Every drop of water counts, so let’s take action now before it’s too late!

Image shows an aerial view of the UoR lake

Student Engagement Ambassador, Pok, talks about Water Saving Week 2022 and what we can all do to help save water.

Water is one of the most precious natural resources on Earth. It is an essential element for human existence, for example, water makes up approximately 55-60% in adult bodies and this is part of the reason why humans need to drink water and maintain hydration every day (Water Wise, 2021; USGS, 2019). Beyond this, it supports every life form on Earth, making it very precious.

However, we can’t take water for granted as there is potential for it to run out in the future if we don’t take action to save water now. Over the recent years, climate change has led to increasingly extreme weather, including more intense, longer heatwaves occurring at a greater frequency. This has led to a higher demand for water, reinforcing that it’s is a finite resource and we may have issue in its supply moving forward.

In the UK in 2020, 12 out of the 23 water companies occupying regions in England were found to be under ‘serious’ stress with water, illustrating that it is now more than ever a huge necessity to save water and address the water supply issue in the UK (for instance). Currently, the average household in the UK uses around 330 litres of water a day, which is a massive amount, making it crucial to consider water usage and make sure that water is used wisely (Energy Saving Trust, 2020).

Rapid urbanization is also a contributing factor in the increasing demand for water. Examples of water usage in the home include gardening, washing, cleaning, cooking and plenty of other things that we do daily. Hence, water is something we utilise everyday. Paying attention to the changes you can implement below will help you make a small difference that will contribute to a bigger change.

Here are few top tips:

  1. Turn off taps while brushing your teeth and when not in use.
  2. Remember to check your house property regularly for leaks, as water is often lost through unknown leakages.
  3. Reduce the time running water in common household usage, e.g., take shower rather than taking a bath, use a modern washing machine to effectively wash clothes and save water (Kay Plumbing, 2022).
  4. Consider fixing a water butt at the top of roof to collect rainwater (these are capable of storing up to 200 litres of water). This natural rainwater can be used to water plants in the garden which helps to save the finite supply of treated water that we have (Of Wat, 2022).

Watch this video to see how we can save our precious water as much as we can! – https://www.waterwise.org.uk/watersworthsaving/

To conclude, hopefully this blog has inspired you all to that water is essential and now is the time for everyone to take action and save water.

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