Irish Times “Down the Drain” Series
This weekend saw the first of a series of articles on the Irish water supply and the challenges facing it, in the Irish Times, called: Down the Drain: What’s going wrong with Ireland’s water supply?
Including an interview with Environment minister, Phil Hogan, it highlights several key issues going forward:
- a water authority to be set up
- household water metering programme beginning 2014
- perhaps first 40–60 litres per day free
- household water charges of up to €400 per annum (based on UK charges)
- 40% of all water produced is lost to leaks, etc.
- €600m per year needed to meet EU Water Framework Directive, even before tackling issues of leaks
- water will remain a public utility but will require private investment
- minister sees focus on water conservation as water the most urgent infrastructure/resource issue facing Ireland and globe
- by 2050, many nations will not have sufficient water supply to support industry
- industry will migrate to countries which can offer adequate water supply — an economic challenge and opportunity for Ireland
- article discusses controversial plan to pump water from Shannon to supply Dublin region
Read more: Down the Drain: What’s going wrong with Ireland’s water supply?
Our Domestic Water Usage
A recent survey revealed that 91% of Irish people have no idea how much water they use. This has to change, if we are to conserve water and use it effectively. And with the introduction of domestic water metering in the near future, we need to educate ourselves, if we are to keep water bills under control.
Our Water Usage
So how much water do we use? On average, each Irish person uses approximately 150 litres of water per day. The average household (of 3 persons) uses about 450 litres per day. This is about the same level of usage as in the UK, but higher than most European countries with similar climate and economies. However, in these other countries water usage is falling, whereas, in Ireland, it continues to increase. In 1997, it was estimated we used between 131 and 139 litres per person per day, by 2006 that figure had risen to 148 litres, and our usage has continued to increase.
What we use water for
A large proportion of our water usage is on showering/bathing (38%) and toilet flushing (27%). It might surprise you to hear that drinking water and cooking account for only 3% each. On average 12% of water is used on external uses like car washing and garden watering. Note, however, that if you regularly water your lawn or wash your car with a hose, they will form a far larger proportion of your water usage. The percentage is low because many people do neither.
Typical usage for different household items:
| Bath | 80 litres |
| 5 minute Shower | 35–45 litres |
| Power Shower (less than 5 mins.) | 80–125 litres |
| Toilet Flush (older model) | 9 litres |
| Toilet Flush (modern model) | 6 litres |
| Brushing teeth with tap running | 6 litres |
| Brushing teeth with tap off | 1 litres |
| Washing Machine (modern model) | 45 litres |
| Washing Machine (older model) | 65 litres |
| Dishwasher | 20 litres |
| Hosepipe | 9 litres per minute |
| Washing car with hose pipe | 300–450 litres |
| Washing car with bucket (4 bucketfuls) | 30 litres |
A Two-Fold Challenge
The challenge is two-fold. We need to cut out unnecessary water wastage and we need to find more efficient ways of using water.
A good example of waste is that 40% of Irish people use over 170 litres per day on showering, flushing toilets and brushing teeth alone. 61% take 10 minute showers (or longer), with 67% letting water run for 1 to 2 minutes before getting into the shower. Note that a typical shower might use 9 litres per minute so that a 10 minute shower with the water running for 2 minutes beforehand could use 108 litres of water. Half of us use this much water on showering each day.
Again, using 300–450 litres of water washing our cars is a massive waste of water when effective waterless car washing products are available.
Newer more water-efficient equipment will use reduced amounts of water. But there are many things we can do that cost little or nothing to implement. See our Top 10 Water Saving Tips.
Calculate your water usage
TapTips.ie provides a very handy domestic water usage calculator. Input just a few numbers and estimate your water usage in seconds. Alter some details to see the effect of water saving changes you can make.
Sources:
Different sources can give slightly different data concerning water usage. The figures given in this post have been cross-checked with a number of sources. The main sources used are: www.TapTips.ie Ideal Standard Survey EPA Viewpoint (Sept 2006)International comparisons of domestic per capita consumption. Environment Agency UK