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2.8. Water, water, not everywhere

Water is a double-edged sword. Too much leads to flooding disasters, and too little leads to water scarcity. It’s pretty shocking, but 2.1 billion people in the world have no access to clean water. (Ritchie and Roser, 2021)

Key Takeaways 2.7

In a nutshell

  • Water is a precious commodity so please don’t waste it.

  • Calculate how much money you may be losing from inefficiencies.

Improving water efficiency

In the UK, it is estimated that each person, on average, uses 150 litres of water per day. If everyone adopted more water-saving habits, this could easily be reduced to 100 litres per day, and businesses can play a big part. Here are a few things you can do to help.
 

  • 1. Analyse Water Consumption Do you monitor your water usage on a monthly basis? 
    2. Look out for Water Leaks 

    Do you have a system for checking regularly for dripping taps and leaky toilets? 

    We lose three billion litres of water a day in England and Wales due to water leaks, and many of these can be costly to businesses. A dripping tap can waste an average of 13 litres a day, and a leaking toilet can waste 400 litres a day. (WWT.org.uk) 

    3. Install water efficient toilets

    Have you installed dual-flush or low flush toilets?

    Toilets represent over 30% of water usage in the workplace. If your building is open to the public, this can be even more substantial. 

    4. Install Efficient Taps 

    Do you have water efficient taps?

    Make sure all your hand basin taps are on auto shut-off. Aerators spread the stream of water coming out of your tap into tiny droplets, which prevents splashing and saves water. 

    5. Fill the Dishwasher 

    Do newly purchased dishwashers consume less than 3.5 litres per basket? 

    Always wash a full load of dishes to gain maximum water efficiency. If possible, change to a water efficient dishwasher, which uses the minimal amount of water necessary. 

    6. Don’t Waste Drinking Water 

    Do you keep jugs of water in the fridge or have you installed a water fountain that serves cold drinking water? 

    Many people waste water by letting the tap run cold before filling up their glass. 

    7. Make use of Rainwater 

    Is rainwater collected and used for suitable purposes, such as watering plants? 

    Note: a sprinkler uses around 1,000 litres of water an hour, so use collected rainwater if you can. (WWT.org.uk)