A local council has been awarded a beneficial donation from one of the UK’s largest water retailers to help fund a water efficiency project within Renfrewshire.

Renfrewshire Council has received £17,841 to invest in pool covers at Riverbrae Additional Support Needs School and is just one of 14 public sector organisations set to benefit from Business Stream’s Water Efficiency Fund – which is donating a total of £100,000 to likeminded ventures across Scotland, double of the £50,000 donated last year.

Business Stream, headquartered in Edinburgh, established its Public Sector Scotland (PSS) Water Efficiency Fund in 2020 as an annual initiative to assist organisations, such as local councils, schools, and universities, to deliver environmental efficiencies and financial savings through water efficiency projects.

This year, the Fund allocation process has been overseen by a judging panel of representatives from Business Stream, with adjudication from Scottish Procurement. The panel awarded funding to 13 public sector organisations spanning 16 water efficiency projects.

Christopher Shaw of the Energy Management Unit at Renfrewshire Council said: “These are hydrotherapy pools heated to high temperatures to optimise their benefit to children with additional support needs.
Therefore, these covers will not only result in water savings due to reduced evaporation but will also greatly reduce energy usage by conserving heat and air handling plant usage.

All this whilst providing a cooler, less humid internal environment, it’s an all-round win for the environment, the taxpayer and building users alike. As such, we were thrilled to receive this award that allowed us to carry out this project.”

Chief Executive of Business Stream, Jo Dow (pictured above) said: “We’re delighted to have invested an additional £50,000 into our annual Water Efficiency Fund. By funding water efficiency projects, we can help public sector bodies in Scotland to save money and water, while also reducing their environmental impact”.

This year’s beneficiaries include West Lothian Council who are using the money to support the reduction of water usage in West Lothian Schools, Scotrail who will use the fund to conduct a water efficiency pilot at Stirling Station and NHS Forth Valley who plan to install energy efficient urinals and taps at seven locations.

Alongside providing the funding, Business Stream will also support the delivery of each project.