Soapbox: Water efficiency is key to securing our water supplies...
writes Jacob Tompkins, Managing Director of Waterwise, the independent, not for profit, non-governmental organisation focused on decreasing water consumption in the UK and building the evidence base for large scale water efficiency.
"In 2010 the UK has experienced the driest first six months of the year for 71 years. In response to the hosepipe ban being announced in the North West of England, Waterwise is asking everyone to do their bit to help save water. Through simple changes in behaviour we can help to there is enough water for everyone in the future. The hosepipe ban may have already been announced, but we can all do our bit to try to stop them from being necessary in the future.
Despite the UK being perceived as a very wet country, we actually have less available water per person than most other European countries, including Spain and Greece. Water management in the UK is set up for long-term Great British drizzle, however climate change means that rainfall is becoming more intense and more irregular - leading to floods and droughts like those the North West has suffered in the past year.
Water efficiency is key in managing floods and droughts. By being water efficient we can slow down the amount of water that gets into the sewerage system by using less at home, and through installing water butts in our gardens. And by using less water, we leave more in the supplies in times of drought.
During the 2008 summer floods in Gloucester, Waterwise was offering water efficiency advice to people, because they needed help in making their small drinking water supplies go further. Water efficiency really is the key to securing our water supplies and our wildlife.
The drought also underlines the importance of the water efficiency work the UK water companies have been doing. Waterwise produced a 'Water Efficiency and the Water Companies - a 2010 UK Review' to show the hard work that the UK water industry is doing in promoting water efficiency. We welcome the work of the UK water industry in promoting water efficiency. We are also pleased to see that water companies are now thinking in the long term when planning their water efficiency programmes.
There are lots of simple ways that we can all save water:
* Use a water butt to collect the rainwater from your roof, rather than wasting treated drinking water on your garden.
* Use a watering can to water your plants early in the morning or late in the evening, when evaporation levels are at their lowest.
* Think about choosing drought resistant bedding and perennial plants like African or French marigolds, petunias, geraniums, campanula or heuchera.
* Use mulch to reduce evaporation by up to 70%.
* Use water saving crystals which expand and hold the water in your soil when you water it and when it rains.
* DonŐt waste water by using a hosepipe to clean your paths, patios and driveways. Use a broom, rake or outdoor blower or vacuum instead.
* Try not to cut lawns too short. When mowing, cut only the top third of the leaf area, leaving it three centimetres or higher. Reduce water loss even further by saving your lawn clippings to use as mulch on your lawn or garden.
* Regularly check your outdoor taps, pipes and plumbing fixtures for leaks. Just one dripping tap can waste 2,000 litres a month.
If we do not take action now, climate change, population shifts and behaviour mean the UK will face increased water stress in the future."
Ed: To see the 'Water Efficiency and the Water Companies a 2010 UK Review' visit the publications section on the Waterwise website:
