Shower and taps supplier Bristan has called on the industry to educate homeowners about water efficiency after new research showed that the UK wastes over 600 million litres of water a day.
A survey by the Bathroom Manufacturers Association (BMA) of 23 million UK homes found that nearly half (44%) still had toilets that flush with 7.5 litres or more of water. It also found that more than 10m homes used twice the amount of water they needed.
The research highlighted that replacing old toilets with more efficient models could save around 644 million litres of water a day in England alone.
Peter Manning, technical liaison manager at Bristan, commented: “While it is very concerning to see such a high level of water wastage in the UK, it sadly isn’t surprising. For a long time, because of the ready availability of low-cost, high-quality water in the UK, the reality is that management of water consumption has not demanded the same attention as other sustainability initiatives.
“However, this must change. Amid reduced water levels and changing climate patterns, our current level of water usage isn’t sustainable – and, as an industry, we must all take an active role in educating consumers able to importance of doing their bit to save water.
“As such, we ask all plumbers to continue to encourage water-saving among their customers and recommend the latest and most effective water-efficient products available. That way, they can help to raise the standards of water efficiency in the UK while, in turn, benefiting from a new and growing revenue stream.”