Toureen Group's guide to protecting water resources on construction sites 

Protecting water resources is everyone's responsibility - Toureen Group Environmental Manager, Pedro Flores highlights the issues


Environmental awareness and responsibility is a topic that Toureen places great importance on. Some critics deny the effects that global warming is having on the planet but with this summers unprecedented hot weather throughout the UK, we at Toureen believe it is more important than ever to evaluate our position and where possible, minimise our impact on this growing problem and protect our valuable natural resources.


Areas of relative water stress (Source: Environmental Agency)


In the UK, water consumption has grown by an average of 1% per year since 1930.  It is estimated that, currently, people use 150 litres of water, on average, on a daily basis. Londoners exceed these numbers, with an estimated daily consumption of 164 litres.


Scarcity – Overuse of water occurs when there is a higher demand for the resource than the environment can sustain. It is estimated that between 1,100 and 3,300 mega litres are over-abstracted in the UK every day.

Pollution - Pollution of water is a big problem. Excessive release of untreated sewage into controlled waters can cause eutrophication, which leads to an increase of algae that reduce oxygen levels in the water and block sunlight, causing the extinction of various marine species.

Uneven distribution - The South East and East of England in particular face an increasing demand for water. Rainfall and available water are relatively low in this region, while population size is high compared to other areas in the UK.

Leakages - Not only do leakages contribute to pollution of water, they also cause loss of water that could otherwise have been consumed. Leakages of contaminants such as oil or sewage waste, will alter the chemical composition of water, making it undrinkable or unsuitable for industrial use.


Reclaiming water from onsite activities, such as dewatering, and using it for dust suppression is just one of the measures that we have put in place to ensure limited wastage occurs on site. Water consumption is greatly reduced as water mains are not overly used to supply the damp down methods.

Implementing regular, periodical checks for leakages in our water supply systems allows our leak detection systems to detect small changes in pressure and if these occur we will shut the supply until the issue is resolved.

Installation of a basic rainwater harvesting collection system onsite can ensure that water is recycled to provide a supply of water that can be used for flushing toilets, washing hands or boot and tools cleaning.

Toureen Group is continually looking for ways to improve working practices to minimise any potential negative impact that construction work may have on the environment.