Eli5: do you really “waste” water?

Question

Is it more of a water bill thing, or do you actually effect the water supply? (Long showers, dishwashers, etc)

In: 2176

Answer 1

Other people are correct in that you’re wasted *treated* water, which is a waste of time, money, energy and resources.

Fact is, the water companies in many places are pouring away millions of times more water than you ever will by having leaky pipes and poor networks, etc.

Most of the “water saving” stuff comes from… water suppliers. Who would normally be charging you per litre. So why would they care, surely they’d want you to use MORE water? In the UK, at least, they charge a fixed amount per household based – believe it or not – on a 90’s-era assessment of the size of the house. Irrespective of how many people live in it, what’s happened to the house since, how much you actually use, etc. etc.

So while they shouldn’t care how much you use, if they cared about it from a money or ecological viewpoint, they’d charge you more accurately. They care because they want you to use less and continue to charge you a fixed – and largely fabricated – price. (Imagine owning a business with a single product that’s measured and priced by the kilo, litre or meter, and then constantly telling your customers to buy less of your product!)

I got a water meter fitted in a new house I moved into. My next water bill was 10% of what they’d been charging me and the previous owner. Because the water meter measures actual usage at the point of delivery.

Given the electricity smart meter rollout, the amount of news time that water wastage gets, and the stupendous profits of the UK “you have no choice but to use us” water monopolies, I’m amazed that water meters aren’t already compulsory.

You’d see the CONSUMER USAGE of actual water consumption plummet. The water companies would reveal their overcharging and how inefficient and leaky their systems are almost instantly. And they’d be forced to double or triple or more their “price per litre” but it would likely still end up cheaper for you because you’re not using anywhere near what they claim you are.