More than just the washing
In a typical commercial laundry, 92% of all water used in the business is for the washing process. It makes sense then that the greatest savings potential is found in this area.
In addition to water used in washing, significant quantities are used in steam generation, making up about 5-8% of water use. An additional 2-3% is used for ancillary purposes. Water conservation initiatives targeting ancillary water use can save as much as 3,000kL per year.
Benchmarks and efficiency ratings
Several benchmarking studies have established ‘good practice’ guidelines within the non-residential laundries industry, resulting in standardised benchmarks for washer-extractors and continuous batch washers. After applying water conservation techniques:
- washer-extractors’ water use should reduce from 17-22 L/kg to 12-15 L/kg of line processed
- continuous batch washers’ water use should reduce from 7.5-12L/kg to 5 to 4.5 L/kg with the application of recycling systems. This improves water efficiency by 40-80% (system dependent).
The following table provides a guide to water efficiency within each of the laundry segments. They are based on whole laundry performance and include the effects of specific technology and rewash rates.
| Segment | Best practice efficiency |
|---|---|
| Large commercial | 5L/kg |
| Small/medium commercial | 16L/kg |
| Industrial | 14L/kg |
| On-premise | 9L/kg |
| Public access | 14L/kg |
Case studies
Find out how Eureka Linen is saving water.