Water Conservation

Water is probably the resource we consume the most in a domestic environment, and in most cases a significant part of the home budget. With rising costs of providing clean potable water it is unlikely to be getting any cheaper in the future.

There is also a wider moral consideration in as much as the more we use as individuals the less there is to go around in the wider community. Up until now for most of us in the UK this has rarely become an issue, but climate change pundits agree that water shortages may increasingly become a reality as average global temperatures rise.

Perhaps surprisingly water is becoming in short supply almost everywhere in the UK now, long periods of drought followed by heavy downpours only exasperate the situation as the rain does not percolate down into the aquifers but instead causes flash flooding, which results in valuable water stocks just running into the sea after having created havoc in the process.

This effect is magnified by intensive building further increasing the pressure on natural resources whilst at the same time raising pollution levels. This is a double whammy, as not only does more housing use more water, it produces more effluent, and more polluting chemicals which often end up in the water supply.

For a more detailed explanation focusing on one small river in Sussex read Nick Drake’s excellent article for the Guardian from October 2015 here https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/oct/08/are-we-killing-our-rivers

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Whilst there are many commendable schemes and incentives run by local water authorities, there is still much that could be done in the UK. It is also unfortunate that some of those same companies are in fact responsible for major pollution incidents, as they care more about their shareholders dividends than the environment, investment is kept at a bare minimum, and the marketing machine swings into action to cover any incidents which may arise as a result.

The responsible use of water in our homes can make a significant contribution to ensuring this valuable resource is not wasted, if you have a metered water supply there is the additional benefit of lower water bills.

Ecolotec has researched some of the best water saving devices on the market, and recommends these be installed in every home that does not already have a water saving policy in place. These devices save water without reducing comfort and can be found in the shop section of this website.