Coronavirus presents challenge to resilience

Public health guidance on vigorous handwashing to tackle the spread of coronavirus presents a serious challenge for efforts to reduce water consumption, Waterwise has warned.

A spike in water demand is inevitable as the public follows best practice in containing the virus and utilities must factor in the extra demand into their water resources plans, managing director Nicci Russell told Utility Week.

The added pressure highlights the need for the sector to get to grips with per capita consumption (PCC), which is why Utility Week has launched the Mind the Tap campaign.

Russell said: “Public health messaging and actions are clearly paramount, but if for the increased duration and frequency of handwashing people across the UK are keeping the tap running while they scrub their hands for 20 seconds, rather than turning it off and rinsing it at the end, that could significantly increase PCC.”

She added: “We would like to see UK water companies, both wholesale and retail, factoring the impact on water use into their water resources planning, including monitoring for any rises in both household and business use. This monitoring information will be important for current and future planning, as we know in the future there will be even less water to go around.”

The NHS advises handwashing with running water for 20 seconds using a disposable towel to turn the tap off after rinsing.

Although water companies have not yet seen noticeable changes in demand since the public health warnings have been circulated, the uncertainty surrounding the virus outbreak may mean longer term effects from increased, vigorous handwashing.

There are numerous variables including type of tap and frequency of washing as well as the use of hand sanitiser, but an average tap running at six litres per minute for the prescribed two verses of Happy Birthday would use two litres of water per wash.

Water companies are under pressure to lower PCC from the current average of 143 litres. Ofwat set individual company targets to reduce per capita consumption by an average of 6.3 per cent by 2025.

Affinity, which was set the most stretching reduction of 12.5 per cent, began its efficiency campaign in May 2019 to raise awareness of water efficiency not only in its own catchment but nationwide. As part of the Mind the Tap campaign, Utility Week will actively promote the calls from Affinity.