Water is a finite commodity. Can we really imagine a ‘toilet-to-tap” world? The Wash Doctors team are taking on the challenge to change the city’s car habits and prevent London’s water crisis.
Water supplies are essential to any sustainable city and to the health and welfare of its people. The world’s fresh water supply is being squeezed dry, with demand far outweighing supply. Between 2000-2050, demand for global water is expected to increase by 55% as a result of population growth, changes in lifestyle, eating habits, the demand for energy and production of biofuels. Additionally, rising temperatures are causing significant drops in the water table all over the world, according to NASA.
California and Australia may be the first to spring to mind when you hear the term drought. You may also believe London is far from feeling the brunt of global overconsumption and climate change. However, London’s consumption of water already outstrips available supplies in dry years. Our reliance on rainwater and a centuries-old plumbing system have led to the UN estimate that London is a decade away from being unable to serve its growing population. This estimate places London’s water crisis ahead of the rest of the world, ensuing a sustainable and secure water supply has become an urgent priority for Mayor of London Sadiq Khan’s response to climate change in The London Plan.
Solutions being explored include desalination and the recycling of water. Desalination is the process that removes salt from seawater making it drinkable. Although a plant was built in 2010 in Beckton, this is deemed ‘in case of emergency’ as it requires extortionate sums of energy. Therefore, recycling from “toilet-to-tap” by filtering sewage water is currently considered the most cost-effective solution, and begs the question, what can we do to prevent rather than just cure our impending water crisis?
Although arguably not a major contributor globally, there is no denying car washing uses unnecessary amounts of water and drains local water reserves. A typical machine car wash uses 630 million litres per year, whilst hand car washes use three times more. Think of the size of an Olympic-sized swimming pool. Now imagine 900 Olympic-sized swimming pools. Wash Doctors are on a mission to change this by preserving our water reserves and ultimately protecting the environment.
With 2.5 million cars in London and a bid for electric cars to rule the roads by 2040, these leisurely automobiles aren’t going anywhere anytime soon. Changes in car washing habits however, are achievable and necessary to meet the proposed target of 105 litres a day per person, of which Londoners currently stand at 164 litre day (20 litres above the national average). Examples show that by everyone making a small change, we can collectively have a dramatic impact; in 2016 England’s plastic bag usage dropped 85% since the introduction of a 5p charge.
Wash Doctors has a solution, offering you zero-emissions car washing, whilst taking zero time out of your busy week. Our team delivers a superior finish to your car without damaging the environment by cycling to your door and using a revolutionary waterless cleaning formula, at a highly competitive price.
What does waterless mean? Wash Doctors can clean your car using less than half a litre of water with zero toxic runoff going into water the supply. By using our services, you could help us save millions of litres of water every year in our bid to use London’s water more wisely!