The Environment Agencys new purpose built head office in Bristol is home to some of the organisations key departments. From Flood and Coastal Risk Management through to the National Incident Team, it is the hub for national support functions such as HR, Finance and IT.
When it came to procurement for the environment agencys new facility, it should come as no surprise that sustainability was at the top of the agenda.
A café bar in the main atrium area, run by Baxter Storey, caters for the subsistence requirements of staff, whilst an additional nine beverage points around the building provide facilities for hot and cold drinks throughout the day. It is within this area that one of the biggest changes was made in the new building, when the decision was taken to move away from bottled water and boilers, to something more environmentally friendly, as
Stuart explains:
When we looked at the catering provision within the new building we worked closely with a specialist consultant who recommended that we take a look at the Vivreau system as a way to reduce both physical waste and to reduce energy consumption. Following a review of the system and a site survey we took the decision to install a LinkLine system, nine V20 taps and one Table Water Bottling System, which is largely used for hospitality.
The Vivreau LinkLine system filters and purifies water before distributing it to various beverage points throughout the building. In the case of the Environment Agency, it included both V20 points as well as a bottling system. As Stuart explains, it has significantly improved the offering:
The Vivreau LinkLine system in association with the V20 taps has vastly enhanced our offering. As the V20 taps offer both boiling and chilled water, staff can use the same equipment for hot and cold drinks and with boiling water always available, there is less waiting around for the kettle to boil or the boiler to reach temperature.
With our old system we had a number of incidents of scalding, which always had to be recorded in the accident book. Since the V20 has been installed, there have been no incidents to date And, in a company where the negative effects of water is at the top of everyones agenda, either through issues on flooding or drought, it is good to see the positive aspects coming to the fore.