Posted 11/05/2021

Water Saving Week 2021

Did you know?

According to Waterwise, the organisers of the annual ‘Water Saving Week’ 11-14 May:

The UK has less available water per person than most other European countries.
London is drier than Istanbul, and the South East of England has less water available per person than some African countries.
The average water used per person per day is 143 litres in England and Wales, 165 litres in Scotland and 145 litres in Northern Ireland.
As well as the water that comes out of our taps and toilets, there is hidden water in the products we buy. For example, one cotton t-shirt has about 2,700 litres of water embedded in its production, which is around 49 baths full of water!
There is less than 1% accessible fresh water for us to use on this earth. The Antarctic ice sheet holds about 90% of the fresh water that exists on the earth’s surface.

Source: https://www.waterwise.org.uk/save-water/

Saving water not only saves us money, it helps us protect the planet as well as our water resources and the wildlife that live in them. So, with drought season upon us, here’s some savvy water-saving tips ahead of this year’s Water Saving Week:

In the bathroom

Baths and showers use the most amount of water in the home, at around 34%. Try to stick to a shorter shower (four minutes on average) and switch to a ‘low flow’ showerhead.
Also, try re-using your bath water to water your houseplants or garden.
Update to a dual flush toilet however make sure it’s not leaking and use the correct flush where necessary.
Remember to turn off the tap while brushing your teeth – a running tap wastes approximately six litres per minute.

In the kitchen

Make sure the dishwasher is always full before putting on a wash and put it on an ‘eco-wash’ if possible.
When buying a washing machine, check the label or specifications for water use, the best models will typically use less than 7.5 litres per kg and wash on an eco-setting where possible.
Use a refillable bottle for fresh tap water to keep you hydrated through the day. Houseplants also enjoy leftover dribbles of water to quench their thirst.

In the garden

Stop watering your grass too often and let it brown – it will bounce back when rain falls again.
Use a watering can instead of a sprinkler – they’re just as effective in watering your plants but without eating into your water supply.
When it rains, it pours so catch every drop in a water butt to reserve for later.
Add some drought-resistant bedding and perennial plants to your garden for a bit of diversity and resilience in the summer.