Strong increase in water consumption as drought concerns loom

The consumption of drinking water in the Netherlands is increasing, while collecting drinking water is becoming increasingly difficult due to dryer conditions, drinking water company Vitens warned on Wednesday. According to the company, the demand for water is growing too strongly and that needs to change, NU.nl reports.

Consumers think that they use an average of 60 liters of drinking water per day, but in reality it is closer to 120 liters, research among 2,200 Dutch showed, according to Vitens. The company expects that 30 percent more drinking water will be consumed in the Netherlands by 2050.

The water company wants to make consumers aware of their water consumption and how to reduce it. Simply placing a rain barrel for watering the garden can already help. Take a shower instead of a bath, and shower for a minute shorter. "You use approximately 70 liters of drinking water during an average shower of 8.3 minutes", Vitens said. "By taking a one minute shorter shower, you already save 42.5 liters per person per week. That is more than 2,200 liters per year." Using a flush interrupter on the toilet can also make a big difference.