The UK’s water industry regulator, Ofwat, has advised Muslims to reduce the amount of water used during ablution, the ritual washing performed before prayer, as part of a wider campaign promoting water efficiency.
The programme, funded by Ofwat, includes targeted water-saving campaigns aimed at Muslim and Southeast Asian communities. The advice includes encouraging households to use less water during ablution and when washing rice.
The initiative has sparked criticism from some politicians, who have questioned why specific minority communities are being targeted and whether billpayers’ money should be used to fund the campaigns.
Critics have also argued that water companies should place greater emphasis on addressing the large volumes of water lost through leaking infrastructure.
The debate has raised wider questions about how water-saving initiatives should be designed, particularly around balancing household conservation with efforts to reduce losses within the water supply system.
