system that
delivers filtered chilled water for instant
refreshment and / or boiling water for
that much needed cup of tea, there are
certain considerations that need to be
made before specifying a new product
or system.
WATER QUALITY ENCOURAGES
CONSUMPTION
Filtration makes all the di‡ erence,
especially if you’re in a hard water
area. Not only does it improve the
taste and appearance of the water,
but it helps the system live longer. An
e‡ ective water filtration system will
work to remove contaminants such as
chlorine and sediments, and reduce
the presence of pesticides, chemicals
and bacteria.
Those businesses looking to achieve
the WELL Building Standard will
especially be looking for advanced
filtration, as their water quality,
contaminants, water testing and
drinking water promotion are all
assessed.
Filtration can either take place at the
point where the mains water feeds into
the building (can be expensive and
oΠen means unnecessary filtered water
at washing-up points) or selectively at
individual drinking water points.
One of the best methods of filtration
available is to use a sub-micron filter,
which removes particles, bacteria
and even microplastics which have
been found in tap water. For example,
our popular HydroTap, which
provides boiling, chilled and sparkling
water includes the latest 0.2 micron
MicroPurity filtration. This is significantly
better than a standard water filter jug -
25 times better in fact - meaning users
will be able to taste a big di‡ erence.
DON’T JUST TAKE THE
MANUFACTURER’S WORD FOR IT
Alongside advanced filtration, it is
important to look for trusted third-party
accreditations, which confirm that you’re
receiving the safest and highest quality
drinking water on the market. These
include:
» WRAS – The Water Regulations
Advisory Scheme (WRAS) demonstrates
that an item complies with the
high standards set out by UK water
regulations in 1999.
» RoHS compliance – shows a product
has been manufactured to comply with
the European Restriction of Hazardous
Substances Directive 2002/95/EC.
» BREEAM certification – the Building
Research Establishment Environmental
Assessment Method (BREEAM) first
published by the Building Research
Establishment (BRE) in 1990, is the
world’s longest established method
of assessing, rating, and certifying the
sustainability of buildings.
» Environmental Product Declaration
(EPD) – an ISO standardised tool
to communicate the sustainability
of a product or system. This will
be voluntarily developed, qualityassured
and provides comparable
information regarding the environmental
performance of products.
Meeting all of these criteria may
seem like quite a challenge when you
may think that a kettle and a water
cooler would su‡ ice. But consider how
long it takes to boil a kettle and how
many hours are lost just waiting to
make a hot drink. Equally, consider the
impracticalities of having to buy and
store water bottles for the cooler, not to
mention the environmental impact of
using single-use plastic.
TAP INTO THE BEST SOLUTION
Many workplaces are benefitting from
specialist filtered boiling and chilled
water taps. These products deliver
pure-tasting water in an instant, allowing
users to quickly access refreshing water
to hydrate as well as boiling water
to make hot drinks - with no waiting
around.
FAST FACTS