Water efficient consumption and consumer awareness about their water footprint

Key points:

The EESC:

• recommends promoting the use of water-efficient appliances/devices. Incentives are needed to motivate producers to keep innovating to improve water efficiency and the customers to buy and use them. All such appliances/devices should include a water consumption label.
• stresses the need to ensure a fair price for water services based on full cost recovery while guaranteeing affordability for vulnerable groups. While the Member States should take measures to ensure the accessibility and affordability of water services for the most vulnerable groups, it is important that the water tariff reflect the real cost of water services. This will ensure that consumers are better aware of the cost of water services.
• advocates for moving towards circular water by increasing the reuse of water. On the one hand, private households should be encouraged to collect rainwater whenever possible, and use it for appropriate purposes, including garden watering and cleaning). On the other hand, effective control-at-source measures must be taken to ensure that the wastewater produced by households does not contain contaminants that could jeopardise the reuse of treated wastewater for irrigation and other purposes.
• Calls for climate adaptation measures. urban planning will need to be re-thought by transforming towns into "sponge cities". This will improve the urban climate, allow rainwater to seep away and reduce the number of combined sewer overflow events.