Today’s global water crisis is not simply about lacking the amount of water to meet essential needs, it is a problem of mismanagement which results in millions of people suffering from shortages. While changing weather patterns are part of the problem, the crisis is mainly due to population growth and inefficiency, which in turn make it harder to adapt to environmental changes.

In certain areas of the UK, water supplies are under considerable pressure. Sourcing such supplies from rivers and groundwater is not a sustainable practice as these water systems are not easily replenished. The ecological impact is considerable too as many of these sources support delicate eco systems which must be protected. Current water treatment practices - whereby water must be heated, pumped and processed with chemicals – consume huge amounts of energy and carry a carbon emissions burden equivalent to that of airline transport. 

Changing weather patterns in the UK and Ireland mean rainfall is now more unpredictable. The replenishment of groundwater levels requires steady, seasonal rainfall as our catchment systems cannot cope with the intense downfalls we now see more frequently each year. 

The solution is to use only what you need and use it more effectively.  

A shower head which has been designed to minimise environmental impact can dramatically reduce the annual water consumption of every household.  

"The wise use of water is essential, not only to meet present needs, but in order to ensure that we do not compromise the ability of future generations to meet their own needs."
(The Environmental Agency)

What part does the UK play in the global water crisis?

• On the whole, the UK has less available water per person than Spain, while the South East region has less available water per person than Morocco. London has less annual rainfall than Rome or Naples. 
• Current estimates place the world population at over 7 billion people, with an increase to 9 billion projected for 2040. Almost half of these people already live in regions where there are severe water shortages and experts predict that over the next ten years this may cause grain crops to reduce by one third. 
• Each person in the UK consumes an average of 150 litres every day in the household alone. Ideal sustainable targets for the UK are as low as 80 litres per person per day. 
• The Energy Savings Trust estimates that, in the future, households will spend as much as 70 per cent of their total energy consumption on heating water alone.
• Water companies in problem areas of the South East have started investigating the options of sourcing water from outside the UK, with the possibility of towing supplies from Nordic fjords already a consideration. 
• Research conducted by Envirowise has indicated that 70 per cent of UK sustainability experts believe dwindling water resources will have an ecological impact equivalent to carbon emissions, while 54 per cent believe the world’s water resources will be in crisis before global oil reaches a critically low level.

"In an age when man has forgotten his origins and is blind even to his most essential needs for survival, water along with other resources has become the victim of his indifference." 
(Rachel Carson, 1907–1964, Marine Biologist)