Near zero water use in office buildings in Malta

Abstract

Water scarcity is real and happening now worldwide. This is but one negative outcome of global warming. Malta's case is no exception. Over abstraction of ground water, combined with wastage is already pointing towards a water crisis for the Maltese Islands. This study focuses on office buildings and how they can become near zero in the use of water. The study first introduces the subject, by understanding why we need to conserve water, and attempts to answer common concerns. Then the study delves into the various ways and means to conserve water in office spaces, by referring to established studies and reports. The literature review revealed that a number of areas were identified as key problem areas of over consumption, hence deserving a close study. The methodology was designed to conduct such studies in three ways, namely by a) interviewing 'subject matter experts', b) conducting a survey about water conservation in offices by way of a questionnaire to a random sample of office staff, and c) conducting pilot studies and field research. The results were surprising, revealing that exaggerated awareness of personal hygiene and aural privacy as the culprits to water wastage, amounting to over 700 litres per capita, per annum water saving. Surprisingly, over 47% of water cisterns leaked persistently. Therefore, understanding people perceptions and lifestyles balanced with quantifying and curtailing leaks and water losses should augur well for a near zero water strategy for office buildings. This is but one tune to the melody of sustainability.