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08th Aug 2022

Brits could be told to shower for a minute less per day under new drought measures

Jack Peat

It comes as the UK prepares for another heatwave… 

Brits could be told to spend 60 seconds less in the shower per day in an effort to save water during the hot and dry summer.

Another heatwave is due to hit the UK which will last longer than July’s record-breaking hot spell, exacerbating dry conditions that have already led to hosepipe bans in some parts of the country.

Temperatures over the coming days won’t hit the scorching high of 43.C last month but they will hit the mid-30s and continue over a “prolonged period”, the Met Office has said.

According to Times reports,  an official target has been set out in guidance to Ofwat, the water regulator, for every person to cut daily water consumption by a quarter by 2050, from 145 litres to 110 litres a day.

A saving of about 30 litres is the equivalent of three dishwasher cycles on eco mode, six flushes of a modern lavatory or a minute less in the shower.

The government will also “encourage” local authorities to adopt a tighter building standard of 110 litres a person per day in new homes, and intends to consult on mandatory water efficiency labels on domestic and business products.

As one industry source put it: “It might be politically unpopular but, at least in the short term, it’s a simple choice between spending a billion pounds on infrastructure or asking people to spend a minute less under their shower.”

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