Water saving doesn’t have to mean dodging the shower, smelly socks, and wilting plants.
There are lots of super easy ways we can cut down on water consumption around the house. Every drop saved means a little less stress on our water supplies. Plus, it’ll reduce your carbon footprint and your water bills!
Water saving is especially important at the moment. As more water companies announce droughts and hosepipe bans, it’s important for us all to do our bit. It helps make sure we have enough water for our needs, and it helps wildlife too. In extreme circumstances water companies can abstract water from rivers, which is something that we really need to avoid. Not only is this bad news for fish, but it has knock on effects on all the wildlife that relies on rivers and watercourses.
Switch to a shower
A low flow showerhead can use as little as 6 litres of water per minute. So, a short splash in the shower uses much less water than running a bath, which can use upwards of 80 litres at a time. A family of four switching from a bath each to a short shower each could save over 100 litres of water a day!
Water friendly gardening
Did you know that drinking water isn’t always the best option for your garden plants. Plants actually prefer rainwater. Investing in water butts is a must for any garden lover with many local authorities offering them at a reduced rate. However, even if you choose to buy one, they’re still pretty cheap.
If you don’t have a water butt yet you can use leftover cooking water. This water has extra nutrients that have leached from your food during the cooking process, so your plants will thank you. Just make sure it’s cooled down first!
Turn that tap off!
Taps use around 6 litres of water a minute. If a family of four leave the taps running whilst brushing their teeth twice a day, that’s nearly 100 litres of water down the drain. The same applies to your kitchen too. Instead of rinsing mugs, plates, or even fruit and veg under the tap, fill up the sink and save water.
Fill up that dishwasher (properly)
It’s the source of endless debate in many households- who loads the dishwasher the best! Either way, as long as your dishwasher is full when you run it, you’ll be making huge water savings. Switching to a dishwasher saves around 6,000 litres a year, and ditching the pre-rinse saves another 1,000.
Grab a water jug
Everyone is guilty of running the tap until the water is cool, especially in hot weather. Instead, fill up a jug and stick it in the fridge. You’ll have a ready supply of cold water without the water wastage. You can even add lemon, cucumber, or mint to make it that little bit fancier.
Fit aerators and cistern bags
Aerators are cheap and easy to fit. They aerate your water supply which means you get the same water pressure but use less water. Cistern bags are another great water saving gadget. These little bags sit in the cistern of your loo, taking up space that would otherwise fill with water. They can save 1-2 litres of water each time you flush and don’t affect your toilets functionality! These handy gadgets are often given away for free by water companies.
