Everyday life flows on – but for how much longer?

A working day

The alarm goes off far too early. You drag yourself out of bed and start by filling the coffee maker with water, so the life-giving drink is ready when you step out of the shower. You get dressed, make a sandwich to go with your coffee. A few moments of calm before the day really begins. You notice a few crumbs on the counter and quickly wipe them away with a damp cloth, then rinse your cup, butter knife and cheese slicer under running water. You glance at the clock — the bus leaves soon. You pack your bag, fill your water bottle, and hurry out the door.

It’s a quiet day at work. For once, you have a bit too little to do. You’re not used to the slower pace, but you try to enjoy having time to think. You sit at your desk, writing, staring out the window for a moment as you search for the right words. You take a sip from your water bottle and keep typing. Later, you grab another coffee and take a quick bathroom break — flush, wash your hands, back to work. Finally, it’s lunchtime. Clean plates and glasses await in the canteen. You pour yourself sparkling water and enjoy your meal. Dishes go to the dishwasher, and the workday continues.

When the clock strikes five, you rush home. It’s laundry day and time to wash the sheets. Luckily there’s a drying room, so you don’t have to hang damp laundry all over the apartment. When you’re done, a dull headache starts to creep in. You swallow a painkiller with a glass of water, then refill it again. Maybe you haven’t drunk enough today after all.

You probably see where this is going. When we stop and think about it, it quickly becomes clear just how much water flows through our day — often unnoticed.

Water is essential for life and for development, including economic growth. In Sweden, we’ve been spoiled by abundance, with Gotland as the exception that proves the rule. We’ve built our comfort on easy access to water, and now we depend on it to maintain the rhythm of daily life: flushing toilets, garden hoses, and swimming pools filled with drinking water.

Because we use water so effortlessly, we rarely reflect on it. We don’t see it until it comes out of the tap — the entire infrastructure is buried underground or fenced off. Out of sight, out of mind. We no longer have a relationship with water; it simply appears when we want it, no effort required.

For most Swedes, the idea that water could stop running from the tap has been almost unthinkable. But that may be changing. This summer, several areas in Kristianstad municipality actually ran out of water. Even in Stockholm, there was a risk of drinking water shortages, as production dropped due to high temperatures in Lake Mälaren. Fortunately, Stockholm residents responded to calls to reduce their use and the crisis was avoided.

This is the new reality that climate change brings. Our world is warming, leading to drier summers, wetter winters and more extreme weather. This affects how our water reserves are replenished and they can no longer always keep up with our average consumption of 140 litres per person per day.

Their words highlight the attitude we must adopt towards water in a future shaped by major change. We have to rethink how we manage it — but how?

Traditionally, water issues have been solved within the technical system: expanding capacity, connecting more sources, fixing leaks. Technology is the obvious way forward — but is it always the most effective? It’s time to look beyond pipes and pumps, and also address what happens outside the system. There’s clear evidence of the benefits of saving water through behavioural change and we shouldn’t underestimate its potential.

Information and communication can influence water-saving behaviour, but the effect often fades over time. To achieve long-term change we need to reshape habits, something that’s easiest to do when change is already happening. Repairing leaks, adding new sources or installing water-efficient technology affects how much water flows through the system, meaning we don’t have to change our routines. But with the large maintenance backlog, fixing all leaks would require major investments. And installing new fixtures in every home quickly becomes costly and hard to justify if the old ones still work and water remains cheap.

We need both, new technology and the ability to change unsustainable habits, to make lasting progress. To make the most of both approaches, the Drop it project examines how water-saving technologies and communication can reinforce each other. In four case studies around Sweden, water-efficient technologies are being installed in ordinary homes — both apartments and houses. Residents receive ongoing communication, including seasonal water-saving tips and feedback on their water use. The goal is to present practical, useful results by 2028 that can help households, businesses and the public sector use our most important resource more wisely.

Want to get involved?

Do you work with water-saving technologies — perhaps in a startup, a company, or a municipality looking to make a difference? We’re continuously looking for innovative ideas and solutions for small-scale studies within Drop it, where we can test early-stage technologies that show high innovation potential. Test your water-saving idea with us — or email astrid.ramberg@ri.se to share your ideas.

There’s also an opportunity to collaborate by creating a test environment with us, where we can jointly test and evaluate future water-saving solutions. Would your organisation like to become a Drop it testbed?

Find out more about the project here: Drop it | RISE