Service water: definition and benefits
Water is the basis of life and the earth. Not only for humans, but also for nature and the environment, water is very precious. It provides essential resources for plants, animals and the habitat. The daily use of water in private households makes it clear how important running water is. The definition of service water is simple. Service water is industrial water and is used in private, technical, commercial and agricultural activities. But beware! Service water is by no means the same as drinking water.
In the industrial and commercial sector, industrial water is strictly separated from drinking water for hygienic reasons. This is because industrial water is often used in conjunction with additives for further processing. With regard to the municipal sector, a separation of service water and drinking water is not intended. From a cost perspective, a separate service water supply makes sense in any case in private households in order to be able to save costs in the long term.
What is service water
Service water, as the word implies, is water that is used in the household or in company buildings as utility water. It is not used as drinking water, but is much more suitable for flushing toilets or watering the garden. Even if the service water is not drinking water, this water must meet certain requirements with regard to hygiene regulations. For example, it should be free of lime and salts.
If industrial water is used for technical processes, it is important that the industrial water is treated appropriately for the machine and the process before each process begins. In agriculture, industrial water is often used to irrigate fields.
Since industrial water cannot compete with the prescribed drinking water qualities, the industrial water is therefore not approved as drinking water. According to the Drinking Water Ordinance(TrinkwV), water is considered to be for human consumption(drinking water) provided it does not pose a risk to the human body.
Extraction in summary
Water for human consumption can be obtained in a variety of ways. In the most common cases, however, it is rainwater or groundwater. Precipitation water or rainwater for private households is collected in a variety of ways. One variant for collecting rainwater is the classic rain barrel. Instead of a rain barrel in the garden, underground cisterns also serve optimally to collect the water fairly. The groundwater can be tapped with pumps. The service water obtained in this way can be used for watering private gardens .
The extraction of service water in the industrial and commercial sector usually comes from waste water that has already been treated. This waste water is also called grey water and is only slightly polluted and free of faeces. The disposal of used industrial water is disposed of through the sewage system, just like any other type of water.
Areas of application for service water
Perhaps you have already read it in the lines between and now already know what the service water can be used for. Here we would like to give you a general overview once again and show you which areas of application may come into question:
Service water in the household
The service water can be optimally used for various areas and can save you money in some household chores. We recommend that you use domestic hot water for the following purposes:
- Toilet flushing: Flushing toilets with domestic water is one way to reduce water consumption, as this accounts for a large proportion of household water use.
- Washing machine: for the use of clean laundry.
- Cleaning: Domestic water can be used for cleaning the house, windows and floors.
Service water for the garden
Service water is a precious resource not only in the household, but also in outdoor areas such as the garden. Use your collected rainwater as service water and water your green areas and plants easily and cost-effectively. By the way, service water on reserve turns out to be worth its weight in gold, especially on hot summer days.
- Watering plants: Industrial water can be used to water plants, as it is often rich in nutrients and no drinking water is wasted.
- Property cleaning: Industrial water can be used for cleaning pavements, cars and other items.
