water in the UK Flashcards
define ‘domestic use’:
the use of a resource in a household (e.g. water).
what are the main uses of water in a household?
toilet flushing - 30%
showering and bathing - 32%
leaks - 5%
etc.
describe the distribution of water use in the UK:
domestic use makes up for 47% of the UK’s water use. other uses include leakage (21%), services, and manufacturing (5%).
describe the changing UK water demand:
- from 1961 to approx. 1992, the demand for water constantly increased gradually, from 85 litres per person per day to 140 litres.
- in 1996, the peak water demand was reached, at 153 litres per person.
- as 2016 grew closer, there has been a downward trend, reaching 140 litres again in 2016.
what are some reasons for the UK’s changing water demand?
- more houses are being built, so mains supplies need to be extended.
- we are wealthier and are using more domestic appliances that use water (e.g. dishwasher).
- the UK’s population is growing, so the demand is also increasing - increased by 75% since 1985.
describe the precipitation and water distribution in the UK:
- main sources of water in the UK are rivers, reservoirs and groundwater aquifers.
- UK currently receives enough rain to supply the demand, but rain doesn’t always fall where there’s most demand.
- west Scotland, Wales, northern central England and south west England have a high precipitation rate. east England and central England have the lowest precipitation rates (including London).
describe the rainfall: population distribution:
unevenly distributed. areas with higher populations have smaller amounts of rainfall. e.g. the south-east of England, where 1/3 of the population live.
define ‘water deficit’ and ‘water surplus’:
water deficit: areas that don’t have enough water to satisfy the population.
water surplus: areas that have more than enough water to satisfy the population.
describe the water deficit and water surplus distribution in the UK:
- majority of Scotland has a water surplus - high rainfall, and a sparse population. this is also the case in Wales and the south-west of England.
- areas of Great Britain with dense populations, such as the south-east of England and central Great Britain are in a water deficit, as they have much lower amounts of rainfall.
describe water transfer schemes:
in 2006, the Government proposed to transport water across the UK, in pipes, from areas of surplus to deficit. however, the great cost required to engineer this scheme meant that the idea was abandoned, and only smaller projects have been installed.
what are the advantages of a water transfer scheme?
- taker water from areas of surplus to deficit. fewer people will experience water stress, which would have resulted in hosepipe bans and other water restrictions being brought it. this is good news, particularly for gardeners.
- increases water availability for farming and industries in the dryer months of the UK. farming requires a lot of irrigation, especially in the summer months, so a more reliable water supply means that crop yields are higher and farmers can make more money, and UK food security increases.
- water is heavily used in industry - a reliable supply could lead to a growth in economic activity, possibly the creation of jobs.
what are the disadvantages of the water transfer scheme?
- hugely expensive, require so much infrastructure to pipe water across the country.
- fossil fuels would be used to pump the water over large distances - these schemes have a large carbon footprint.
- big impact on river habitats - involve building some sort of dam in order to create a reservoir, blocking migrating species along the river. the reservoir would also be much deeper than the original river, affecting the ecology and water temperature, so marine wildlife may not be able to cope.
describe water scarcity:
- the lack of sufficient available water resources to meet the demands within a region.
- already affects around 2.8 billion people around the world.
- more than 1.2 billion people lack access to clean drinking water.
describe how water can lead to economic well-being:
- a good water supply means people do not have to spend hours collecting water, instead they can get a job that pays them.
- water can be used to create hydro-electricity which can be used to power industry.
- a good water supply means industry can be more successful and more jobs can be created.
- if people have access to clean water and are healthy they can work and earn money. this will boost the economy.
describe how water can lead to social well-being:
- farming can be more successful and more food can be produced.
- clean water is essential for health. diseases like typhoid and dysentery spread through dirty water and can cause high infant mortality rates.
- life expectancy increases.
