Water efficiency

As a result of the increased use of washing machines and dishwashers, improved personal hygiene, and a growing interest in leisure gardening, we are all using 50 per cent more water than 25 years ago. In the South East of England, each person now uses an average of 160 litres each day.

This is putting significant strain on our water resources, particularly during the summer months. This is only likely to get worse over time, as climate change leads to rain falling more intensively (and therefore less being captured for human use) and summers being much hotter and drier.

Yet, by making just a few simple changes in our daily lives, we can reduce the amount of water that we use.