The UK has less water available per person than any other EU country apart from Belgium and Cyprus. Domestic water is treated before and after use and is then transported through a UK wide network of underground mains pipes. This all uses considerable amounts of energy contributing significantly to climate change. Heating up water accounts for a lot of the energy used in our homes. The more water you use, the more energy is needed, the higher your energy bills will be and you are contributing to climate change. In new houses, showers and baths now account for around 45 per cent of the water used. Modern plumbing, en-suite bathrooms and changes in lifestyle are all contributing to the trend towards using significantly more water for bathing and showering. Showers can be a water-saving alternative to baths but people tend to take them more frequently. Recent trends with 'power showers' and mains pressure systems, however, have increased flow rates to the point where a long shower can use more water than a bath.
The fact remains that a shower can use about a third of the water of an ordinary bath. Also, as bathing water is heated there is an associated energy and carbon cost. In an efficient home, hot water typically uses more energy than heating the home. An average household with a nine litre toilet flushes 30 per cent (110litres) of their total daily water consumption down the pan! It is essential that toilets flush effectively to maintain standards of hygiene, but designs are now available that use significantly less water than was required in the past. In older properties, flushing the toilet represents the largest proportion of water used in the home. Dishwashers and washing machines account for around 16% of the total volume of water used in a typical household. New washing machines can use about half the water and energy of the average 10-year-old machine! Be aware that some washer-dryers use mains water to condense moisture which means they don't need an external vent. This can increase water consumption to between 100 and 170 litres per wash even though most machines cannot dry the whole load because of the smaller drum. In hot and dry weather, water used outdoors can amount to 50 per cent of total usage. In the UK it's possible, however, to have a beautiful and productive garden using very little mains water.
Think about:
Change any bad water wastage habits:
Turning off the taps when you are brushing your teeth or shaving can save five litres a minute. Plus wasting hot water whilst shaving you are also wasting energy, that you have paid for, in heating the water!
Do not run half-load cycles, as they use much more than half the energy and water of a full load. So ensure you run your washing machine with a full load!
The cold water that comes through before a tap runs hot can be collected for watering plants.
Keep a jug of water in the fridge instead of waiting for the tap to run cold.
Taps:
Fixing drips - a dripping tap or overflow can waste a lot of water (just 2 drips a second adds up to about 26 litres of water a day), but a new washer costs just a few pence and can be fitted in minutes.
Fitting aerator or spray ends to washbasin taps can reduce water consumption by up to 50 per cent - an aerator mixes air with water.
Install low flush or dual flush toilets:
When buying a new toilet, get a water-saving, low-flush or dual flush toilet.
Install a water displacement device (sometimes called a 'hippo') in the cistern of a higher flush toilet - you will reduce the amount of water used for each flush, typically by one or two litres. Most water companies provide free displacement devices for their customers.
Instead of buyig a new toilet simply retrofit a variable flushing device to existing higher flush toilets. You can buy either single, dual or triple flush mechanism or the delivery of the required volume of water through an interruptible flush mechanism.
Shower rather than bath:
A quick shower can use much less water than a bath. But power showers can use more water than a bath in less than five minutes.
Fitting a water-efficient shower head to your existing shower. This can reduce the amount of water you use by a further 30 per cent without compromising shower performance (these should not be fitted to electric showers, as this can lead to overheating of the water)
Avoid high volume power showers - you can easily use more water than if you had a bath.
Investing in new water efficient appliances:
The amount of water consumed by dishwashers and washing machines varies considerably. All new dishwashers and washing machines have a European (EU) energy label which will tell you how much water they user per wash, as well as how energy efficient they are.
Things you might like to consider are:
If you have a choice, look for a machine that uses less than 50 litres per wash.
Try looking for a dishwasher that uses less than 15 litres per wash.
Make sure your dishwasher or washing machine is fully loaded before you switch it on half-load cycles use much more than half the energy and water of a full load.
Outdoor water use accounts for around 7% of the total water use, but in the summer this can rise to over 50%.
There are many ways to have a beautiful garden by using a small amount of water.
Leave plants and shrubs dry until they show signs of wilting – watering too often can keep roots shallow and weaken plants.
Weeding regularly makes sure that watering helps plants and not weeds
Prioritise young plants and seedlings; more established plants will survive longer periods without water.
Water your garden either I early morning or late evening when evaporation is a minimum.
Use mulch and bark in your garden to reduce water evaporation by up to 75%
Do not to use tap water to water your garden. Using a watering can rather than a hose will make a huge difference to the amount of water you use in your garden - a hose can use more water in an hour than a family of four uses in a day!
If you do use a hose, use a trigger to control the flow and aim the water at the roots, water on the follage is a waste of time, it’s the roots that collect water.
If you must use a sprinkler, water early in the morning or late in the evening when evaporation rates are lowest. Sprinklers can use as much as 1,000 litres of water per hour! Remember to turn it off when not in use.
Store rainwater in a water butt. In addition to saving our precious tap water you will save the energy used to treat it. Plus rainwater is better for your plants!
Water companies and local council’s often subsidise the cost of water butts so speak to them first and you could save some money.
Wash your car with a bucket and sponge for a much better clean! Using a hosepipe over half an hour will use hundreds of litres of water. Pressure washers also use a lot of water! Use them sparingly and think about what you are doing. If must use one to wash your patio furniture or bike, why not do it on the lawn so the water gets recycled.
Lagging your outside pipes will help to avoid burst pipes and leaks in winter.
