Did you know?
Several strategies can be employed to conserve water usage in the lab. Using water-efficient equipment and instruments, such as low-flow taps and water-saving autoclaves, can significantly reduce water consumption. Regularly checking for and repairing any leaks in the plumbing system can prevent water wastage. If you notice a leak or a dripping tap, report it to UCD Estates.
For lab work, try reusing distilled water when possible.
Approximately 3 litres of water are required to produce 1 litre of deionised water. This means running a protein or agarose gel (depending on the gel size) uses 3 litres of water for every gel run.
Avoid water based cooling systems in favour of ice packs which can be re-used. Single pass cooling systems have the potential to result in a lab consuming almost 50,000 litres of water annually.
In a single cycle, autoclaves can use up to 227 litres of water. For autoclaves over a decade old, the usage may be as much as 340 litres per cycle.
Correct management of chemical waste will also help to avoid water contamination.