The University of Lincoln is a major water user, consuming around 178,000 litres / day during term time – that’s 14.5 litres for every student and member of staff (full-time equivalent).
Water is an increasingly scarce resource. The UK currently consumes approximately 150 litres / person / day. The Government has a target of reducing this to 130 litres / person / day by 2030.
Lincolnshire sits within the Anglian Water region which is considered an area of high water stress. The more we can reduce wasted water, the less pressure there will be on our resources.
Saving water on campus
We are constantly striving to reduce the University’s water footprint by ensuring low-flow technology is installed on any refurbishment project or new build. We also work closely with Anglian Water to ensure that any irregular patterns in consumption are investigated immediately.
You can help us minimise water use by:
- using the low-flush facility on toilets
- turning taps off
- reporting any dripping taps or water leaks to the Estates Support Desk
Additionally, at both the Riseholme campus and the University Brayford Campus kitchen garden, rain water is harvested into water butts to use on the plants and vegetation.
Embedded water
You may be careful with the amount of water your use at home and at work but have you ever considered the embedded water that is associated with the products you buy? For example, it can take somewhere in the region of 15,000 litres of water to produce just 1kg of beef, whereas 1kg of potatoes requires 280 litres of water.