Water is one of the most pressures resources.

Pakistan and central Europe versus Australia and Africa. Stark contrasts, where on one hand extreme downpours cause damage, death and devastation and on the other prolonged periods of dry weather bring misery, sorrow and death.

That is sad and unthinkable but too far away for us to really comprehend. So let us focus on what faces the residents of Three Rivers. Floods? Potentially. Although these will be most likely surface floods caused by rainwater that is falling too fast and too hard to be dealt with by our existing sewer systems. But could the lack of our ability to catch this precious resource have other consequences . . . ?  

Lack of drinking water. That’s more like it. We use too much and waste too much. Think about how much water you use every day at home, at work and at leisure activities.  

Take my family for example. When I was blissfully unaware, I used to like baths, which gave me time to relax. My husband likes to shower in the morning and after his almost daily visit to the gym. Our two children are like sea creatures. My younger swims and showers daily. My older daughter is in her teens. Do I really have to say more – countless showers, occasional baths, gallons of water wasted on experimental cooking where potatoes have to be submerged in the biggest pan available, numerous washing because her favourite skirt is dirty and she desperately needs it the following day . . . ?  

The uses of water in our household, including the garden, are endless. On top of it all, I had to have nice paved drive where I could park my car easily. Now, every time it rains, I watch the water being carried away and discarded, instead of soaked up through the luscious lawn (that we once had) into the underground waterways which replenish our drinking water storage.  

I have a few questions:  

• Why do we waste our top quality drinking water by flushing it down the toilet?  
• Does anyone from Three Rivers district know where our water comes from?  
• And lastly, the more philosophical question, what happened to us that we got our priorities so terribly wrong? When did it become more important for my car to be neatly parked on my drive and my garden to be green even with no rain, than to have plenty of drinking water?  

One day, following scary news coverage, I decided that enough was enough. I couldn’t live my life with my priorities so obviously wrong. So I started saving water – small things like shorter and fewer showers, installing a water butt, brushing teeth with water in a cup, boiling only as much water as we need, limiting the amount of washing per week and waiting until I have a full load before using my washing machine. Bigger things include re-covering our drive with a permeable surface and not watering the lawn. You too can get involved by signing up to the Great British Water Fight, visit our page dedicated to resources or visit the Energy Saving Trust.