Poll: Do you leave the tap running while you're brushing your teeth?

arknor · 15 Jun 2019 at 09:59

oops double post somehow

MrRockliffe · 15 Jun 2019 at 12:46

arknor said:
I do it not full blast, but I do it.

You know how much water is lost to leaks in all of the underground pipes? my tap running for a few minutes ain't nothing in comparison

No but every little helps. While independently you may not make a difference, if we went with similar proportions to the poll, and assumed 1/3rd of UK leaves their tap running when brushing teeth, that would indeed equate to a lot of water

Realistically, though, I imagine the numbers are a lot lower

arknor · 15 Jun 2019 at 16:49

MrRockliffe said:
No but every little helps. While independently you may not make a difference, if we went with similar proportions to the poll, and assumed 1/3rd of UK leaves their tap running when brushing teeth, that would indeed equate to a lot of water

Realistically, though, I imagine the numbers are a lot lower

wow check this

According to the company’s annual report, Thames Water is the worst offender as it loses around 179 litres of water per property each day. The best is Southern Water which leaks less than 80 litres per property per day.
Overall leakage levels have increased by 1.2 per cent on the previous year and CCW said it was concerned that the industry’s efforts to reduce leakage have flatlined over the past five years, which could undermine campaigns to help and encourage consumers to use their tap water more efficiently.

Diddums · 15 Jun 2019 at 17:31

arknor said:
I do it not full blast, but I do it.

You know how much water is lost to leaks in all of the underground pipes? my tap running for a few minutes ain't nothing in comparison

This logic is a bit dim, isn't it?

arknor · 15 Jun 2019 at 22:06

Diddums said:
This logic is a bit dim, isn't it?

I shower instead of bath and only use the washing machine twice a week so sure save more water than most people.

Doubt leaving a tap running slowly for 2mins is making much difference anyhow if the water company is leaking 80-179 litres per property each day anyway.

But it's always put on the individuals to save the planet, not the companies making millions whilst wasting energy or water.

seems fine for retailers to leave lights, on, have signs wasting electricity constantly. but god forbid you leave a light on in your own home!

Wizzfizz · 15 Jun 2019 at 22:17

Well said ^

d_brennen · 15 Jun 2019 at 22:17

Yes, old school. We have an impact on the environment by just living. Do we just stop? Turn all the cars into an artificial reef? Live in a cave and eat only our own toenail clippings? No.

Yaayuh! · 16 Jun 2019 at 21:33

d_brennen said:
Yes, old school. We have an impact on the environment by just living. Do we just stop? Turn all the cars into an artificial reef? Live in a cave and eat only our own toenail clippings? No.

Because there’s no middle ground or any point in trying? Are you mad?

d_brennen · 16 Jun 2019 at 21:36

Rossi~ said:
Because there’s no middle ground or any point in trying? Are you mad?

Is leaving the tap running mad? If so then yes. Lighting your home isn't necessary, you can just go to bed when the sun goes down, that's better for the environment

Yaayuh! · 16 Jun 2019 at 22:16

d_brennen said:
Is leaving the tap running mad? If so then yes. Lighting your home isn't necessary, you can just go to bed when the sun goes down, that's better for the environment

It’s mad to think that we shouldn’t try to conserve resources just because we exist and consume regardless.

Lighting your home is reasonable, lighting you the room/s you occupy is reasonable, lighting your home with 100W bulbs, isn’t, nor in unoccupied rooms.

Translate this to brushing your teeth. Running the tap to wet your brush is reasonable, running your tap whilst not using it, isn’t.

Nobody is saying live in a cave. Just that it’s a shame that people are not more considerate and conservative with their resources where it’s really easy to do so. Like turning a light off in a room they’re not in, or turning the tap off when it’s not in use. It’s really not hard, it’s just lazy.

That also goes for the private utility companies that suck at maintaining their networks, can’t eat into their profits for maintenance now can we. But just because they suck, doesn’t mean we, the consumer, should too.

Pawnless Endgame · 16 Jun 2019 at 23:27

More than a third of us answered 'yes'? Sorry guys, but it should have been unanimous 'no' vote and thread locked after a few posts.

Captain · 16 Jun 2019 at 23:31

Yes I leave it running as I don't care, takes 1 minute to brush your teeth.

arknor · 16 Jun 2019 at 23:32

Rossi~ said:
That also goes for the private utility companies that suck at maintaining their networks, can’t eat into their profits for maintenance now can we. But just because they suck, doesn’t mean we, the consumer, should too.

what encouragement do they have to stop wasting 80-179 litres per property per day? that was from 2017 no doubt it's sure a lot higher by now.

Maybe if they didn't waste so much water our bills would be a lot lower.

maybe the government should consider billing them by the same rates they bill us if we have a water meter fitted.
bet they would soon stop wasting so much water.

Since I don't have a meter fitted I will from now on leave me tap running full blast whenever I'm in the bathroom even if it's just to take a ****
It will still be nowhere near the 80-179 litres a day the water company wastes on my behalf

It's ridiculous hosepipe ban, yet water company still wastes 80-179lites per day for you? how many litres would it take to water your garden? probably about 20 a day?

Akagi · 17 Jun 2019 at 01:33

I've left my tap running since this thread was opened.

itchy · 17 Jun 2019 at 02:16

I do as it stops toothpaste sticking to the sink when you spit it out. 1 to 3 min tap running bushing teeth is nothing compared to a washing machine.

Rroff · 17 Jun 2019 at 02:37

arknor said:
But it's always put on the individuals to save the planet, not the companies making millions whilst wasting energy or water.

seems fine for retailers to leave lights, on, have signs wasting electricity constantly. but god forbid you leave a light on in your own home!

To be fair where I work most non-essential electricals are turned off overnight, etc. though that is more due to potential triads than anything else :s

Skilid · 17 Jun 2019 at 15:07

Why on earth would you leave it running?

Those saying "I pay for it so meh" are literally pouring money down the drain :confused:

Admiral Huddy · 17 Jun 2019 at 15:13

Yes.. by habit I'm afraid although I do try make an effort.

We/ I, am pretty good at most things environmental; one car family, cycle and walk, recycle, I changed all the lighting to LED etc.. These kinds of things are easy to change but personal habits, not so.

It's a little contractive commenting about the impact of the environment when we are posting about it on "round the clock" high power data servers and services, putting further strain on the environment.

ttaskmaster · 17 Jun 2019 at 15:34

arknor · 17 Jun 2019 at 17:12

ttaskmaster said:
Maybe if your local council pulled their fingers out, we'd be able to get in there and sort it? Maybe if the regulator of the government you voted in would allow us more money for maintenance, we'd be able to maintain it.
As is, we can only fix about a thousand leaks per week... and even though we know damn well which properties are flooding, the owners refuse to allow us access for repairs, on the assumption that admitting to flooding will devalue their proeprty.

who owns all the pipes the water companies or the government/councils? the government pays you to do maintenance ? water companies don't use their own profits?

Genuine questions

You just supply the water? all the pipes are the governments responsibility and you only do the maintenance they pay for?