The Water Conservation Challenge
Our Blue Planet is indeed full of water, but 97% of this is in our oceans which, due to the salt levels, is unfit for human consumption. Of what’s left, less than 1% is accessible as drinking water and the entire global population is relying on this.
In the UK, we consume 14 billion litres of water per day and by 2050, we may need nearly five billion more to meet growing demands.
So despite the wettest winter since Met Office records began in 1836 filling our reservoirs to 95% of their storage capacity for the summer ahead, every drop we can save will safeguard our supplies for the future and boost our resilience during extreme weather conditions.
Water Saving Week: BTS at Tidworth
This Water Saving Week we went behind the scenes at our Tidworth water facility to find out how water from these reservoirs makes it to our taps and what happens to it when it goes down the drain.
It’s at this site that we maintain reliable water services for residents and businesses across the region and ensure the safe and sustainable treatment of their wastewater so that it can eventually return to the water cycle and safeguard our resources for the future, essential within the climate crisis.
Watch our video below with expert Fiona Winters, General Manager for Industrial, Water and Energy who also sits on the National Drought Group, chaired by the Environment Agency, with Water Wise, the organisation behind Water Saving Week and other invested groups such as farmers, conservation experts and the Met Office.
> Boreholes at Tidworth pump enough drinking water from underground to fill 900 Olympic swimming pools every year.
> Carbon removes pesticides whilst small amounts of chlorine are added to make it safe to drink.
> Wastewater is screened to remove larger particles and bacteria and oxygen do the rest to treat it.
> Biodiversity at our lagoons, unique to Tidworth, is really important and all part of our environmental stewardship to help nature, the greatest recycler of all, to finish the process through the water cycle.
How to be water wise
How many litres of water do you think you consume every day? To help put it into context, it’s recommended that we drink 2 - 2.5 litres of water a day.
On average, everyone in the UK uses 146 litres of water every day. Small changes to how we consume water can add up to a huge positive impact if we all make small adjustments during our daily activities. Follow Water Wise’s top tips to help you reduce your consumption and together we can deliver ecological transformation:
1.
Shorten Your Showers as every minute you save in the shower can reduce your water consumption by a whopping 13 litres.
2.
Report a Dripping Tap which wastes around 5,500 litres of water a year. Report it today and get it fixed.
3.
Turn the Tap Off and save 6 litres of water per minute.
4.
Load the Dishwasher Till it’s Full as a single wash takes between 40-80 litres of water. Choose the economy setting or wait till you have a full load.
5.
Use the Correct Dual Flush Button for a half flush consuming 3 litres of water or a full flush when needed for 6 litres.
6.
Install a Water Meter: 85% of Tidworth residents are already on a water meter which encourages efficiency, saving them 10-15% more water. Get in touch to enquire about having a meter fitted today.
How can we help?
Find out more from our experts who are always on hand to deal with your request.