For those of us lucky enough to have a garden, the kid's paddling pool has provided a much needed source of fun during the recent heatwave. But could we be about to see a ban on the garden family favourite?
According to some experts, paddling pools should be banned to help protect our diminishing supply of water, running low as a result of climate change. Miranda Foster, a senior hydrologist at Yorkshire Water, has argued filling giant plastic blow-up pools is a waste of water.
Scientists like Foster believe that as the levels of drinking water available to the world slowly decrease as climate change ramps up global temperature, luxuries like paddling pools should be banned. With some pools capable of holding as much as an entire week's worth of drinking water for a family of four - is it time to forego the fun garden activity for the sake of saving the planet?
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'Paddling pools are a genuine concern. There are some paddling pools that are ridiculously big. One paddling pool can hold a week's worth of water for a family of four,' warns Foster.
'Climate change is leading to hotter drier summers so there's less resource and higher demand. The widespread use of paddling pools increases the likelihood of drinking water running out. There's a general perception that water is from the sky and it's free, and there's a lot of it, what's the problem? But we need more education and understanding.'
She went on to advise members of the public to shun buying paddling pools and buy a water butts instead. Water butts catch rainwater from gutter systems, rooftops, and from falling rain and help gardeners save money every year by filling with water that can be used for watering lawns and plants.
Following the driest May on record in the UK, The Public Accounts House of Commons select committee announced that the UK faces 'a serious risk that some parts of the country will run out of water within the next 20 years'.
