Poll results highlight public concern over flooding and water
Opportunities & key issues identified
Southeast UK shows higher than average willingness to be environmentally friendly
A new UK-wide opinion survey, commissioned by WWT, highlights growing awareness and concern about water usage and a willingness to do more to reduce flooding and help wildlife. The results show that survey respondents from the southeast region of the UK are more willing to consider environmentally friendly practices in their homes and gardens. 46% of those surveyed from the southeast already owned a water butt compared to 32% nationally. 69% of people interviewed from the southeast either have or would consider permeable paving compared to the national figure of 60%.
WWT is using the survey to launch a campaign to raise awareness of how we can manage rainwater better for communities, whilst benefitting wildlife and making financial savings.
The results highlight simple ways all of us can do more to reduce the impact of too much or too little rain, and how public bodies and private companies can help too.
For example, 63% of people interviewed wanted to know how empty the reservoir that supplies their home is, for instance through reports along with the weather.
Martin Spray, Chief Executive of WWT said “The results show the public wants to know and do more about water in their area, which in itself is good news because our use of water has big implications for our communities and our wildlife.
“Simple things like installing a water butt – which 1/3 of people have done – reduce pressure on storm drains and flooding. However, more than half of interviewees say they haven’t been offered a subsidised butt by their council or water company, so there are clear opportunities to support measures that benefit us all.
“And with more UK households moving over to water meters, it’s not only good for wildlife and communities; it’s good for our pockets too.”
One of the most heartening results is how many people interviewed were willing to make water friendly adaptations to their homes and gardens. Nationally over 40% have or would consider having a pond filled with rainwater and nearly as many would consider a green roof. Just under half have or would consider putting in a swale or ditch with water-loving plants to allow rainwater to soak away slowly. In the southeast 80 percent have or would have a water butt.
Across the board there was an increase in concern over issues relating to water. Highest on the list was reducing water bills but flooding, environmental damage to wetlands from polluted storm water run-off and shortages of water for wildlife in gardens and public spaces were all also concer
Martin Spray continues: “The environmental advantages of conserving water are multiple and it is clear that people are keen to do their bit. This survey has thrown up simple measures that we can do at home and that our institutions can do to support us.”
The WWT website has inspirational instructive videos on how to turn your garden into a “Rain Garden” and how to make your garden more wildlife friendly.
http://www.wwt.org.uk/our-work/wetland-habitats/rain-gardening
Also opening on 22 March is a competition to find the most comprehensive use of a water butt to conserve water. “Work Your Butt” is open until 30 June and every accepted entry will be given a free admission to the WWT centre of their choice and there is hundreds of pounds worth of gardening vouchers to be won. Entrants need to complete one of two sentences: “I work my butt well by....” or “If I had one, I would work my butt by...” and send a photo or upload a video
Details on: https://www.wwt.org.uk/workyourbutt
The public can also contribute their experiences and thoughts on using water. WWT is asking the nation to go online and take just 5 minutes to complete a survey. The survey link is open on http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/J6M3X85
Survey Highlights
Environmentally friendly things that people would consider having on their property
41.3 % either have or would consider a pond, in the Southeast this rises to 44%
36.8% would consider a green roof, In Southeast 2.4% have one & 39.8% would consider it
25% would consider a deliberately made small wetland or boggy area in their garden, rising to 28% in the southeast
Over 60% either have or would consider permeable paving, rising to 69% in Southeast - but surprisingly, nationally over 20% said they wouldn’t consider it
When asked if they would know how empty the reservoir that supplies their home was 63% said that they were not aware but thought that people should be - for example through reports along with the weather
Subsidised water butts Over 52% of interviewees that did not have a water butt said they had not been offered a subsidised water butt by their council or water company - only 4.7% said they had
Water butts & usage
32.2% had water buts, 47.7 % didn’t but would consider it - In the southeast 46% had water butts, 35% didn’t but would consider it
Of those that did have water butts 58.8 % of people used the water for watering plants or vegetables with almost 5% saying they although they had a water butt, they didn’t really use it.
Other uses included washing the car, topping up the pond, washing pets and flushing the toilet
Compared with five years ago:
28.4 % were more concerned / much more concerned about flooding
49.7 % were more concerned / much more concerned in reducing water bills
30.3% were more concerned / much more concerned about environmental damage to wetlands from polluted storm water run off
37.5% were more concerned / much more concerned about shortages of water for wildlife in gardens and public spaces
Fast facts
On hot summer days 70% of the UK’s domestic water supply may be used to water gardens
If every household in the UK got a standard water butt (and worked it) this would save about 30,000 million litres of water each summer – enough to fill approximately 12,000 Olympic sized swimming pools ( Volume: 50m x 25m x 2m)
A standard household roof collects enough rain water (up to 85,000 litres) to fill 450 water butts every year
Rainwater collected in a water butt is much better for both ponds and gardens than treated tap water.
In a big storm the rapid movement of water off hard surfaces into the drainage system is a major factor in flooding – drains fail to cope with the volume of water and overflow, flooding property and threatening lives. Two 250 litre or four 125 litre water butts store enough water to cope with the first 1 cm of rainfall off a 50m2 roof - equivalent to a moderate summer rainstorm.
