The University of California, San Diego, has won a prestigious conservation award after saving around 5.7 million litres of water with the help of a Findenser from Radleys.
Professor Seth Cohen recently accepted the Industrial Environmental Association’s Water Conservation Award by the County of San Diego on behalf of the University after 5.7 million litres were saved at Pacific Hall.
The award was in no small part assisted by 280 Findensers located across the University campus. Since their installation, each Findenser - manufacturered at Radleys' Saffron Walden headquarters - has been able to save as much as 1200 litres each day – the equivalent as two people's water usage in the drought-hit state.
Professor Cohen said: “We all know how important saving water is – particularly here in California where we are really struggling with the effects of drought. 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. Findenser was a simple and effective tool to improve water savings and laboratory safety. We are hoping more laboratories across the university will adopt the Findenser.”
California has been in a state of drought since 2012, with 2014 and 2015 seeing exceptional levels of drought across vast swathes of the state. In 2014 the California government declared a state of emergency and imposed the state’s first ever mandatory restrictions the following year .
From June 2015 to February 2016 California’s residents and businesses were forced to cut their water consumption by 25% - with cities facing charges if they failed to hit their target.
In an effort to rein in its water usage UC San Diego trialled the use of Findenser water condensers. 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.
Prof Cohen said: “Based on the numbers quoted at the awards ceremony with the county of San Diego, our saving with Findensers was among the highest amount of water saved of all the projects that were recognised with these water-saving awards. It’s saved millions of gallons of water.
“It’s hard to believe how much water has been used using conventional condensers. The continuous flow of water needed for the many reflux reactions being performed by synthetic chemists in our department adds up to incredible amounts of water that have now been conserved thanks to Findenser.”
Managing director of Radleys, Mark Radley, said: “I am delighted that our equipment has helped achieve such fantastic results for UCSD. While science has the potential to deliver the answers to the crisis around water consumption we have to lead by example.This is why the Findenser is such an important product for us. We are helping to reduce costs for companies and institutions and at the same time removing their risk of flooding. Most importantly we’re helping to save a vital resource for our planet.”
