Saving water to secure future supplies is essential
March 04th 2008

Water resources are coming under increasing pressure on a local, national and global scale.We all have to act to reduce the use of a resource that is fundamental for human life and environmental sustainability. In the United Kingdom we face the challenge of achieving water savings in the context of a rapidly developing economy, with a growing population and the associated need for increased housing.

In the context of the flooding events of the summer of 2007 and all the associated disruptions triggered by the floods, it might be easy to think that the availability of water is no longer a serious threat. However, the particularly low rainfall in the winters of 2004/5 and 2005/6, consequent drought and water use restrictions highlighted the need for careful management of water supplies. Climate change is rapidly adding to these pressures, and will bring water resources under even greater pressure in future.

It is important that when considering the water we use in our everyday lives, we take into account more than just the resource itself.The treatment and distribution of water uses energy, and the impacts on the environment that water abstraction and effluent discharge produce are additional significant factors. Initiatives such as Water Efficient Solutions are a valuable means of conveying messages about the importance of water efficiency to a wider audience, and highlighting that saving water is good for the environment as well as a means of saving money on water bills.

These are all important areas included in Future Water, the new Government water strategy launched on the 7th February 2008. The strategy sets out the Government’s evolving priorities for water for today and for the future. It outlines a vision for water management for 2030, a vision which shows how we must all take action, the public sector, industry, businesses, but especially as individuals, to ensure a secure water supply and a protected and enhanced natural environment. Everyone has a part to play in using water more wisely and improving our capability to adapt to climate change. We all urgently need to take responsibility for saving water to secure water supplies for the future.

Phil Woolas

Minister for the Environment