Small changes to cut down on water waste

(11/11/2009)

The average person in the UK uses around 150 litres of water every day and of this around one third is wasted. However, according to recent research released by Defra, many of us don’t think we waste water. Indeed even when people do have some awareness that a behaviour is wasteful they have little connection to the impact of that wastefulness.

In support of the Energy Saving Trust’s Energy Saving Week, which this year highlights our wasteful behaviour, Waterwise is helping everyone to make some small changes to cut down on water waste. ‘Waterwise is very pleased to be supporting Energy Saving Week which highlights wasteful behaviours. There are so many ways that we waste water around the home and could be more efficient. Turning off the tap when we brush our teeth should be as normal a behaviour as turning off the lights when we leave our home. Most of us now act on our energy usage and we need to start thinking about water in the same way.’ Says Jacob Tompkins, Managing Director of Waterwise.

'This year’s Energy Saving week is all about wasting less time, energy and money. With household water consumption accounting for around 150 litres per person per day, it’s clear that wasting less water is a key area that we need to address. Given most householders are not aware of how much water they use, raising awareness is the first step. Organisations like Waterwise and The Energy Saving Trust have an important role to play here and we hope that working in partnership to promote Energy Saving Trust’s Energy Saving Week will do just that.' Philip Sellwood, Energy Saving Trust Chief Executive.

Examples of wasteful behaviour include:

Running the shower whilst you are not in it wastes 9 litres of water a minute
EASY FIX – Don’t walk away from your shower whilst waiting for the water to run through hot. Make sure you get in as soon as it is warm enough. Better still, use a bucket to collect the water which runs through cold when you first turn your shower on. You can use this water on your houseplants or your garden.

Running your washing machine on a normal setting with only a half load wastes 25 litres each time
EASY FIX - Use a full load in your washing machine

Using a hosepipe unnecessarily wastes 16 litres of water a minute
EASY FIX – Install a water butt to collect valuable rainwater for use on your garden. Better still use a watering can. If you are washing your car use a bucket and sponge.

Flushing rubbish down your toilet wastes 6 litres each time
EASY FIX – Put your rubbish in the bin and try not to use your toilet as a dustbin.

Leaving the tap running whilst brushing your teeth wastes 6 litres of water a minute
EASY FIX – Fill a glass with water before turning off the tap.

Taking a longer shower than you need wastes 9 litres of water a minute
EASY FIX – Most of us spend around 10 minutes in the shower. By spending a little less time in the shower we can make more time for other things in our lives and save energy, money and reduce our greenhouse gas emissions.

Related categories:  Environmental technologies for Residential and Green homes   Water conservation and supply