Its no lie that our planet is heating up. There doesn’t seem to be a day that goes by where the news isn’t filled with the doom gloom of ice caps melting, water is running out and so on.
However, here in the South West, South West Water staff are setting a good example by reducing their own water usage.
The initiative comes as part of Water Saving Week, a yearly campaign that is led by WaterWise.
Water Saving Week now in its 5th Year
Water Saving Week is now in its 5th year and the purpose of the campaign is to help people do the following:
- Save Money
- Help limit the impact of climate change
- Improve the local environment
- Improve water resilience
Save Money
Who doesn’t want to save money in 2019?
It is well known that a tap that is just dripping, will fill a bucket over time, which is not only a waste of water but also money down the drain. So ensure your taps are correctly sealed and you’re using an efficient shower head. Such actions could alone save you £120 per year.
Climate Change
Of course its not just money that’s impacted, the environment is as well.
Using hot water in our homes contributes around 1% of the UK’s total CO2 emissions. So use hot water sparing and reduce the length of time you’re taking in the shower.
Local Environment
With demand increasing, we can minimise the pressure we’re putting on our local rivers and aquifers just by using water more efficiently.
Water Resilience
With water resources become scarcer, building new infrastructure is becoming expensive. If we can save water from just turning off the tap, spending less time in the shower then we can reduce the pressure on existing infrastructure and offset the need for more.
Rob Scarrott, Head of Water Resources and Water Efficiency at South West Water said:
Although it might seem like it rains a lot in the South West, long-term population growth and climate change means water in the region will become ever more precious for future generations. As part of our Business Plan for 2020-2025 we are looking at a range of activities to reduce the demand for water. This starts with a 15% reduction in leakage by 2025 – despite having one of the lowest levels of leakage in England – and we have set a challenging target to help our customers reduce their water consumption from an average of 140 litres a day to 129 litres a day.“While nearly 70 percent of the world is covered by water, only 2.5 percent of it is fresh. The rest is saline and ocean-based. Even then, just 1 percent of our freshwater is easily accessible. Every time you flush the loo, run the washing machine, rinse out the sink or bath, or wash the car we are all using water that is taken from the environment. That water that has been treated to very high standards for human consumption, and the less we all use the less that is taken from the environment, and the less energy and chemicals used to treat the water giving wider benefits. Importantly, most people in our region are on a water meter and the less water used, the lower the bill, helping to save money.”
Not only that, but Mr Scarrott will also bee keeping a daily video diary of just how his family are doing their bit to ensure they help save water.
The video diary will then be made accessible via the South West Water’s social media channels to enable the rest of the South West community to learn how to save water as well.
Water Saving Week Prizes
Customers that sign up to take part in the Water Saving Week challenge will be in for a chance to win one of 25 high-tech shower head attachments and even your very own water butt.
Further information about Water Saving Week can be found on the official WaterWise website.
