Did you know that 748 million people – or one in ten of the world’s population – do not have access to clean water and simply have to use what water they can, including dirty or contaminated streams, rivers or ponds?
Likewise, are you aware that half of all hospital beds in developing countries are filled with people suffering from diseases caused by poor water, sanitation and hygiene?
These, among other startling statistics, have been compiled in a recent water efficiency paper published by the Chartered Institute of Plumbing and Heating Engineering (CIPHE) for the World Plumbing Council (WPC). The paper outlines the importance of water efficiency, whereby the focus is on reducing the amount of water required for a particular purpose, thereby, restricting waste but not use.
The CIPHE is championing the water efficiency message in the UK to help preserve one of our most precious of natural resources. Kevin Wellman, chief executive officer, said: “We all have a role to play when it comes to water efficiency. The average person in the UK uses 150 litres of water a day, we need to bring this figure down.
“Schemes such as the ECA Water Technology List and the European Water Label can do much to help consumers and installers alike make informed choices when it comes to purchasing products which utilise water. In our view, demonstrating product efficiency is a positive and proactive step to having consumers commit to water efficiency and energy conservation. We urge all manufacturers to get on board with these voluntary schemes, there is no doubt that water efficiency can have a massive impact on the amount of water we use daily, not just in the UK, but on a global scale.”
For your copy of the Water Efficiency Paper, visit: http://tinyurl.com/hg8jcmt or email: lesleyc@ciphe.org.uk