A major new campaign called 'Let's Save Water' is launching this week, aiming to encourage the public to reduce their daily water use by 28 litres. The £75 million drive, funded by water companies over four years, comes as the UK emerges from record temperatures linked to climate change.
The campaign is a partnership involving water companies, Ofwat, the Environment Agency, the Met Office, and Natural Resources Wales. It targets cutting average daily water use from 140 litres to 112 litres per person. Currently, water use in England and Wales is among the highest in Europe, with Germany and the Netherlands averaging 120 litres per person per day.
Behavioural psychologists are advising the campaign to change attitudes. Professor Thomas Webb from the University of Sheffield said: 'The critical issue is, how do we make people believe water is an important resource? We need to change assumptions and make people aware of how much water they are using.' Research shows people underestimate their usage by about five times, believing they use around 30 litres daily.
Water shortages in England are predicted to reach 5 billion litres per day by 2055 due to climate breakdown, population growth, and water-intensive industries. A hosepipe ban came into effect in Kent on Friday, following increased demand during the heatwave. The Met Office's Professor Lizzie Kendon noted that climate change is driving more extreme weather patterns, with drier summers and intense rainfall that often runs off dry ground.
The campaign suggests small changes such as shorter showers, using water butts, and fixing dripping taps. Showers use 10 litres per minute, and water-saving shower heads can reduce use by up to 50%. Professor Ian Walker of Swansea University said one-off changes like efficient appliances are easier to encourage than habitual behaviours.
However, the campaign faces challenges due to low public trust in water companies, following sewage pollution, drinking water outages, and high debt levels. Leaks account for 19% of water demand, and no new reservoirs have been built in England for 30 years. The industry has pledged to build 10 new reservoirs as part of £104 billion investment over five years. James Wallace of River Action said: 'Every litre saved helps reduce pressure on our rivers,' but stressed that companies must also address leaks.
