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Brits Waste Enough Water to Supply 2.9 Million People for One Day

New research reveals Brits are not aware of how much water they can waste, with 72% of people underestimating the 7.5 litres which flows from a tap per minute
Finance, Lifestyle, World - 12 January 2011   Download IconContent available for download:  
Audio | Interview with Kriss Akabusi and Jacob Tompkins| Login to Download

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Many Britons have no idea how much water they waste. New research reveals that Brits are not aware of how much water can come out of their taps, with 72% of people underestimating the 7.5 litres which flows per minute. For example, if everyone in the UK who currently leaves the tap running when they brush their teeth turned it off for just one day it would save 446 million litres of water. That's enough to supply 2.9 million people for one day.

Three quarters of people in the UK have heard of ways to avoid wasting water, and almost half (47%) wash their fruit and vegetables in a bowl of water. However, there is lots of room for improvement. A dripping tap can waste up to 5,000 litres of water a year.

An estimated 85,000 litres of rain falls on a house, garage, shed or greenhouse every year, yet when using water outdoors, 53% of people use water from an outside tap. Less than a quarter (23%) use water from a water butt or other rainwater storage system. The Big Tap challenge aims to get Brits to cut down on their water consumption and think before they leave the tap running.

. Introduction:

Just by turning off their taps whilst brushing their teeth for one day, Brits could save enough water to supply 2.9 million people with water for an entire day – that’s the entire population of Leeds, Birmingham, Glasgow and Sheffield. Three quarters of people have heard water saving tips, and yet less than half wash their fruit and veg in a bowl, and less than a quarter use water from a water butt or storage system. This year, the Big Tap Challenge is encouraging people to think about the water they use, both indoors and outdoors.

So, how can we make sure water is not wasted?

Joining us to discuss this further is Kriss Akabusi, who is spearheading the Big Tap Challenge, and Jacob Tompkins, from Waterwise, a not-for-profit NGO focused on decreasing water consumption in the UK.

. Suggested Questions:

What does the research reveal about wasting water in our area?

Why do so many Brits waste water?

Is it important to save water?

What is the Big Tap Challenge?

Have you got any water saving tips for us?

Where can we find out more information?