Emma Hardy said Brits don’t need to be worried about water shortages but that they should reflect on the small and minor changes that help us all collectively save water
Public water supplies remain under pressure in some drought-affected areas despite good rainfall in October(Image: Getty Images)
The Water Minister has urged people to think about changing “small habits and behaviours” amid ongoing drought issues after this summer’s heatwaves.
Emma Hardy said Brits don’t need to be “worried” about water shortages but that they should reflect on the “small and minor changes that help us all collectively save water”.
In an interview with The Mirror, she said she is aware the public find it “infuriating” to be asked to save water when they then see leaks at the bottom of their street, adding that there is also a “huge push” for water companies to stop wastage.
Among changes, Ms Hardy said people should consider using the eco button on their dishwashers or washing machine, turning off the tap when they brush their teeth, and ensuring they use the correct flush button on the toilet. She also said some water firms are giving out free water butts to encourage people to collect their rainwater which they can use to water their gardens in the summer.
Pointing to Ofwat’s Let’s Save Water campaign, which launched in May, Ms Hardy said: “We’re asking people to do really small changes like turn the tap off when you’re brushing your teeth, think about how much water that you’re using. Use the eco button when you’re doing your washing – for your dishwasher, for your washing machine.
“I mean, really small and minor changes that help us all collectively save water because we’ve just had the driest summer in a century. We are entering into winter now. We need in some areas of the country 120% of average long-term rainfall to make sure that we start next year out of drought.
“There is a possibility that we will next year enter into drought in more areas of the country if we continue to see what we’re seeing more recently, which is these longer, drier, hotter summers, so I do think it’s something that we need to not worry about, but we should care about and we should sort of reflect.”
Asked if she has changed any of her habits, the minister added: “I’ve definitely started saving water for watering my plants. I’ve recently moved house, so I need to get a new water butt installed on my drain pipes as well. It’s been quite interesting because before I got this brief, water use wasn’t something I thought about. It wasn’t something I really considered, and I spend so much time thinking about water, it has made me sort of change and think a bit differently.”
According to the latest official update, severe drought remains in parts of Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Somerset, and East and West Sussex. England needs at least 120% of average rainfall over the next six months for the entire country to be out of drought by next spring.
Public water supplies remain under pressure in some drought-affected areas despite good rainfall in October. Reservoir and groundwater storage continue to decline for several water companies.
Since becoming PM, Andy Burnham has vowed to repair Britain’s broken water industry, which has seen increasing leakages, sewage spills and surging bills. The PM in September announced he will bring in new laws to allow the Government to take back control of water as he hit out at privatisation under Margaret Thatcher.
He told The Mirror at the time: “Water, housing, energy and transport are the essentials of everyday life and the everyday economy. We rely on them. We pay for them. And we should have more power over them.”
