MORE out-pourings from former Reconnect editor MARTIN FOSTER – this time on our need to conserve that most basic of natural resources, water….
T HE super-dry, super-hot summer might have done wonders for our tans and our enjoyment of outdoor social events, but it has also turned up the heat on an urgent environmental issue – our excessive use and mindless abuse of water supplies. The facts are frightening. Back in May, even before the UK became a desert, the Environment Agency issued a warning that people need to use less water to prevent future water shortages and damage to rivers and wildlife. Many sources of water supplies are already overstretched, they say, and, with climate change and a growing population, much of England could see “significant supply shortages” by the 2050s – particularly in the south-east. And this is a long-term issue – not just the result of this freakish summer. In 2016, almost 9,500bn litres of freshwater were abstracted in England – and that, stat fans, is enough to cover the whole of Greater London in nearly 6m (20ft) of water. While some of us complain about not being able to water our lawns, and the tabloids are having fun suggesting we need to share showers, the effect on the environment is serious and longlasting. Between 6% and 15% of our rivers are judged to be in a poor environmental condition, including more than three-quarters of chalk streams – a unique and globally important habitat. Taking too much water out of the environment can harm wildlife such as fish, birds and aquatic plants, and damage wetlands which are important habitats for a host of animals and plants. Climate change is predicted to cause increased river flows in the winter and decreased flows in the summer, which – along with drier conditions because of warmer temperatures – could have a still greater effect on wildlife. The amount of water taken out of the environment for households, industry and agriculture was already unsustainable for more than a quarter (28%) of groundwater resources in 2017, and almost a fifth (18%) of surface water, such as rivers, have also seen unsustainable levels of abstraction. So the situation is already dire and all the experts say it will only get worse – and soon. But what to do? Our levels of consumption seem a good place to start. The average household uses 140 litres per person per day. If your home has an older toilet, you’re tipping around 13.5 litres of drinking- quality water down the drain every time you flush the loo. That accounts for around half of that total daily consumption. Even if you have an ultra-low-flow loo, the average flush is six litres. But there are still greater examples of waste in the system. It’s always satisfying to point the finger of blame at big companies, and around three billion litres of water are lost every DAY through leaky pipes – equivalent to the amount of water used by more than 20 million people in an average day. They’ve been told to stem their flood of leaks but things seem slow to improve – hefty fines might sharpen their attention. We are, after all, paying for all that wastage through our bills. Surely, though, the most criminal waste of all is the water that simply falls from the sky… and washes straight down our drains. Rainwater harvesting, in a country that usually has all the rainfall it can handle (and sometimes considerably more), makes such obvious sense. Yes, it would require a little broader thinking but if building regs required all new homes to have a rainwater capture system (tanks could be buried under the house or garden), new home owners would be sitting on thousands of gallons that could be pumped up and used to flush loos, fill washing machines and yes, even water the garden. Although preferably veg, rather than lawns. If the tanks, pumps and plumbing all went in at the time of the build, the additional cost would be minimal. And if it were compulsory, sales of materials would rocket (creating some jobs along the way) and the cost per unit would soon be reduced. Retro-fitting would be a more complicated and expensive job but as water becomes a rarer and more expensive commodity, it could also become cost-effective. And what about simpler systems, capturing grey water from washing machines and the like to flush loos? Even a basic water butt, or a few linked butts, is worth considering, particularly if you use lots of water in the garden or for watering stock, etc. Here at Tigley Tump (our off-grid smallholding) we have IBCs (International Bulk Containers – those big, metre-square water tanks wrapped in a heavy metal frame) plumbed into every downpipe on every shed and greenhouse roof. So during times of drought, when even the supply from our borehole is faltering a little, we can take away bucket after bucket of water for poultry, pigs and produce. Although carrying them has made my arms several inches longer over the past few weeks…