Defra campaign is aiming to reduce water wastage

We are a nation full of ‘water wasters’ according to a new Defra campaign launched today.

We are now being urged to take steps to use water wisely to help ensure the future of our water supply, protect the environment and also save money.

According to Defra, the average household uses more than 100,000 litres of water every year.

Broken down, that is the equivalent of 150 litres used per person per day.

Environment Minister Huw Irranca-Davies said:”We are already taking too much water from some of our rivers and groundwater to meet demand but we can’t maintain this without seriously harming our environment, especially as our climate becomes warmer and drier in places. If we don’t act now we could lose some of our precious biodiversity forever. Not only that but continued wasteful consumption of water is harming our climate for future generations due to the energy used in the supply process.

“It is vital that we all act now and take these simple steps to waste less water in our day to day lives to help protect our future.”

Reducing our water usage is vital as it is estimated by 2020 the increasing population will mean that water need will rise by 800 million extra litres every day.

The Act on C02 campaign is aiming to get people to save 20 litres of water everyday by following some simple tips on water usage.

Four steps being touted by the campaign to decrease our usage include:

Turning off the tap while brushing your teeth saves six litres of water a minute

Cutting your shower time by just one minute can save nine litres of water

Using a bowl to wash your dishes rather than leaving the tap running saves up to six litres a minute.

Using a watering can or a bucket in the garden or washing the car instead of a hosepipe saves 16 litres a minute.