The key to water efficiency is reducing waste not restricting use

(26/11/2007)

Since the 1930’s the UK’s water consumption has been rising annually by 1%. There are around 45 million toilets in UK homes, using an estimated two billion litres of fresh water every day. Toilet flushing accounts for the second largest proportion of water use in the home - 30% of the average households water use (personal washing accounts for 33%).

An old style single flush toilet can use up to 13 litres of water in one flush. New, more water-efficient dual-flush toilets use only six litres for a full flush and four litres with a reduced flush.

Waterwise urges everyone to think before they flush, or to use cistern displacement devices in their toilets to save water or consider upgrading their toilets to new water efficient models. Waterwise welcomes the WaterAid campaign to raise awareness of the 2.6 billion people – 40% of the world's population – who do not have somewhere safe, private or hygienic to go to the toilet.

Over seven million of the toilets in the UK use 13 litres of water with every flush, Waterwise challenges everyone to reduce their water wastage. Fill up a one litre water bottle and place it in your cistern or write to your local water authority to claim your free displacement device – these methods will reduce the amount of water used in every flush.

‘It is a real waste to use high quality treated drinking water for flushing the toilet. Each person flushes around five times a day. By saving one litre per flush a household can save around 20 litres of water per day’ says Jacob Tompkins, Director of Waterwise. ‘3% of the UK’s energy is used for treating and pumping water and one third of this is flushed down the toilet. So reducing water used for toilet flushing saves energy as well as water and helps you reduce your carbon footprint.’

The key to water efficiency is reducing waste not restricting use. ‘Each person in the UK currently uses 150litres of water every day. It is easy for us all to reduce our water waste by around 20% at little or no cost’ says Jacob Tompkins. Turning off the tap when you brush your teeth can save as much as 6 litres of water a minute, and a cistern displacement device in your toilet will save water every time you flush.

Related categories:  Residential applications   Soil   Toilets   Water efficiency 

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