Water is a vital resource, and its availability can quickly shift in times of shortage. When reserves run low, you must conserve and ration water intelligently—whether during a climate emergency, a natural disaster or a prolonged economic crisis.
Precisely Track Your Daily Water Consumption
For rationing to be effective, first identify where water goes in your home. In the UK, the average person consumes approximately 142 litres of potable water per day according to Waterwise. By measuring your usage—from showers and dishwashing to garden watering—you can immediately pinpoint sources of waste.
Record your consumption daily using your home meter or a tracking app. This is also an excellent way to reduce your utility bills year-round.
Prioritise Essential Uses During Prolonged Crises
During a national emergency or escalating crisis, not all water uses are equally important. According to Red Cross recommendations, you should prioritise drinking water for the hydration of your family.
The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends at least 3 litres per person per day for basic drinking and cooking. Other uses, such as bathing or laundry, should be minimised or replaced with alternative methods. For example, using wet wipes instead of a daily shower can drastically reduce your consumption during a shortage.
Install a Water Butt to Boost Your Reserves
This tip significantly increases your autonomy. Installing a water butt on your downpipes can capture hundreds of litres of water during a moderate British rainfall.
This supplemental resource is perfect for watering plants or outdoor cleaning, preserving your treated mains water for essential needs. Storing this water in opaque tanks helps mitigate health risks. If you need to consume harvested rainwater in an emergency, use an activated charcoal filter to remove 99.99% of heavy metals and parasites.
Recycle Greywater to Reduce Waste
Greywater—from sinks, showers, baths and laundry—is usually sent straight to the sewer. However, it can be safely reused for outdoor cleaning and flushing toilets. In a typical household, nearly 100 litres of greywater are discarded daily.
Weeplow offers effective solutions to naturally purify water. Our activated charcoal filter requires no electricity and is fully portable. With a long lifespan, it can be used throughout a crisis. It removes pesticides, viruses and PFAS, giving you clean drinking water.
Ration Water with Efficient Equipment
Water-saving showerheads can cut flow by half—from 15 litres per minute to only 7 litres. Similarly, low-flush toilets reduce water use by 40% compared to traditional models. Widespread installation of such equipment during a drought could prevent the need for drastic water cuts in rural areas.
Watch Out for Leaks at Home
Leaks are a significant source of wasted drinking water. A small faucet leak can waste 120 litres per day—over 43,000 litres per year. Regularly check your plumbing, including taps and toilets. The sooner you detect a leak, the more money and water you save. Simply replacing a worn washer can prevent thousands of litres from being wasted.
Store Water to Prevent Shortages
Heatwaves in the UK are becoming more frequent, and groundwater levels are declining, causing increasingly severe droughts. It is wise to anticipate shortages by storing drinking water in advance.
Store at least 30 litres of water per person, providing roughly 10 days of autonomy. Use airtight containers placed away from direct sunlight. Adding a light preservative, such as colloidal silver, can help prevent bacterial growth during long-term storage.
Why Ration Water?
Effective water management requires collective commitment. During historic droughts, communities that work together can reduce potable water consumption by more than 40%. Start managing your water now; it saves money and prepares you for future crises. Water is not just a resource—it is a treasure we must protect.
Take the first step toward water autonomy. Discover the Weeplow range of gravity-fed filters today.
