Water use: Good habits
Use water responsibly: don't waste it
Salt water makes up over 97% of the water on the planet. Two thirds of the fresh water is trapped in glaciers and the polar ice caps, and most of the remaining third is in the ground or in underground aquifers. Conclusion: there is very little water available for living things.
Water is a key natural resource for the prosperity of human, animal and plant life. Its consumption is essential to meet basic human needs. It supports health and economic development and is also a key factor in food and energy security, as well as environmental sustainability. Growing demand requires increasingly careful use to help mitigate shortages across all regions of the world, especially in those where drought strongly shapes daily life.
The rise in the use of industrial and domestic water
International organisations estimate that total demand for water will double by 2050 due to the growing demand for water in industry and agriculture, as well as the rise in domestic consumption caused by mass migration from rural areas to cities. Today 3.9 billion people live in cities; by 2030, this number will be 5 billion.
In the last two decades, the amount of fresh water available per person has been reduced by more than 20 %, with serious problems in North Africa and West and South Asia. The problem is growing in the most economically challenged countries where 74% of the rural population lacks access to safe drinking water according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
Enlace externo, se abre en ventana nueva. That is why all of us must use water responsibly and learn habits that reduce water consumption.
How to use water properly
Protecting our water resources is not only about changing small daily habits. When renovating a home, there are also measures that can significantly reduce water consumption:
Regularly check taps, pipes and internal and external plumbing to prevent leaks.
Use rainwater harvesting systems so that water can later be reused for household uses such as toilets or watering plants.
Collect the water that runs from the shower while waiting for it to heat up and reuse it for other purposes.
Install low-consumption sanitary systems. If the cistern is not eco-efficient, place a bottle filled with sand inside it. Also avoid using toilets as bins, as each flush wastes between six and 10 litres of water.
Installing aerators on taps, which mix air with the water flow, can reduce water use by more than 40%.
Cover swimming pools when not in use to reduce evaporation.
Wash vehicles at designated facilities.
For years now companies and institutions have been researching and implementing vital technological advances to achieve rational water consumption both industrially and domestically. But sustainable consumption is everyone's responsibility. As John Fitzgerald Kennedy said, "anyone who can solve the problems of water will be worthy of two Nobel prizes — one for peace and one for science."
Water use
We optimise water management and ensure it is used in accordance with the best practises
Iberdrola and SDG 6: clean water and sanitation
Água potável e saneamento. O que é e por que é tão importante?
World Water Day
Importance, history and Interesting facts about water
Water sustainability management
We are facing a real water crisis that can only be solved with the sustainable consumption
Groundwater
What is groundwater and why is the level to which it is contaminated such a concern?
Water pollution
How to protect our source of life
What is water footprint
The key calculation for preserving a vital natural resource
Ocean acidification
Why does it happen and what are the consequences?
Water security
What is water security and how is it threatened by climate change?
Circular economy model at the Iberdrola Group
At Iberdrola, we work to be more respectful of nature in our three strategic sustainability areas: climate action, biodiversity protection, and circular economy.
For this reason, our sustainable business model is based on the circular economy model, a system for making the most of resources in which priority is given to reducing the use of new raw materials through efficiency in processes, product life extensions, and a firm commitment to the reuse and recycling of materials.
We apply this approach across our entire value chain, building a decarbonised future together with strategic partners who share our vision and values for protecting and preserving the environment.