Welcome to Water Saving Week 2023
15th-19th May 2023
This year Waterwise will be hosting the Water Saving Week for the 7th year running. Follow us on social media to take part in the campaign!
During the week we will learn how to reduce our water usage and why it’s important to do so. From saving money to saving nature, we can all make tiny changes in our lives that combined will have a huge impact on our future.
Themes this year include
Monday -
Water and Money
17% of the energy bill and 12% of a typical gas-heated household’s energy bill is generated by heating water for showers, baths, and general washing. This means that by using less hot water we can save money on our energy bill too. Getting out of the shower a minute earlier can save 2,500 litres of water per year and up to £128.
If you’re on a water meter you can also influence your water bill, so check if you could save by getting one here.
Tuesday -
Water and the Environment
Climate change means that our weather is less predictable and there is a higher risk of prolonged dry spells, which impact our water supplies. 15 out of the 23 water companies in England are already under serious water stress.
Our personal and industrial water use also contributes to climate change and impacts our environment. Increased demand alongside reduced rainfall means increased pressure on water resources with reduced groundwater quality and renewal.
Reducing our water use can help ensure that we limit our impact on the climate, preserve our environmental heritage, and prevent extinction of aquatic life and habitats.
Learn how to save more water here.
Wednesday -
Water and Everyday Life
Water is the most precious of our natural resources and it is essential to our daily lives. The average person in the UK uses 145 litres of water per day, which is 70% more than in 1985.
The way we use water has changed due to an increase in ownership of water using appliances, social norms around health and hygiene, increased greenhouse agriculture requiring all-year watering, industrial production and increased car ownership.
Simple things such as reducing our showers to 4 min and making sure to only put on full loads of washing help save huge amounts of water every day.
Learn how to save more water here.
Thursday -
Embedded Water
Without water, we would not have food on our table and clothing on our backs. We consume more water than we think, because it’s in virtual form.
What we eat impacts water demand. 15,400 litres of water are required to produce 1 kg of beef and 4,300 litres to produce 1kg of chicken meat. The requirement for plant foods is much lower with 1kg of potatoes requiring 287 litres of water, 1kg of tomatoes requiring 214 litres of water, and 1kg of bananas requiring 790 litres of water for example.
As for clothing, Brits purchase more than two tonnes of clothing every minute and we know that the production of just a cotton t-shirt and a pair of jeans requires 20,000 litres of water.
Reducing water-intensive food consumption and avoiding fast fashion can therefore reduce our virtual water footprint and address some of the global water inequality issues that our lifestyles contribute to.
Friday -
Water and Hygiene
Having clean, running water in our taps and showers is only possible, because we have enough water resources at the moment. But with the climate change causing further changes in our supply and the population growing we have to start saving water to make sure that this continues into the future, so that we will have a stable supply of water – not just in our homes, but also in hospitals, schools and workplaces.
Flushing and personal washing account for over 60% of water usage in the home.
Upgrading to a dual-flush toilet could save 12,500 litres per person, per year, equivalent to 150 average-sized baths as dual flush toilets typically use 4-6 litres of water, as opposed to the old-style flush systems which use a massive 13 litres per flush.
A running tap wastes approximately 6 litres of water a minute. So, taking simples actions such as turning the tap off when brushing our teeth and when washing our hands will go a long way to reduce groundwater abstraction and to preserve natural habitats. Check which small steps you can take today to save water.
This campaign wouldn't be possible without our sponsors
