American Express Stadium reduces water use by 41,203 litres

AWater Audit at the American Express Stadium carried out by Southern Water has helped the club save over 40,000 litres of water a day and reduce its bills.

Finding and fixing leaks in their network is a top priority for Southern Water and one of the ways they are doing this is by offering Water Audits to selected businesses in the region. Their Water Audit scheme is run in partnership with Groundwork and looks for leaks as well as opportunities to install water efficiency devices.

The results of their audit at the Amex have exceeded expectations. Skilled plumbing engineers carried out a survey checking all internal water systems in toilets, bathrooms and kitchen areas for leaks and water wastage. Leaky appliances were then repaired and a range of water saving devices fitted to help stop wastage and reduce water bills immediately.

Despite being a relatively new stadium with a high standard of maintenance overseen by the club’s facilities team, 45 hidden leaks were identified across the site’s toilets, taps and urinals, that were collectively wasting almost 34,000 litres of water daily.

Fixes were carried out on the leaky appliances, with water efficiency devices fitted to 38 toilets and 21 taps saving a further 7,143 litres of water. In total, this resulted in an estimated reduction in water use of 41,203 litres a day, representing a huge win for the club – and the planet.

A full water efficiency report was then provided to the club outlining what had been fitted, and fixed, and how much water had been saved – all free of charge. A water audit at the American Express Elite Performance Centre is due to take place later this year.

Albion’s sustainability manager Thomas Harris said, “Brighton & Hove Albion are continually looking for ways to make better use of resources and reduce waste. Whilst the club has several water saving technologies in place already, the water audit carried out by Southern Water has demonstrated the savings that can be achieved through water audits aimed at fixing leaks and installing water saving devices.

“The audit was carried out with expertise and professionalism, and we look forward to working with Southern Water in the future to identify further savings at the American Express Elite Football Performance Centre in Lancing.”