Water Crisis: Europeans ‘Significantly’ Underestimate Personal Water Use

While industry and businesses undeniably have the biggest water footprint of us all – and it will be vital for them to address this now and well into the future in order to reduce the risks of water stress and scarcity – individuals also have their part to play in reducing their water consumption, particularly as global population growth will put increasing pressure on already dwindling supplies.

However, it seems that many people significantly underestimate how much water they actually use, with new research from bathroom solutions brand GROHE revealing that 79 per cent of Europeans underestimate their daily water consumption.

Some 22 per cent believe this to be as little as one to ten litres per day, when in fact the average European uses 144 litres on a daily basis.

However, despite this disconnect between what they use and what they think they use, people do seem to understand the severity of the issue at hand, with 66 per cent saying they expect to see water scarcity in the future and 87 per cent stating that water efficiency at home is personally important to them.

Interestingly, however, the main motivation for water conservation was found to be saving money – true for 34 per cent of survey respondents – ahead of generational or societal reasons, such as protecting the environment (23 per cent) or safeguarding resources for future generations (also 23 per cent).

And yet, despite the fact that people seem keen to save money, over a third of those asked haven’t installed water-saving devices, with key barriers to adoption included perceived high cost of appliances, a lack of information and a lack of interest.

Globally, the Middle East is currently paving the way for water crisis awareness, with the highest adoption rate of water-efficient fixtures and fittings… although this is perhaps unsurprising, given that the region experiences particularly high levels of water stress.

Commenting on the results, Bijoy Mohan – leader of LIXIL International, the parent company of GROHE – said: “These findings are as encouraging as they are a call to action: European consumers are not closing their eyes to the issue of water scarcity. Still, many don’t fully realise the value of water and their ability to contribute to water conservation.

“As an industry, we have a responsibility to educate consumers as to the smart choices they can make, while also making sure they don’t have to choose between enjoying water and saving one of our most precious resources.”

How can businesses save water?

Investing in water-saving appliances like dual flush toilets, kitchen tap aerators, regulated shower heads, cistern displacement devices and other efficient products can be beneficial for both homeowners and businesses alike, but for the latter there are other significant opportunities to reduce their water footprint, as well.

Water leak detection and repair, for example, can help you make serious savings across the board, since the majority of leaks happen below ground so they’re hard to spot or they’re so small that they’re barely a trickle, with water slowly being lost over time. Chances are you don’t even know if you have a leak onsite.

Elsewhere, you could consider commercial rainwater harvesting, where you collect and store the rainwater that falls on your roof area. You can then filter this and reuse it instead of mains water, with typical applications including vehicle washing, toilet flushing, laundry and process water and so on.

Water recycling is another avenue to consider, where you take the discarded water from typical activities like irrigation, toilet flushing and vehicle washing to be used elsewhere. This is a particularly good option for businesses in the leisure and hospitality sectors, which have high water demand needs.

However, one of the best ways to save water is to consider changing your business water supplier, as the process involves a water audit of your entire business premises, so you can see how and where you’re using water. This will allow you to identify the most appropriate water-saving measures and adjust these over time as the needs of your business change.

Additionally, you may also be able to save money by taking advantage of better rates with a different supplier, as well as value-added services and better customer service, so there are plenty of other benefits to switching besides saving water.

If you’d like to find out more about the process and how to go about it, get in touch with the Switch water Supplier team today.