Concerning water consumption, restaurants can be divided into three main sections: a restaurant uses the biggest amount of water at the time of food preparation and cleaning the appliances, but in the same time – depending on the traffic in the restaurant – the amount of water used in the restrooms by guest, as well as during the cleaning of the premises after closing each day both significantly contribute to water consumption.
With regard to the fact that the water usage related to food preparation significantly differs in restaurants depending on the type of food they serve, we concentrate mainly on dish washing practices, the water saving solutions implemented in the guest restrooms, and the amount of water used during cleaning when we measure the environmental impact of a restaurant.
Water-saving solutions in general require more cost effective investments than the energy-related ones, but higher level cooperation is needed from the staff and also from the customers. Therefore the training of the staff and awareness raising activities for the customers are the most important in these fields.
Even by just paying a little attention, a significant amount of water can be saved in a restaurant. With regular checking of the restrooms, leaking taps and running toilets can be eliminated. A basic requirement in restaurants that apply for membership in the Heroes of Responsible Dining Network is to stop wasting water and to use faucets with an aerator or sensor.
A big THANK YOU goes out for Katalin Hall for translating the original site!