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Public Urged To Protect Water Supplies Now
NI Water has issued a call to members of the public to do all they can to protect water supplies, with the company seeing a significant rise in the amount that is being used in the home which, coupled with recent dry weather, has led to a natural drop in reservoir water levels.
The Met Office has confirmed that spring 2020 was the second driest since the start of the 20th century. While some may have thought that lockdown would have resulted in less water consumption, this has not been the case as many high water users (such as factories and the agri-food sector) have remained operational – so increased domestic usage hasn’t been offset.
Approximately 70 per cent more water is now used today than 40 years ago and, as such, society as a whole needs to place more value on this precious resource – particularly when you take into account the impact of the climate crisis, which will likely bring wetter winters and significantly drier summers.
The impact of extreme weather patterns is happening now and we all need to take responsibility for how future water supplies will be affected, which means changing the way we think about and use water to ensure supplies remain sustainable for future generations.
Sara Venning, NI Water chief executive, said: “There are a number of steps NI Water can take to alleviate the stress on reservoirs including a hosepipe ban. However, the key to conserving water is public action now. How we all use our water now will have a massive impact on our water levels during the summer months and on whether a hosepipe ban will be required.
“For example, we know from the increase in our night usage some customers are leaving sprinklers and hoses on overnight; we are appealing to them to stop. A sprinkler left on overnight is enough to meet the daily water needs of 13 families.”
Little steps that people can take now include turning the tap off while brushing teeth. If everyone did this, enough water would be saved for the daily handwashing of 67 people in a month. And putting a jug of water in the fridge instead of running the tap would save around 18 litres of water each day.
Companies can do even more to help and there are numerous business water saving strategies they can employ to protect water supplies, such as investing in rainwater harvesting systems, having water audits carried out, prioritising water leak detection and repair… there is a lot that can be achieved.
But it can be hard to know where to begin, so if you’d like to find out more about what you and your firm can do to help safeguard water supplies for the future, get in touch with the team here at H2o Building Services today. We can help you save water and money on your bills at the same time.