I’m on the train back from presenting our new droughts and TUBs (Temporary Use Bans/hosepipe bans) report for UKWIR, and the hot weather’s got me thinking about how we can apply this (and whether we can have a BBQ tonight, but that’s a different story).
The major findings from the report are intuitive, but shown with serious data for the first time.
Demand for water increases massively on the hottest days, and in properties that have large gardens. This is when and where TUBs can be effective.
It makes complete sense, but has major implications for how we plan for droughts, both in terms of actually reducing demand and saving water, and how companies report that in their drought management plans.
We also heard from EA and Ipsos about customer perceptions of TUBs – generally, the people are okay with the idea of TUBs once they trust that a company is using them effectively, and is also “doing their bit” with leakage reduction and supply management
So how can we as an industry learn from this? Right now I’ve got three things on my mind.
1. Plan with thought, not just percentages
We showed consistently that demand is significantly higher on the hottest days, in properties with the most outdoor space. We also showed these properties are likely to save the most when a TUB is implemented.
Therefore, a TUB should be considered a measured that can mostly target specific circumstances, and not a single reduction percentage applied in all years.
2. Plan locally
We also showed that regions behave differently – the temperature at which a day is “hot” for the purposes of a TUB is lower in the north of England, and higher in the south. As a proud northerner, I am very happy with this finding, and will continue to wear t-shirts when it’s far colder than my more southern friends might.
Therefore, it is likely that at 25C, a northern company would see higher demand, and therefore more possibility to save, than a southern company at the same temperature.
3. Are there any non-statutory solutions we haven’t considered yet?
TUBs are not always popular, and are quite extreme. What can we do before we reach these? Obviously, strong and understandable communications play a part, but how else can we work with customers?
I recently moved house (don’t worry – the sofa came with us) and now have a garden, including a hosepipe! Working on this project has made me want to never use it. But planting new beds (the previous owner was a grass and patio kind of guy) has meant we’ve had to use more water than we might want.
It got me thinking – can I look at my local reservoir levels, and a long-term weather forecast, and work out if using my hosepipe is “safe”? Could we have some sort of “caniusemyhosepipe.com”, where I can put in my postcode and get an answer on a scale of 1-5? 1 being “fine – it’ll rain in a few days”, and 5 being “there’s a TUB on – that’s’ illegal!”.
I don’t know if it would catch on, or if I’m the only one nerdy enough to use it, but it’s something I’m interested in trying – if I can find the data! And don’t worry – I’m planning to get a water butt too!
With climate change likely giving us at least some hotter, dryer summers, innovation in this space will only become more important. For now, though, I’m going to get back to my train journey – and message my wife to check we’ve got food for that BBQ!
