Water Saving Week
Raising awareness of water waste
Water Saving Week 2010, which ran from the 12-18th June, was a
national campaign to raise awareness of water waste.
Water facts
Climate change and the greenhouse effect are environmental
issues that get a lot of attention - but what about water?
Each person in the UK uses, on average, 150 litres of water a
day - and yet one-third of that amount is wasted: it runs straight
down the plughole or down the toilet without being used.
What's more, water is not as plentiful as we think. The UK has
less water available per person than any other EU country apart
from Belgium and Cyprus. And we're using more and more water every
year, which just isn't sustainable.
What does water have to do with energy?
It's easy to forget that wasting water also wastes energy. For
washing, cleaning and cooking, it's usually heated water that you
use - and heating water requires energy from fossil fuels, which
contributes to climate change.
The process of treating water after it disappears down the
plughole also requires energy, so cutting down on the amount you
waste is an important way of becoming energy-efficient.
Tips and activities
Visitors to www.watersavingweek.org.uk can find a host of
top water-saving tips for schools. For teachers, there is also
advice on how to involve students in water-saving activities.
Getting involved in the Water Saving Week campaign is a great
way to help others rethink their attitude to water and realise the
importance of being 'water wise'.