Why save water?

Reducing your water usage will not only save you money on your bills but will also help to protect the environment and preserve our water resources – here’s why every drop matters.

It’s a limited resource

Less than 0.5% of water on Earth is available to us as fresh water.

But how is this when 71% of the Earth’s surface is covered by water? While this is true, 97% of this water is in our oceans, which is way too salty for drinking and other activities, such as farming.

So only 3% of the water on Earth is fresh and 2.5% of this water is frozen in ice caps and glaciers, leaving us with a very small percentage of water to share.

Save money on your bills

A few small changes could reduce your water bills if you’re on a meter.

And with heating water in the home accounting for 18% of the average household’s energy bills, using less water might reduce these too.

These are our top tips to make the biggest savings:

Protect the environment

Being wasteful with water can put unnecessary stress on your local environment and wildlife.

Although most of our water comes from deep underground, around a quarter of it comes from our surface water reservoirs, which are fed by streams and rivers.

If too much water is taken from rivers and streams, it can negatively affect wildlife. We want to keep as much water in our local waterways as possible to help wildlife in our region flourish.

Not to mention, using less water can also help to reduce your carbon footprint. 

Support our chalk streams

Chalk streams are rare freshwater rivers or streams that flow across or through chalk bedrock.

These precious habitats are considered to be as unique as the Amazonian rainforest or Great Barrier Reef by conservationists and river experts.

There are only around 200 chalk streams in the world, and half of them are in our region. The clear, nutrient-rich water supports a diverse range of species.

By using less water, you can help protect these precious and essential habitats and the wildlife they support.

Help us prepare for the future

The weather is getting warmer and dry spells are becoming more common.

Alongside climate change, we have an ever-growing population. Around 8,600 residents have joined our water supply region every year since 1991.

An increasing population means an increase in water demand. When you combine this with drier weather, you can start to see how water scarcity could become a problem in the future.

While we don’t want to panic you, we should all do our bit to help protect our water supply for current and future generations, while also ensuring our ecosystems remain robust.