WIREDGOV

It’s difficult to contemplate life without a safe and reliable supply of water, particularly when we find ourselves caught in the grip of a global health crisis. Whether it’s washing our hands or keeping ourselves hydrated, it’s easy to forget that every aspect of our lives depends on water. 

The past few months have taught us that there are many things we cannot take for granted – and that includes water. Our rising population and increasingly changing climate are putting more and more pressure on our supply of water and the environment it is taken from. Some parts of the UK could face a serious water shortage within the next 30 years – unless we take action. It is for these reasons that we need to connect the dots between climate change, population growth, water resources and our own water use.

The good news is we can make a difference if we all work together – which is why we’d love you to join us in supporting Water Saving Week (11 to 15 May). Throughout the week there will be lots of opportunities to learn more about the value of water and why we need to play our part in protecting it for future generations.

We’re hoping to tap into the recent outpouring of community spirit which has shown us that small gestures can make a big difference. That’s why we’re delighted to be sponsoring the second day of the campaign – ‘save water and help your community to thrive’. It’s a chance for all of us to be a good neighbour by doing our bit to use water wisely so our communities can thrive. Making every drop we use count will help to protect wildlife and the wider environment, as well as ensuring there will be enough water to go around for everyone – now and in the future.

We’ll be sharing lots of simple ways we can all play our part in being water efficient, and how we can inspire others in our community to do the same.

If you have children who are off school – why not get them involved in some of the activities and inspire them to become the next generation of water-saving champions.

Become a water-saving champion in the community – Social media has kept us connected and inspired some extraordinary acts of kindness during lockdown. So why not get connected with people in your local community by sharing your top water-saving tips. You could do this by joining an online forum or maybe even creating one yourself, via Facebook or another social media platform.

Become a leak detective – None of us can travel too far from home currently, however, if you are out for you daily exercise, and you spot a leak, remember to report it to your water company as soon as you can – it might be the first they know about it.

Encourage your family to save water – More time at home means more opportunities to share water-saving tips with your household. Whether it’s creating a two-minute playlist to help shorten your showers, making sure the dishwasher is always fully loaded, or even collecting water from the tap when you make a cold drink to reuse on your houseplants- there are lots of easy ways to use less water.

Show you’ve got the bottle – Now is the ideal time to dig out your reusable water bottle and get into the habit of staying topped up with tap water when you do your daily exercise. Don’t be afraid to show it off and encourage others to do the same! Opting for tap water over bottled water will help to reduce your carbon footprint and the large amounts of water used in producing plastic. Tap water is kinder to the environment and your wallet too.

By making small commitments to be more water efficient, we can help to protect our communities ensure there is enough water to go around now and in the future. Take a look at our website for lots more water saving ideas and follow #WaterSavingWeek across social media.