Battling the Water Myths

01/03/2021

SES Water has launched a new campaign to help dispel some of the common misconceptions around saving water and provide its customers with short, practical tips on how to reduce their water use.

‘Battling the water myths’ is designed in the style of old-fashioned, epic novels in a nod to the fictional status of the myths. Each myth relates to the impact it has on either an individual, local or global level and is coupled with a ‘truth’ to confront it head-on and set the record straight.

Examples of the myth statements include: ‘Water-saving devices aren’t worth the money’, ‘Leaky loos don’t waste that much water’, ‘Global water demand is not increasing as fast as we think’ and ‘If it rains, saving water is unnecessary’.

On average each person supplied by SES Water uses around 150 litres of water a day – higher than the UK average. The south-east region, however, receives 50% less rainfall than the rest of the UK. Research shows people spend just 10 minutes a year thinking about their water supply, highlighting the importance of the campaign to inspire them to save water in their home.

Using water wisely not only helps the environment but can also help people save money, which is particularly important given the financial hardship many are experiencing due to the pandemic. On average, showering for just one-minute uses as much energy as lighting your home for the whole day, so there are simple things we can all do to help keep our energy bills under control.

‘Battling the water myths’ has a dedicated page on the SES Water website at seswater.co.uk/water-myths and is being communicated across the Company’s social media channels and on customer bills. There is also the opportunity for one customer to win a water efficient washing machine or dishwasher as part of a competition found on the webpage. 

Water Strategy Manager at SES Water, Alison Murphy, said: “The south east of England is officially classed as ‘water-stressed’ and with climate change making droughts more likely, we need to be aware of the impact our water use habits are having on local rivers and the wildlife they support, including globally rare chalk streams.”

“We hope this campaign will show that by simply making small, achievable water savings every day, we can all help make a real difference to the impact on our local water resources, the environment we live in, as well as help save money.”

Managing Director of Waterwise, Nicci Russell, said: “At Waterwise we're delighted to support this innovative campaign by SES Water. Myth busting is so important, so we can all realise how hard it is to make the water we have go round, and how easy it is to use it carefully - we all need to remember that this is an issue right here, right now!”