We had one of the wettest winters on record so it would be nice to think we’d got plenty of water if this summer turns out to be as dry as last year’s.
Unfortunately this isn’t the case. The UK faces a severe water crisis; some experts predict that parts of England could soon be relying on standpipes in the road with people having to queue for water.
A recent report in The Sunday Times pointed to a combination of reasons for this:
· * Heat-compacted soil prevents rain from soaking into the ground. This means rain is sent out to sea rather than recharging essential aquifers (vast natural reservoirs).
· * Years of underinvestment has meant no major new reservoirs have been built in the UK since 1992. This means that while rainfall is plentiful there aren’t enough reservoirs to catch it.
· * Regulators are limiting water pumping to protect rare chalk streams (underground aquifers) which are shrinking due to overuse in densely populated areas, such as the south-east of England. This drastically shrinks the water supply.
· * Reliance on Victorian plumbing, the oldest network in Europe. Leaks lose 2.6 billion litres a day – 19 per cent of our water.
Yet we need more water than ever, because:
· * Another 1.5 million homes are due to be built by the end of this parliament.
· * Data centres drain supply. They’re cooled down with drinking-grade water – an estimated 10 billion litres a year.
· * Leaking infrastructure leads to wastage.
Where does our water go?
Households are the single biggest drain on the public water supply, responsible for 59 per cent of usage.
A recent poll showed that 81 per cent of people are aware of the need to save water and have already made small lifestyle changes, such as turning off the tap when brushing teeth and watering the garden less frequently.
But we’ll have to go further. We use a lot more water than our European neighbours and the Government is proposing a reduction of around 50 litres a day per person, from 137 to 80 litres.
What can be done?
Some experts suggest that newbuild houses should be fitted with water butts in the garden, as well as having smart water meters. Browse our wide range of water butts here.
Another suggestions is that building regulations stipulate a dual pipe system to be used – one for drinking water, the other for recycled water. Currently, water that is used to flush toilets and water gardens is drinking water – an unnecessary waste.
There are other very simple things that you can do at home, such as using a Hippo Water Saver - a plastic bag that sits inside a toilet cistern which saves 1-3 litres per flush. There are also water-saving shower heads that use around 50 per cent less water.
Are you doing as much as you can to save water? Find out here.