Water

You are probably aware that Milton Keynes (MK) is one of the fastest growing areas in the UK. But did you know that our area is also one of the driest in the country? 

As MK develops and the population grows, our water supplies are likely to become limited (and a lot more expensive) if our water consumption keeps increasing with this growth. By being aware of potential water shortages now, we can take positive action to adopt more sustainable ways of using water to help reduce wastage and make our supply more secure in the future. 

Why does water have a carbon footprint?

It needs to be pumped to create the pressure we need for our taps, and more importantly, it has to be treated after use. According to Prof Mike Berners-Lee, our tap water use adds about 18kg CO2 equivalent to the atmosphere every year, so relatively little, but still something.

Alert – bottled water creates more than 1000 times this and should be avoided.

We can all do our bit to help conserve water

Simple cuts in use, combined with efficiency improvements like dual-flush toilets, tap aerators, water butts capturing rainwater and reusing household wastewater from baths, showers, sinks etc (aka “grey water”) can cut mains usage by 80%. Even the smallest action, like turning off the tap when you brush your teeth can have a hugely positive impact. If you did this, you could save almost a whole bath full of water (180 litres) in a single week!

Many people are not aware that actions like tipping waste liquids down drains, flushing wet wipes down the toilet or washing up greasy pans in the sink can harm wildlife, affect water quality and causes pollution in local rivers, lakes and the sea. Small changes to our household water use like this can make a really big difference.

MK Refill Scheme: Have you #GotTheBottle?

Refill.org.uk is a national project aimed at providing clean drinking water to the public and reducing plastic simply by encouraging people to carry their own water bottle and having it able to be refilled with tap water by retailers and businesses.