Is water scarcity closer than you think?

Climate change and a growing population are putting increasing strain on the UK’s water supply. Without immediate action, the UK could be heading for droughts within the next 20 years. At the rate we are heading, the demand for water in England will exceed supply by between 1.1 billion and 3.1 billion litres per day by 2050, estimates the National Audit Office. 

The UK has already experienced many droughts over the past years. In 2012 several water companies introduced hose pipe bans after 2 years of below average rainfall- further issues were prevented by high rainfall in May. We need to act now to prevent this from becoming the norm.  

If we do not act now, the UK is heading for water shortages by 2050. Meter can help you to manage your water consumption and conserve water in your business or household 

Why are we facing water shortages? 

How can we be facing a shortfall of water? We have seen a number of destructive floods over the past few years and heavy rainfall earlier in 2020– does this not signify an abundance of water? Unfortunately not- with 97.5% of the Earth’s water salty and other water locked in glaciers, only 0.5% of water is freshwater that we can use for agricultural, industrial and personal use. Furthermore, the quality of that freshwater in under threat due to pollution and only 0.007% is safe for consumption, according the World Health Organisation. Despite the global population and consumption increasing, the world’s water supply remains the same.  

There are a number of other factors which are also contributing to water scarcity:  

Climate change – rising temperatures will increase water usage and lead to increased evaporation. Some regions will be more resilient than others. 

Population growth – Estimates of population growth in England and Wales of between 6.6 million and 16 million by 2040. 

Protecting the environment – in order to conserve water for the natural environment, water companies will have to reduce water abstraction by 5-50% which will leave a shortfall in water  

London and the South East are at the greatest risk of water shortage. The South East is the least resilient and most water stressed area in the UK. Housing around 13.4% of the current UK population and with the predicted population growth, London will be at particularly high risk of droughts. Water UK estimates a dry climate, due to global warming, this could treble the risk of a severe drought in the East of England.

What can we do to conserve water? 

The Environment Agency has produced a framework for conserving water in the UK. One of the goals is to halve leakage across UK and Wales– currently 20% of mains water is lost every day through leakage. Leakage is not easy to detect. 62% of Thames Water pipes are over 60 years old and 98% of leakage is underground and not visible.    

Meter provides leading technology that can quickly identify if there is a leak on your water supply. Our Automated Meter Reading technology captures and monitors your data to help you and your property or business reduce leakage and overall water consumption. 

Alongside leakage targets, there is a drive to reduce the individual’s water usage from 141 to 118 litres per person per day. In order to prevent water scarcity, significant behavioural change is required across the UK. We cannot rely solely on water companies or the government to make these changes and protect our water supply – we as individuals and businesses have to make changes to our day to day lives. 

Our AMR technology can assist with this by giving you accurate, up-to-date data in and way that’s easy for everyone to understand. Our technology can help you become more aware of your energy habits and help your to change them for the better.

To find out more about our services and to start conserving water contact us today!