Do You Know How Much Water You’re Wasting?

The global water crisis is becoming increasingly pressing, with experts predicting that by 2050, at least one in four people will most likely live in a country affected by recurring or chronic freshwater shortages.

Even in the UK, which is famous for its annual rainfall levels, it’s been forecast that water shortages will be seen in some parts of the country in as little as ten years’ time. And London has been placed in ninth position in the index of cities most at risk of experiencing serious water shortages in just five years’ time.

All this suggests that we all need to start taking personal responsibility for how we use and consume water, but new research has suggested that there are some misconceptions about the importance of this resource and how easily it can be wasted.

Carried out by Triton Showers and reported on by the Independent, the study found that 47 per cent of people say they boil a full kettle when making a cuppa for one, leave the tap running while brushing their teeth or put the washing machine on half empty, without thinking about water consumption.

And some also believe that water waste simply doesn’t exist, with what they don’t use going back into the system. Yes, the water isn’t removed from the global water cycle, but it does remove it from society’s accessible water cycle, as well as wasting the energy and resources used to deliver the water in the first place.

Freshwater may well be in abundance in some places but it will still need to be cleaned and treated before being sent through the pipes to appear when a tap is turned on.

As such, water conservation is something that should be at the forefront of all our minds, especially when you think about the pressure now being put on supplies by globalisation, industrialisation, agriculture, extreme weather events and population growth, as well as water mismanagement.

The study also found that 25 per cent put the dishwasher on when it’s not full and over a third waste water by washing vegetables beneath a running tap. And others are happy to leave the water running when doing the washing-up by hand.

Triton Showers’ Tina Simpson was quoted by the news source as saying: “Water waste is easy to ignore, as it seems so accessible. But what is really shocking is the idea that a large percentage, as many as one in every six adults, don’t even seem to realise that they pay for water. And by not curbing excess water usage, their bills could actually increase.”

If you, as a business, would like to find out more about how you can reduce your water usage and consumption, get in touch with the SWS team today to discuss changing business water suppliers, as this is a very effective strategy to help you save water and money at the same time.