The UK government has issued a stark warning over the state of England’s water resources. According to the Environment Agency, England is staring down the barrel of a five billion litre per day shortfall in its public water supplies by 2050 – unless urgent action is taken.
In addition to the five billion litre per day shortfall for households, the Environment Agency is also predicting a further one billion litre per day shortfall across the country’s wider economy, bringing the total shortfall to six billion litres per day.
It identified climate change, a growing population and environmental pressures that impact supplies as the main reasons for the shortfall. However, there is some good news: there are plans in place to mitigate this impact.
One of the primary activities that needs to be undertaken is dramatically reducing the number of leaks in our current water system. Water companies have currently pledged to reduce leaks by 50 per cent by 2050 and by 17 per cent in the next five years alone.
New water infrastructure will also play a crucial role in securing England’s water supplies for the future. While a great deal of the work that needs to be done in this regard falls on water companies and the regulator, there are steps businesses and households can take to reduce their water usage and contribute.
Install smart meters for your water supply
Smart meters are a great way to help you become more conscious of how much water you use and could also lead to a drop in water consumption. Water companies have committed to rolling out ten million more water smart meters in the coming years, which are eligible to businesses as well as households.
Installing a smart meter for your business water supply can encourage your staff to think more consciously about how much water they use. Even simple steps like only running a dishwasher or washing machine when it’s full, or using the tap for a few seconds less when washing your hands can make a difference.
Replace your taps
If you’re in a position to replace the taps on your business premises, opt for spray taps rather than traditional taps. These taps reduce the water flow without reducing the pressure, so it doesn’t feel that different to those using the tap.
For areas where taps are on a timer – such as in a public bathroom – consider shortening their run time by even a few seconds. It might not sound like it will do a great deal, but all of that extra water adds up over the course of a day or week.
It’s also important to make sure that none of your taps are leaking. Did you know a dripping tap can mean you lose up to 20 gallons of water a day? That’s a huge saving worth making when it’s often a simple fix.
Switch to renewable energy
On the face of it, you might not see how this could reduce water usage. However, fossil fuel production uses considerably more water resources than renewable energy generation does.
Therefore, if you switch to using renewable energy, you are inadvertently reducing water usage. A report by McKinsey estimated that if 75 per cent of the world’s energy supply were to come from renewables instead of fossil fuels, global water use for energy production would fall by nearly half.
Harvest rainwater
This option won’t be applicable for all businesses, but if you work in a sector where you have to water plants or maintain grounds – such as at a golf course, in a hospitality environment like a hotel, or even at a stately home – rainwater harvesting is a big one.
A commercial rainwater harvesting system could allow you to store and use this water for non-potable purposes, such as watering outdoor areas. This could also significantly reduce your water bills, especially if you combine it with installing a water meter.
What’s more, rainwater harvesting can also be a tool to help prevent flooding in certain locations, so you could be supporting the broader community as well as your business by choosing to install such a system.
Although the Environment Agency’s warning might sound scary, there are plans in place to prevent this from becoming the reality. However, we all have to do our part. Exploring your options to switch business water providers could be one of them, as well as taking any of the steps we’ve suggested above.
Water is a precious resource and even in the UK where we’re known for experiencing rainy weather, it seems that its presence isn’t guaranteed – at least not to the level that will support our current activities.
