The Watlington Climate and Action Group welcomed Andrew Tucker from Thames Water to speak about our local water scheme.
It was first mentioned that the quality of our water was top of the range, however, it is crucial for us to change our habits and cut down our water usage to have a positive impact on the environment. Thames water's concern is that the growing population will lead to an increase in demand for water which will be greater than the supply. To help fix this problem, Thames water is using a variety of techniques such as wastage fixes, smart home talks and water consumption calculators. Most importantly, compulsory smart meters are being spread across our homes as a way to easily calculate the amount of water we are using. From the information provided by the meters, Thames Water can identify how we are losing our water and then look to provide solutions for our houses. A lot of our water is lost through leaks and spills, even a small leak can lead to a massive water loss over several months. Smart meters can help find these leaks and spills which greatly improves our water efficiency.
At the Beginning of 2020, water usage spiked due to the first lockdown. The trend has continued into 2021 which is why our water usage is particularly high. People working from home have decreased water usage in businesses however, household consumption has overtaken previous years by a reasonable margin. This is where the smart meter comes in by recognising where most of our water is lost, whether it be in showering, cleaning, washing the dishes or flushing the toilet. We can then improve our habits and change the way that we use water. Leaking toilets can lose more than 400 litres a day, an unnoticeable leak like this can send a substantial amount of money down the drain even though it is an easily fixable issue.
Smart meters will be able to be installed in the coming years, but in the meantime, do take part in the water-saving calculator on the official Thames water website. We can make an immediate difference to water wastage by following their simple tips and advice.