Are you waterwise? Some tips to save water around the house...
Worried about water consumption? So are we! We all agree that London and the Southeast is being impacted by climate change, considering that the worst floods and droughts in the last century have taken place in the last two years (not to mention flash tornados and April snowstorms!). The UK has lower water availability than the rest of Europe and, according to Waterwise, there is less water availibility in the Southeast of England than in Syria and Sudan. We are currently using more water than we have available, on average 150 litres of water per day, per person. The government has a goal to bring this average down to at least 120 litres per day, and several initiatives have been implemented in the industry. There are also many things that you can do at home to help reduce water consumption and we'd like to share some tips with you...
1. An estimated 30% of a household’s water consumption comes from toilet flushing. An old-style cistern uses up to 12 litres of water per flush while the new, efficient dual-flush cisterns use 6 litres for a full flush and only 3 for a reduced flush. If you are having a bathroom refit, make sure to install a dual-flush cistern. If you have a push button flush on your current cistern, it is a simple procedure to convert to a dual-flush system. Alternatively, a cistern displacement device (CDD), such as a ‘Save a Flush’ bag or Hippo can be placed inside the cistern and can save 1-3 litres per flush. Give us a call and we will send you a ‘Save a Flush’ bag in the post – on us! One litre of water per flush (saved from the ‘Save a Flush’ bag) at an average of 3000 flushes per year will save you 3000 litres of water.
2. Wash your clothes and dishes on the economy cycle, full cycles are necessary for only the most soiled loads. Also, wait until you have a full load before you turn it on.
3. When brushing teeth, shaving, washing hands, and even washing vegetables, don’t leave the tap running! An open tap wastes up to five litres of water per minute.
4. A dripping tap can waste anywhere from four to seventy five litres of water every day. Make sure that any leaks or drips are dealt with as they occur, and replacing worn tap washers is a cheap and easy way to save water.
5. Many of us love to soak in a tub full of hot water, but taking baths is a huge waste of water! A five minute shower uses only one third of the water than that of a bath, and there are many water efficient showerheads on the market. Be warned, however, that power showers can use more water than a bath in LESS than five minutes!
6. Protect exterior pipes by fitting them with lagging when it starts to get cold. If the pipes freeze in the wintertime, they are in danger of bursting, which is not only a waste of water but a major hassle to deal with.
If you would like to find more information on ways to save water, or what the water companies are doing to address the issues being faced, here are some informative consumer websites:
www.ccwater.org.uk – Consumer Council for Water is a group based in England and Wales dedicated to monitoring the industry and keeping consumers informed. As a watchdog group, they can also help if have any questions or disputes with your water supplier.
www.waterwise.org.uk - A National body focused on decreasing water consumption in the UK by 2010. Their website is an excellent resource for information.