By Aisha Bello-Dambatta
Climate change is happening, and many of us have already directly felt some of its impacts. It has increased the likelihood, frequency, and intensity of extreme events like we have, for example, observed in recent extreme temperatures in the UK and deadly heatwaves, floods, and fires in the Amazon rainforest and Australian bushfires last year.
This is just the beginning. Although the causes of climate change are well understood and climate model projections are continuing to match our observations, the UN reports that global GHG emissions continue to rise despite ambitious global commitments and actions to reduce emissions (e.g. Paris Agreement, UN Sustainable Development Goals, several climate and ecological emergency declarations). Global CO2 emissions have risen by 4% since the adoption of the Paris Agreement in 2015 and the latest WMO report on the state of the global climate confirms December 2019 to be the second warmest year on record, 2015-2019 to be the warmest five years on record, and 2010-2019 to be the warmest decade on record.
However, even if we were to meet all global emissions targets today, we will still experience some level of climate change because of the warming that has already happened. We therefore need a way to, at minimum, reduce the impacts of this inevitable climate change. This can be done in two ways: mitigation to reduce the amount of emissions and the drivers of climate change; and learnig to adapt to the change that is already in the system to minimise impacts.
One way to reduce emissions is through water use efficiency – in our homes, at work, and at leisure. The water industry is energy intensive and on average between 2 – 3% of the world’s energy use is used to treat water to potable quality, deliver it to consumers, and to process and dispose of wastewater. In the UK, for example, around 2% of total energy use is used by water companies. However, this represents only around 11% of actual water-related energy use, with around 89% of water-related energy use attributed to water demand, particularly for hot water use and space heating. This constitutes around 95% of household water-related energy use. Hot water heating alone accounts for around 20% of the average household energy bill. Given this obvious link between water use and energy use, reducing the water for demand, especially in hot water use, can significantly reduce water-related energy use and associated emissions and costs.
So, what can we do to help mitigate the impacts of climate change? There are many simple actions (examples, below) we can take in our homes to reduce our emissions and carbon footprint. Many of these interventions are easy to implement and have zero or very low-cost with short paybacks.
SaveWater eco-code poster
Think of your energy supply and use
You can reduce your overall environmental footprint by switching to a renewable energy supplier or installing renewable or low-carbon technology like solar PV, biomass boiler, or even the Micro-Hydro Power (MHP) and Drain Water Heat Recovery (DWHR) pilot installations in the Dŵr Uisce project, depending on your personal needs. Most renewables no longer have a price premium, and even the most expensive have much improved payback periods. Depending on where you live, energy grants and rebates may be available to help cover costs, and you could get money for generating electricity.
Install a water meter
Metering is a prerequisite for understanding your water consumption. It provides a means of measuring and monitoring your consumption over time and has the potential to generate significant reductions in water use and cost savings. Smart water meters that take hourly readings for more detailed consumption information are also available. In the UK, most water companies will install a water meter for free for their household customers and some even have online water usage calculators to help you model and understand how much you can save by having a meter installed.
Fix leaks immediately
You may have a leak if your water bill or meter reading is unusually high. Leaks can develop along your supply pipework or in internal pipework or fittings. You are responsible for not only internal leakage, but also all leakage along the supply pipe (from property boundary to your water meter) and any underground pipes. Some water companies may fix external leakage for free, so check with your water supplier first if you notice any external leakage.
Also check that your water fittings like loos, taps, and showers are not leaking. A leaky loo can waste up to 400 litres of water a day! A dripping hot tap with one drip per second wastes four litres of water per day, and the worse it gets, the more water and energy is wasted.
Think about your bath and shower water use
Even as average per capita water use has fallen, some households, even efficient ones use more hot water for bathing that we previously have. This is largely because our bathing habits and lifestyles have changed. Although we are having fewer baths, recent trends in power showers and mains pressure systems mean some showers can use as much or even more water than a bath. Water saver showers that typically work at flow rates of between 4 – 9 litres per minute can give the effect of a power shower at a lower flow rate. Some showers can be made efficient by retrofitting them with simple aerators or flow restrictors. Many water companies provide households with free retrofits for water using fittings to help reduce water and energy use. Check on your water company’s website for more information about what is available and how you can apply for free retrofit devices.
Remember to not leave taps running
The best of us sometimes forget to leave the tap running whilst brushing our teeth, washing our hands, cleaning dishes, or washing vegetables. A hot running tap uses at least 6 litres of water per minute and wastes energy. Remember to switch the tap off when not needed and to use bowls where necessary, for example, for dishwashing or washing vegetables. Some of this water, for example, water used for washing vegetables can be reused to water gardens and indoor plants.
Use water and energy efficient white goods efficiently
Consider water and energy efficient washing machines and dishwashers when it is time to replace old ones. The water and energy performance of white goods have improved considerably in the past decades and efficient appliances no longer have a price premium. Dishwashers are not as resource intensive as people think and can actually be more efficient than handwashing. Washing a 12-place setting crockery by hand can use about 40 litres of hot water, for example. It is important to note however, that even the most efficient appliance is only as efficient as how it is used. So appliances need to be run at full loads and on the most efficient setting. Check to see if there are rebates for efficient white goods before you shop!
