Where does your tap water come from?
Turn on the tap and water just appears. But where was it a few days ago? Make a guess, follow a drop on its journey, then count what your own day uses.
Why one wasted litre matters
Water from the tap feels free and endless. Behind every litre there's a sea, a plant and a lot of energy.
In 2023, 99.7% of the water DEWA supplied in Dubai was desalinated seawater. Across the UAE, about 70 large desalination plants make most of the drinking water.
Gulf water holds about 45 grams of salt in every litre. Typical ocean water holds about 35. Pulling that salt out takes pressure, and pressure takes energy.
Reverse-osmosis plants use about 3.5 to 5 kWh of electricity for every 1,000 litres. Dubai's new Hassyan plant is designed for about 2.9. Older thermal plants boil seawater and need far more energy.
The UAE Water Security Strategy 2036 aims to cut total water demand by 21%, reuse 95% of treated wastewater, and raise national storage to up to two days.
Easy wins at home
- Keep showers short. Every minute is about 9.5 litres.
- Turn the tap off while you brush. Use a cup to rinse.
- Wash the car with a bucket, not a running hose.
- Water plants early in the morning or after sunset, so less evaporates.
- Fit water-saving showerheads and tap aerators.
- Fix dripping taps and running toilets quickly.
Sources: DEWA Statistics Booklet 2023 (desalinated water 144,133 and groundwater 416 million imperial gallons, so 99.7% desalinated); UAE government portal u.ae (about 70 major desalination plants; UAE Water Security Strategy 2036 targets); IRENA and IEA-ETSAP technology brief "Water Desalination" (reverse osmosis 3.5 to 5 kWh of electricity per cubic metre; thermal MSF about 80 kWh of heat plus 2.5 to 3.5 kWh of electricity per cubic metre; Gulf salinity about 45,000 ppm); Veolia on DEWA's Hassyan reverse-osmosis plant (2.9 kWh per cubic metre); US EPA WaterSense (standard showerhead 2.5 gallons a minute, about 9.5 litres; efficient 2.0, about 7.6 litres; bathroom tap 2.2 gallons, about 8.3 litres; toilet 1.6 gallons, about 6 litres; efficient 1.28, about 4.8 litres); US EPA Greenhouse Gas Equivalencies (0.019 kWh per smartphone charge); Marlborough District Council and Maryland Department of the Environment (a running garden hose uses about 1,000 litres an hour or more); Etihad Water and Electricity, reported by Al Bayan in 2021 (UAE average about 360 litres per person a day; world average 150 to 300); WHO, "Safe drinking-water from desalination" (adding minerals back after treatment). This page counts 3.5 kWh per 1,000 litres for desalination only. Pumping water to your home uses extra energy, so real totals are higher. It assumes a 10-litre bucket, two buckets per car wash, and 15 minutes for a hose car wash. The 2036 line applies the strategy's 21% cut to the 360-litre average; the strategy itself targets total national demand.