Feargal Sharkey: Scandinavians use less water – we must copy them to save rivers ...Middle East

Britons must slash their water use in order to save the UK’s rivers from even more pollution, Feargal Sharkey has warned.

In an interview with The i Paper about the risk of water shortages and water sewage, the former pop star turned rivers campaigner said the UK should seek to emulate Denmark, where citizens use just two-thirds of the amount of water we do – 98 litres compared to about 150 litres a day in the UK.

Without drastic reductions in water use there will be widespread shortages, that will significantly limit the amount available for households to use and for agriculture – with the problem most acute in England, experts have warned.

And shortages will make the pollution problem worse, as there will be less water left in the rivers to dilute it, especially in the summer, Sharkey said.

“Part of the problem we have during the summer is because of over extraction in water courses and rivers, the flows drop so any pollutant in there which during the winter might be diluted, concentration levels rise during the summer. That’s why things like Lake Windermere become polluted during the summer,” he said.

While recent summers have been much wetter, surging temperatures created the joint hottest on record two years ago and fifth driest since the 1890s.

According to the government, many areas of England are already experiencing water shortages. In parts of Sussex, Cambridgeshire, Suffolk, and Norfolk, additional demands on water supply from businesses, and new housing developments, “are putting huge pressure on water resources”, it said.

Analysis last year showed that seven of England’s nine regions are set to experience “severe water stress” by 2030, rising to 12 by 2040, according to research by the Centre for Economics and Business Research (CEBR) for the Kingfisher DIY chain.

The seven regions are the West Midlands, London, parts of the South West, the East Midlands, the East of England and the South East, and the Isle of Wight.

The Environment Agency estimates England alone will need an additional five billion litres of water per day by 2050 to maintain current levels of functioning – a 35 per cent increase on the 14bn we use today – to support the growing population, increased need for food to feed it, and as climate change makes rainfall more erratic (to ensure enough water).

That’s over two million wheelie bins full of water every day, on top of the water we already use – water which, Sharkey points out, “simply doesn’t exist if we keep going the way we’re doing”.

“So the question is ‘are we as consumers going to have to use a lot less water?’ – yes we are,” he said.

He points out that while the average person in the UK uses about 150 litres a day, in Denmark it is only 98 litres, according to Danva, the Danish association for water companies.

The Scandinavian country has reduced water consumption because households replaced old appliances with more efficient models and are required to have water meters. Water prices are also high in Denmark, meaning the public is more aware of their usage and authorities have greater ability to reinvest funds.

“I know a lot of Scandinavians and I’ve never detected any personal hygiene issues and their clothes always seem to look just as clean,” he said, alluding to the fact that most water use is related to various forms of washing.

These include baths, clothes washing and teeth cleaning – with showers the biggest user of water accounting, on average, for a quarter of household consumption.

“It’s going to take leadership from the government, which could amend the building regulations right now to demand that every new home is fitted with enough devices, equipment and technology that will limit any personal consumption to 100 litres of water per person per day. The stuff’s all out there. Other countries have been doing this for decades, we haven’t,” he said.

How to reduce water usage

Bathroom         

• Shorten your showers – reducing your shower from eight minutes to five can save up to 30 litres of water.

• Turn off the tap when brushing your teeth – a running tap wastes approximately 6 litres per minute.

• Upgrade your toilet – consider switching to a dual flush toilet, with two buttons allowing different quantities of water to flow. The lower flush option typically uses up to 4-6 litres of water per flush.

Alternatively, try installing a cistern displacement device in your toilet – these can save up to 5,000 litres of water a year and are often available free of charge from your water company.

• Install low flow shower heads – these can save up to 60 litres of water per shower.

• Fit a tap aerator – this small, simple device mixes water with air, reducing the flow but maintaining the water pressure. They are cheap and easy to install and can save significant amounts of water. You can also buy taps with aerators already fitted.

Kitchen

• Fill it up – make sure your dishwasher or washing machine is fully loaded so that you make the most of the water being used. Avoiding pre-rinsing dishes can also help to reduce water waste.

• Use a washing up bowl – if washing up by hand, use a washing up bowl rather than continuously running the tap.

• Upgrade to a water-saving tap – taps designed to be water efficient can use up to 40 per cent less water than a normal tap.

Garden

• Install a water butt – collecting and storing rainwater to use in your garden is a great way to conserve water while keeping your garden well-maintained.

•Use a watering can – use a watering can wherever you can for more targeted watering. Watering the garden with a hosepipe can use 1,000 litres of water an hour – more than 12 baths! If you are using a hosepipe, attaching a trigger nozzle will halve the amount of water used and help direct the flow to the root of your plants.

• Pick drought-resistant plants – consciously choosing plants that need less water, such as lavender or poppies, means you can more easily keep them healthy during dry summer months.

• Reduce evaporation – using mulch and bark in your garden will help to reduce water evaporation by up to 75 per cent. Minimise evaporation by watering in the early morning or late evening, allowing the water to soak into the soil and reach plant roots.

For example, under Danish legislation, since 1996, all properties connected to public water utilities have been required to install water meters. This has helped households identify effective ways to reduce water consumption and given utilities and government reliable data on water use to help inform policy, according to the Danish environment ministry.

In London, the Mayor Sadiq Khan requires 110 litres per person per day as a minimum standard for all new homes which he says “can be met easily through water efficient fixtures and fittings”.

Suitable fixtures and fittings include high efficiency showerheads, low flow taps and dual flushing toilets.

In England, the new home regulations require that the average water usage be no more than 125 litres per person per day although some planning authorities may enforce a stricter target of 110 litres per person per day.

The water efficiency standard applies to the average water usage of a new home, including water used for toilets, baths, showers, taps, dishwashers, and washing machines.

Part of the challenge is that most Brits are currently totally unaware that they are contributing to the problem, believing their water use to be much lower than it is.

A separate survey last year by the Kingfisher DIY chain of 3,000 UK adults revealed that Brits are significantly underestimating their daily water usage, with two-thirds estimating that they use less than 140 litres a day while over a quarter did not feel able to guess. On average, people thought they used just 57 litres of water each day.

A spokesperson for the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said: “Population growth and climate change are putting tremendous pressure on our water system.

“That is why we have launched an independent commission – the largest review into the water sector since privatisation.

“It will consider how we can better manage our water resources, boost water efficiency and speed up the building of water infrastructure including the building of new reservoirs.”

#1. RIVER HEALTH: 77% rivers in good health by 2027

Current situation: England’s rivers were once havens of biodiversity, but the vast majority are now struggling to support healthy ecosystems of plants and wildlife. Just 14 per cent of rivers in England are currently in good ecological health and not a single river has achieved good chemical health. The Government has set a legal target that 77 per cent will achieve good ecological status by 2027 – but without urgent action this will not happen. 

Target: Within its first six months in power, the new Government will publish a roadmap on how it is going to achieve this existing legal target, and its long-awaited chemical strategy. The plan must include increased funding for the Environment Agency so the watchdog can do its job – and enforce the law.  

#2. SEWAGE: Sewage spills will not damage high-priority areas – including bathing spots and nature sites – by 2030

Current situation: Bathing waters and nature sites are being destroyed by sewage spills, but water companies will not be required to clean up all these spaces until 2045. 

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