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Water means different things to each of us but one thing is certain – it’s the one thing none of us can live without. That's why the UN designates 22 March every year – so this Wednesday – as World Water Day, a day to celebrate life-giving water.  And in fact, this whole week, from 20 – 24 March 2017 is Water Saving Week.

Today 663 million people around the world still have no clean water to drink.  Clean drinking water, proper toilets and good hygiene are essential, yet millions of people don’t have access to these basic services.

Across the world, women are forced to waste precious time walking long distances to collect dirty water. Girls are dropping out of school because there are no private toilets, and young children are not surviving to see their fifth birthday because of preventable diseases.

So what does water mean to you?

Doug Clarke, water efficiency manager, said: “This year we’re backing the third annual Water Saving Week campaign, which incorporates World Water Day and promotes simple water saving tips for everyone.  We’ve joined forces with two of the UK’s leading water sector associations, Waterwise and WaterSafe, to give some great advice to our customers on how to save water and not take it for granted.

“We tend to take water for granted in this country – it’s always there when you turn on the tap or take a shower.  We forget how precious it is.  That’s why we’re asking people on World Water Day to spare a second and think about how much water we use.

“One thing most of us do is take a shower, and this can use a lot of water – especially if you have a power shower – up to 160 litres for an eight minute shower.  That’s the same as two baths and more than the average person uses in a day.

“Make World Water Day the day that you save a bit of water in the shower.  There are two ways to reduce the amount of water you use, and one is to simply spend less time under the water.  If every household in the Severn Trent region took just one minute off one shower every day, it would save over £20 million a year on our collective energy bills to heat that water.

“The other way is to get a water efficient showerhead.  Today, only a quarter of households with suitable showers say they have an efficient showerhead installed.  These showerheads work using innovative designs to regulate the water flow, thus saving water, whilst still providing a great shower experience.  

“Either way will save water, and also money off your energy bills as you won’t be heating up so much.  So why not give it a try.”