Water Water Everywhere It Does Make You Think

Not that many years ago a few days of summer sunshine would have resulted in a hose pipe ban; a few weeks of sunshine and there would be standpipes on every corner. This thought came to me as I watered the allotment this evening. Although we had rain last week it was not enough to really wet the ground and some crops such as potatoes are at a critical stage as the tubers swell and bulk up. The strawberries also need plenty of water as they crop very quickly over a short period of time.

We have the good fortune to be able to turn on a tap and safe drinkable water issues forth night and day without interruption or risk of contamination. Water Aid http://www.wateraid.org/uk/ is dedicated to provide the same quality of water supply to people in the developing world who currently do not have access to the service we all take for granted. There current target is to help one million people every year.

That may seem a huge number, but then there are a billion people in need of help. If all the current initiatives and investment programmes continue the problem should be solved by 2021. There is overwhelming evidence that clean water and safe sanitation significantly reduces infant mortality and improves the communities well being. Lets all hope the current economic climate does not delay the completion of this vital work. Twelve years is a long time to wait if your at the end of a long queue for the water tap, lets not make the queue any longer.

Water Down The Drain

In the centre of the village is a water leak that has been running for over five weeks. On the surface its not a big leak but as the ground around the leak has started to sink I would think there is a lot more water running through the ground than we can see on the surface. The leak is a few yards from a road drain so at present its not making too much of a mess. Some workmen did excavate in the area where the water emerges from the verge but only stayed a few hours and have never returned.

Over three million litres of water leak out of the country’s pipes every day. Many leaks go undetected because there is no evidence at the surface. They can only be detected using skilled staff and specialist equipment. Although they have been set targets to reduce leakage some water companies seem unable commit the necessary resources to the task.

It seems most odd, therefore, that they should ignore a leak that has been known about for many weeks and is now clearly having a detrimental impact on the road. As each day passes the cost of the repair and the value of the water running to waste is increasing. One wonders quite what it would take for the local water company to that a more proactive approach. Perhaps when the village has acquired a pond, complete with ducks and a pair of swans they will finally get the job done.

Coming To A House Near You – A Water Meter

The average water consumption in the UK is 150 litres a day per person and research indicates fitting a water meter reduces this consumption rate by 10 to 15%. Well we have a water meter and use less than 100 litres per person per day, not that we do anything special to save water, other than watering the garden from several water butts.

Research has also shown that the average household uses 25% of its total energy consumption on water heating, that’s in the dishwasher, washing machine and the hot water tank. We must be a very unusual household because my calculations show hot water accounts for less than 10% of our energy use. Out of a total consumption of 12,600 kW a year biggest element is space heating at 8,500 kW, hot water accounts for about 1,050 kW.

This is the problem with averages they can mean absolutely nothing unless one understands the source data used to create the average. Just a few rogue figures can make the result pointless, a maths teacher once pointed out he had more that the average number of legs for men in the UK. You only need one man to loose one leg for the average to be less than two legs. I doubt there is an average household in the country, but then again, when ever did accuracy ever get in the way of a good story.