Tackling water shortages head-on

June 8, 2011 - PRLog -- Summer has only just begun and there are already dire predictions of water shortages in the UK.

Parts of Britain have endured the driest spring for a hundred years and overall, England and Wales had only 45 per cent of the long-term average rainfall for March, April and May.

Fears are growing of a repeat of the 1976 drought when chronic water shortages stoked-up intense heat waves. And water companies are considering hosepipe bans.

Water usage in the UK is also rising at 1 per cent every year and the Government needs to tackle the issue head-on.

And, it’s not just a question of doing the right thing; there are also big financial incentives to change our philosophy.

Currently, 40 per cent of UK homes have water meters but the Government may extend this to all homes.

Consumers may also face higher charges in June, July and August, when consumption rises by 30 per cent.

We can do nothing about the lack of rain but there is an increasing number of products available at Plumb Center to address the crisis.

One of the most practical solutions is water harvesting. Systems like, Kingspan Envireau, collect rainwater from the roof via the guttering. It is then filtered, stored and distributed to any appliance that doesn’t require fresh water. It can be used for toilets, washing machines, garden irrigation and washing your car.

During a summer drought when the harvested water may run out, the system automatically switches to mains water so the homeowner’s supply is constant.

Harvesting is suitable in both new and existing buildings and for all sizes of property.

Greywater, which is wastewater, produced by domestic appliances such as washing machines, dishwashers and baths, usually just goes down the drain.

But there are ways to address this wastage and radically reduce a home’s water consumption.

The award-winning Ecoplay system treats and stores waste water so it can be used to flush the toilet. This can reduce consumption and drainage loads by 30 per cent.

Saving water does not necessarily mean installing new systems; there are a number of new products that can be fitted to existing bathroom and kitchen appliances that can seriously cut water usage.

Taps can account for 20 per cent of water usage in a home. A running tap can use 10 litres of water a minute; but a simple installation of a flow limiter can massively cut waste.

For example, Bristan’s Ecosmart basin tap collection can cut water usage by 72 per cent.

An aerator, which simply mixes air with water, can also result in significant savings and can reduce water consumption by up to 50 per cent.

Showers such as the Mira Pixel Wireless Digital Shower, exclusive to Plumb Center, include this aerating technology but also offer an eco-mode function, which reduces the flow by 50 per cent and turns the shower off after five minutes.

Advances have also been made in the design of products to reduce water usage without compromising people’s experience.  

Twyford’s Signature acrylic bath has a capacity of just 140 litres to the overflow; this is 40% less water than the average UK bath. To the bather, however, their bath would feel just as indulgent as ever.  

No specific training or qualifications are necessary for installers to get involved in water saving.

But if installers did wish to invest in a related training course, Plumb Center and its training partner, Sevenoaks Energy Academy, offer a one-day BPEC Rainwater Harvesting and Greywater Recycling Course at the SBC Training Academy in Leamington Spa and in Sevenoaks.  

Check out www.wolseleysbc.co.uk for details of the courses on offer, to download useful literature and to learn more about water saving.

To locate your nearest branch, visit www.plumbcenter.co.uk, call 0870 1622557 or download the Plumb and Parts Center iPhone Apps from the App store.