Why is water an issue?
Believe it or not water is a rare resource - yes, even in the UK! The amount available each year is dependant on rainfall and in the Anglian region we get considerably less rainfall than in other areas of the UK. We often get long dry summers and therefore water conservation is important.
Pollution of our limited water resouces can further reduce the amount available. Removing pollutants from drinking water can be difficult and consumes energy. The pollution of rivers, streams, lakes and resevoirs can also leave these important habitats toxic and unable to support life. Flooding, sewage, litter, fly-tipping, chemical spillage, acid rain and farm run-off all contribute to the pollution of the waterways.
What can we do about it?
Saving Water
There are many things you can do to save water in the home and garden. Not leaving the tap running while brushing your teeth, selecting the most appropriate settings on your washing machine, and taking showers rather than baths are all simple and easy steps to conserve water.
As well as the many ways to reduce and prevent the overuse of mains water supply there are also ways to avoid its use altogether where drinking quality water is not needed. One way is to install a waterbutt to collect and store rainwater for watering the garden instead of having a sprinkler system or hosepipe running off the mains supply.
There are also more ambitious methods that involve collecting "greywater" - rainwater and ground run-off - from the house or other buildings, and even the surrounding area, before converting it to "greenwater" for gardening, toilet flushing and other non-drinking uses.
Freerain offers rainwater recycling systems.
Water Works UK offers urban water and green roof water recycling systems.
Another more ambitious way to save water and also prevent pollution is to install a dry or composting toilet. This simple system doesn't waste drinking quality water by flushing it away and it can prevent many of the problems caused by sewage (including the smell) while also providing a rich compost.
Preventing Water Pollution
An easy way to prevent water pollution is to stop pouring used cooking fats down the sink or drain. Fats and oils become solid in the sewers causing blockages that can lead to the contamination of homes and gardens, but also the waterways, lakes and resevoirs. Instead, the fats and oils can be mixed with seed and fed to wild birds (fat trap), poured into a container before going in the bin, or be used in transport.
To find out all about the water cycle and how water treatment and the sewer systems work follow the links below. |
