World Water Day – The role chemistry must play in the ongoing water crisis

March 22^nd is World Water Day, a global incentive from the United Nations, designed to highlight the ongoing global water crisis. Does a global water crisis still exist in 2017 you might ask? Unfortunately, yes. Today there are still over 663 million people living without a safe, clean water supply close to their home.

That’s why World Water Day is vital for raising awareness of the problem and highlighting the targets and future solutions. The Sustainable Development Goals, for example, include a target to ensure everyone has access to safe water by 2030.

This target is supported by dedicated organisations such as WaterAid and World Vision, who use World Water Day to highlight the ongoing challenges and what the global community is doing right now.

However, the water crisis is something we all must play a part in combating. Unfortunately, water wastage is a major issue in our labs, but one that we can do something about.

How much water does your lab waste?

It makes little economic or environmental sense to waste thousands of litres just to cool a single condenser. Yet, that’s exactly what most labs do. Water condensers themselves can use up to 150 litres of water in an hour, the same as continuously running a bath, so the potential for waste is plain to see.

The solution therefore is obvious: laboratories need to switch from reliance on water condensers to something more sustainable.

How much is water costing your lab?

The need for less reliance on water condensers is not just question of sustainability, it’s also a question of cost.

The cost associated with running just one water condenser is considerable and even more when you consider most labs and institutions tend to have several running in every lab.

The table below shows just how much a single water condenser with one tap running can cost in water consumption per year.

What is the Findenser?

Findenser is a ‘Super air condenser’ that replaces water-cooled condensers in over
95% of common chemistry applications and requires no running water to operate.

Comprising an internal glass condenser and an external, finned aluminium jacket, the Findenser seals a small amount of water permanently between the pair – stopping the need for a constant flow of water.

With the Findenser there is no risk of flooding from running water. It eliminates water purchase and disposal costs, and it helps meet sustainable water reduction targets.

Findenser comparison of water consumption

How does the Findenser Compare to a Water Condenser?

The Findenser users 0 litres of water per hour. So, running Findensers will cost you… nothing. At the same time, because it doesn’t require a constant feed of running water, there’s no risk of flooding, no dripping, and no hoses to connect.

The results speak for themselves:

Graph showing solvent retention rate of water condenser vs. Findenser. Highlighting the sustainability of Findenser.

Findensers can be set up in a matter of seconds, anywhere in your lab and perform every bit as well as a water condenser, if not better, with most solvents:

You need even more evidence? Well, we put Findenser to work against a water condenser, watch the video below to see just how much water was saved:

The Findenser in action

If you needed proof of how effective the Findenser is in battling water wastage, then look no further than their installation at the University of California, San Diego.

In an area already associated with critical droughts, the Californian government declared a state of emergency in 2014 and by 2015 residents and businesses were forced to cut their water consumption by 25%.

To meet their targets and looking for a more sustainable innovation, the university piloted and ultimately adopted hundreds of Findenser units in their labs.

The results were incredible. As of June 2016, the Findenser had allowed the university’s labs to save up to 5.7 million litres of water a year!

So ground breaking was the achievement, that the university was awarded the Industrial Environmental Association’s Water Conservation Award by the County of San Diego.

Professor Seth Cohen, who accepted the award on behalf of the university, said:

“It’s hard to believe how much water has been used using conventional condensers.”

“The Findensers have been a great success. The results of the water saving are so spectacular, with millions of gallons of water saved over the course of a few months.”

Water… everyone has a part to play

World Water Day may only be once a year but the problem won’t disappear that quickly. We all have our part to play to ensure everyone has access to clean water by 2030.

Chemistry is at the forefront of some of the planets’ biggest challenges, so it’s vital we lead by example. Switch to Findensers in your lab today and start saving money and precious water.

If you’d like to request a demo of Findenser, please fill in our demo form or call us on: +44 1799 513320