‘It’s raining – there’s no shortage’: Britons’ excuses for not conserving water

One-third of Britons “aren’t bothered” about water waste – with millions overfilling their kettles, leaving the tap running when cleaning their teeth, and having excessively long showers.

A poll of 2,000 adults found 23 per cent of those with an uneconomical approach to water use were not inclined to change their ways because they had a specific daily routine.

Some 17 per cent claimed they could afford to use all the water they wanted and 15 per cent believed the tendency for it to rain in the UK meant there was no shortage of the life-giving liquid.

Other ways respondents were wasteful including flushing the toilet for no real reason, running the dishwasher when was not full, and setting the temperature high on their hot tubs.

However, 41 per cent admitted they need to change their ways but did not know how to make a difference, while 55 per cent revealed they were not aware of the environmental impact water waste has in the UK.

The study was commissioned by Affinity Water which has teamed-up with Ben Fogle to highlight the importance of water conservation.

As part of this, children from Thomas Harding Junior School in Chesham were taken on a river dipping trip to learn about water usage and the knock-on effect it has on chalk streams.

Mr Fogle said: “During my global adventures, I’ve seen how fragile habitats can come under threat. Our chalk streams have been described as England’s Great Barrier Reef.

“They are 10 times more endangered than both the Bengal tiger and the black rhino, and as worthy of protection as anything I’ve seen on my travels.

“Sometimes we take the water coming out of our taps for granted, so learning how wasting water can affect some of our most precious ecosystems is important.

“I’m hoping Affinity Water’s Save Our Streams initiative will encourage people to change some of those habits that they’ve fallen into.”

The survey also found 38 per cent of those polled were using more water in their homes now compared to 12 months ago.

Water consumption has increased further since the droughts between June and August this year. However, 51 per cent admitted they were not entirely sure how much water they were wasting.

A spokesperson for Affinity Water said: “We all want to do our part to help the planet but it’s important we understand how the little things we each day do can have a wider impact.

“The fact that people are having more showers each week and taking longer as well is quite striking to see, in addition to the fact many are unaware on the levels of water they are using.

“Given the recent droughts we had this summer, it’s important to review our everyday habits to ensure we conserve as much as possible.

“That’s why we are re-launching our Save our Streams initiative, to help customers to save water, which in turn will save them money, and help to protect the UK’s delicate chalk stream ecosystems.”

OnePoll researchers also found 33 per cent of people had permanently changed their water usage behaviour since this summer’s heatwave led to droughts.

And 28 per cent said they feared there could be a water shortage in the UK during the winter months.

The spokesperson for Affinity Water added: “Making simple changes every day will have a huge collective impact on our streams, and people can also save a bit of money on their energy bills.”