Water shortage is a growing problem for the 21st century. However, despite the growing importance of climate change and global warming on everyone’s agenda, water shortage has not received the attention it deserves. ‘Water Saving Week’, commencing the 12th-18th June, looks to change our attitude towards water and teach us the importance of water efficiency. Water scarcity affects one billion people every day and it is clear that even in the UK, perceived as a rain-soaked country, rainfall has become unpredictable making our water supply unreliable. The UK actually has less water per person available than most other EU countries [1]. This means that the cost of water is likely to rise as it becomes more in demand. Moreover, low groundwater levels can contribute to human and natural pollutants. It is thus essential that water is used efficiently to protect human and environmental health and ensure a sustainable supply of water for future generations.
There are essentially three main benefits of saving water:
- You will save energy. It is likely that most of us do not think about the carbon emissions associated with water supply, disposal and heating; however, this actually accounts for 5% of the UK’s carbon emissions.
- You will save money as you will not be using as much water or energy to treat or supply it.
- You will help address climate change and make the world more sustainable. Wasting water means more energy consumption and therefore more carbon dioxide emissions.
Saving water resources and becoming more water efficient can be achieved through the implementation of water- saving technologies and simple changes in everyday activities.
