10 Ways to Save Water

Find out how you can save water, energy, and money

The average person in the UK uses around 150 litres of water every day in the home, with one-third of that flushed straight down the toilet and a lot more wasted. Here are some hints and tips that should help you to save water:

1. Put a brick, a bottle filled with sand, or a Hippo / Bog-Hog (1) bag into your toilet cistern. This reduces the amount of water you flush down the toilet.

2. Don't use a hose pipe to wash the car. Use a bucket and sponge.

3. Water plants and the lawn in the evening so that the water has a chance to soak in overnight. If you water in the day time, most of the water will evaporate before it has done any good. Water you've used to boil vegetables can be used to water plants.

4. Take a shower instead of a bath and you will use half as much water.

5. Don't leave the tap running while you clean your teeth or shave. If you leave the tap running you could be wasting up to 10 litres per minute.

6. Only run your washing machine and dishwasher when you have a full load.

7. Repair dripping taps. One drop per second is a waste of up to 3000 gallons per year.

8. Store tap water in a bottle in the fridge rather than running the water every time you want a cold drink.

9. Collect rainwater (2) in a water butt (3) and use it for watering the garden.

10. Lift the blade on your lawnmower so that the grass is cut an inch or two longer so that its roots are shaded and retain water.

More Information

Click here to read our articles on Greywater (4), Rainwater Toilet Flushing (5), and Solar Powered Irrigation (6).

Web Link References

(1) http://www.reuk.co.uk/Save-Water-When-Flushing-Toilet.htm
(2) http://www.reuk.co.uk/Collect-Rainwater.htm
(3) http://www.reuk.co.uk/Water-Butts.htm
(4) http://www.reuk.co.uk/Greywater.htm
(5) http://www.reuk.co.uk/Rainwater-Toilet-Flush-System.htm
(6) http://www.reuk.co.uk/Solar-Powered-Irrigation.htm