UK Water Reuse Association responds to the European heatwave article in the Financial Times ‘Deadly ‘early Summer’ heatwave moves across Europe as climate scientists ring alarm bells'.

The serious heatwaves happening across Europe now are another clear sign of how climate change is affecting our environment. These heatwaves are putting huge pressure on Europe’s water supplies. Rivers like the Rhine and the Seine are running low, and some nuclear power stations have had to shut down because there isn’t enough cool water to keep them running safely.

Southern Europe already struggles with water shortages, but the UK could face similar problems in the future. Research shows that England could run short of 5 billion litres of water every day by 2050 unless we act now. If we don’t, we will face more droughts and water shortages that affect homes, businesses and the environment.

One important part of the solution is reusing water. By recycling water in homes, businesses and factories, we can:

- Use less fresh water from rivers and reservoirs.

- Help protect nature during dry spells.

- Make our communities better prepared for future droughts.

- Water reuse could include things like using water from showers and wash hand basins to flush toilets and water gardens, or factories cleaning and reusing water instead of using fresh supplies.

These ideas already work, we just need to use them more widely.

The UK Water Reuse Association is calling for:

- Clear government plans and support for reusing water.

- Change of legislation to enable more widespread uptake of water reuse.

- Leadership from businesses to make reuse a normal part of everyday life.

- Greater public awareness of how important water is, especially in heatwaves and dry periods.

Heatwaves and droughts are no longer something we might face in the distant future - they are happening right now. If we change how we think about water, we can help protect our communities, businesses and nature from the growing risks of climate change.