Have we a thread about the actual numbers?

I happen to have my current bill to hand.

10/1/2014 -> 2/7/2014 (173 days) = 44 cubic metres water used => 254 l/day = 126 l/day/person

2 people, full set of appliances, and a little watering of the garden. One water butt - working on some more but need to have it linked to a hose pipe.

According to the Consumer Council for Water, average consumption for 2 people is about 276 l/day.

http://www.ccwater.org.uk/savewaterandmoney/averagewateruse/

Ferdinand

Posted By: orangemannotAll houses should be either (i) metered or (ii) on a severely restricted flow, if unmetered.

Too true, I have the most expensive water in the UK, mainly to keep the beaches clean.

Posted By: Mikel"Mainly to keep the beaches clean"
I wish! Three discharges at Godrevy in two weeks in midsummer.

Sadly the use of Combined Sewage Overflows that stick effluent into our seas, rivers and even tiny streams is standard practice for water companies all over the UK. In every city the waterways are an integrated part of the rainwater system - what goes down a road drain goes into the water in the park etc. In heavy rain too much goes into the foul water system, via miss-connections or just the high percentage of existing housing that does not separate rain water from foul, and the mixed effulent is diverted into the rain water system e.g. the local stream or sea, rather than have the sewers overflow. Legally if sewage enters your house from a sewer the water company must clean up and compensate, but if it is a natural waterway that delivers the same sewage the water company is not liable. They way clean up out of good will, but they are under no obligation.

Yet so few people know how our sewage system works (or doesn't), I was shocked when I found out following an incident with the stream at the bottom of my city garden. I used to ask friends up the hill from me to avoid pulling the flush during heavy rain as their poo was ending up at the bottom of my garden and then in the stream in the local park were the dogs and children play. Yuck! One day a year the water was tested for pollutants, as long as it was OK that day it could contain an unknown amount of effulent on the others. Most CSOs are untelemetered, which means that the water company, nor Env Agency that licence them to do it, have no idea how much effluent goes out into the "fresh" water. To me that is totally unacceptable.

The solution is to modify our ancient housing stock and ensure that only foul water enters the sewer and that it stays there, no sewer can be made big enough to cope with combined storm rain and sewage. This something beyond the water companies, it needs the nation to want it (and dig up their roads and gardens). I wish...

Useage: got our 2 person household down to 96l/day/person without too much pain or investment.

Meters are a must