Water and carbon saved by turning taps off
We are so used to clean, running water at the simple turn of a tap that the supply seems limitless, and we often don't notice when we waste it. We each use an average of 150 litres of water a day in the UK, 3 times the amount of water a family of four in Africa might use, and 50% more than we did 25 years ago. Taps can run at a rate of between 6 and 10 litres of water a minute or more,
so we could save a huge amount of water, over 20,000 litres a year, or more than 150 bathfuls, just by remembering to turn the tap off when brushing our teeth, shaving or washing up. We'd soon remember what a precious resource water is if we had to fetch it ourselves. The average woman in Africa walks 4 miles for her family's daily supply, carrying 20 litres or more.
Carbon saved by turning taps off
Assuming that taps are left running for a total of around 7 minutes a day (a minute twice a day whilst brushing, and 5 minutes accumulated over the course of the day whilst shaving, washing up or filling kettles and saucepans.
The average tap will run at around 8 litres a minute, wasting 56 litres per day or 20,440 litres a year.
Carbon footprint of tap water is 0.0003 kg per litre
so = 0.0003 x 20,440 litres = 6.13 kg CO2 per person per year
Other ways of saving water
Fix your leaks
Leaks and dripping taps account for 15% of water loss in our homes. A dripping tap can waste 5,500 litres of water a year.
Resources that will help:
Finding leaks:
http://www.ultimatehandyman.co.uk/diy_plumbing_finding_leaks.htm
http://www.lvvwd.com/html/ws_find_leak.html
Leak detection kits: http://www.professionalequipment.com/water-leak-detectors/
Fixing leaks:
Taps: http://www.videojug.com/film/how-to-fix-a-dripping-tap-bib-or-pillar
Showers: http://www.videojug.com/film/how-to-repair-a-leaking-showerhead
Store Water
Around 85,000 litres of water tumbles out of the skies on to our roofs each year, so rather than letting it go down the drain, investing in a water butt can store thousands of litres for garden or outdoor use.
Where to find water butts:
Greenfingers.com
http://www.greenfingers.com/superstore/dept.asp?dept_id=32
Waterbutts direct
http://www.waterbuttsdirect.co.uk/
Waterbutt Warehouse
http://www.waterbuttwarehouse.co.uk/viewall.htm
Evengreener
http://www.evengreener.com/Shop/Water_Butts/
Where to find rainwater harvesting systems:
Rain harvesting systems store and filter rainwater, pumping it through the home for all non-drinking use. It can save you up to 50% of your mains supply and money off your water bill. The Centre for Alternative Technology has a brief guide to rainwater harvesting.
Rainharvesting Systems
http://www.rainharvesting.co.uk/
Freewater UK
http://www.freewateruk.co.uk/
RainWater Harvesting Systems
http://www.rainwaterharvesting.co.uk/
UK Rainwater Harvesting Association
http://www.ukrha.org/
Freerain
http://www.freerain.co.uk/index.html
Footnotes
