Drinking Water As A Sustainable Design Issue

The rise in the popularity of bottled water over the past couple of decades has come at a price. Beyond its expense, the production of these products has several environmental drawbacks, including the carbon emissions associated with its productions, the pollution it causes, its association with microplastics, and more.

In this context, the installation of water filtration systems in our homes, offices, and other places of work represents a more sustainable option.

That said, those responsible for specifying systems of this type should do so with caution. They should realise that not all water filtration systems are the same. They should understand their potential environmental impacts, as well as the best ways to assess these impacts.

They need to be aware of the various filtration options available, the emergence of sustainable technologies in this market, and the roles that lifecycle assessment and third-party certification play in identifying genuinely sustainable products.

As we explain in this session of CPD Live, the architects and designers who choose and install water filtration systems need to understand that, in 2024, the supply of drinking water should rightly be considered a sustainable design issue.

Learning Outcomes

At the end of this presentation, you should be able to:

•   Define the term ‘sustainable design’ and explain why it applies to the provision of drinking water
•   Identify the various negative environmental consequences associated with the manufacture and consumption of bottled water
•   Explain why the consumption of tap water, supplied via water filters, is an environmentally friendly alternative to bottled water
•   Outline the variables involved in assessing the sustainability of water filtration systems

(PRACTICE MANAGEMENT AND PROFESSIONAL CONDUCT PC 10, PROJECT INITIATION AND CONCEPTUAL DESIGN PC 28, PROJECT INITIATION AND CONCEPTUAL DESIGN PC 31, PROJECT INITIATION AND CONCEPTUAL DESIGN, 35)

Speaker 

Michael Spiteri – Senior PMO & ESG Lead, Zip Water 

Michael has over 10 years experience in finance, product innovation and project management within the Manufacturing Industry. Michael is a proactive and forward-thinking innovation leader who manages the project management office team and works collaboratively across the business to build and develop organisational capabilities, lead teams through change and optimise processes to deliver strong business results. Michael leads ESG initiatives for Asia Pacific and was instrumental in launching the Zip HydroTap impact calculator and Zip Water Inaugural Sustainability Report.