Costing the Earth

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Factual: Science & Nature: Nature & Environment

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Costing the Earth: The Great Leaky Loo Scandal

The Great Leaky Loo Scandal

BBC Radio 4 - Costing the Earth, The Great Leaky Loo Scandal

How billions of litres of water are lost each week - from a system intended to save water.

Our demand for water is increasing despite campaigns to reduce it. Tom Heap hears how billions of litres are being lost from our homes every week which we could easily fix,

Do you know how much water you use? Despite campaigns to reduce our personal water usage from around 143 litres each per day  to closer to 100, it's not improving. 

Meanwhile Tom Heap has discovered that an innovation to a product we use every day, an innovation which promised to save water is actually making things worse. Billions of litres are being wasted every week – enough to supply the cities of Edinburgh, Cardiff, Sheffield, Manchester, Liverpool, Bristol and Belfast  combined  – welcome to the Great Leaky Loo Scandal. 

We reveal how this is happening and what can be done. Tom gets a revealing look behind the scenes at a plumbing manufacturer where flushing systems are tested and the science of 'solids discharge' is analysed. 

When water is being abstracted from rivers and being treated to meet our demands we ask if we need to take the resource more seriously. 

Produced by Anne-Marie Bullock for BBC Audio in Bristol

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