The Great Use Less Water Hunt

trickypockets

I agree with the person who said: 'Why is everyone fixated on showering/bathing every day ?' I can see why people might need to do this in hot countries, but in Britain ?? I too was brought up on a daily wash of my 'corners' and a weekly bath, and I still do that (except I take a Navy shower); I'm not smelly, I promise you. I don't have central heating, so my shower heats the water as it comes through, no need to run it first.
I only flush solids.
The only clothing I wash after one wearing is my underwear; everything else gets at least twice, and frequently more if it isn't obviously grubby.
As a single person I reckon I'm only in contact with a small percentage of my duvet, so I turn it through 90 degrees every week to sleep under a different bit; this way I only wash it once a month. Similarly, I turn my pillow over every week so I sleep on both sides of the pillowcase before it's washed.
I never wash the car; it might get a six-monthly run through a manual carwash if it's really lucky.
I don't water the front garden, ever. The plants that can put up with that flourish and grow deeper roots.
I must admit I water the pots in my yard, but I'm getting a water butt fitted soon.
I'm very encouraged by the number of people who say they go so far as to stand in a washing up bowl !

Nutty_Netty

Hi i have a combi boiler which wastes an awful lot of water while running it to get hot - i phoned my local water company who informed me that running it down a hose into my water butt would contravene the hose pipe ban even though i would be saving water!! It seems you are o.k if the water is still i.e. used bath/sink water but cannot be run off the mains through a hose. She suggested putting the hose into a drain pipe to cover it up to prevent being reported!!! Currently i am collecting it in old plastic milk cartons and manually tipping it into the water butt. Mention has been made of a "divirter" for this purpose can any one tell me where i can get one?

Gorgeous_George

The benefits of showering are less, or lost altogether, if you normally share the bath water.

I don't have a shower in the house at the moment but, if I did, I'd shower every morning and still bath at night. I save water in other ways and I am on a meter.



GG

clipboard2

Just got back from the south of France today and picked up this thread and once more the thought occurs - what is wrong with this country? Hosepipe bans, drought orders.... MSE'rs (including me) suggesting ways to save water... we are surrounded by water !! Other countries, even those with arid climates and only a small area of coastline build desalination plants which together with rainfall meet the needs of the population. Sure there is the initial investment but it surely can't be more than what the water companies are having to spend currently to modernise their antiquated systems!

gromituk

Because desalination plants use an awful lot of energy! This is exactly the argument that Ken Livingstone is having with Thames Water at the moment - look it up.

QueenB.

Last week my save-a-flush arrived and took less than 30 seconds to install. But Now i have my OH talking about them at work and his work are actually interested in getting some, personally i can't see why they would not get some, afterall they are free, they will use less water, so should get cheaper water bills, but even if not it would not take more than five minutes to install them in all the toilets. He is talking about it in detail this week at a staff meeting and hopefully the boss will say its a great idea and send away for them.

Its only a small step but a real victory if they agree.

ageandjo

We have had a hosepipe ban here for a while now so no jet washing cars etc
I dont have a water butt but I just use a watering can to water my hanging baskets and tubs but I feel quite guilty when I turn the outside tap on to do this, should I get a water butt? Also I used to have 2 showers a day 1 in the morning and 1 in the evening but I have cut it down to just one in the morning.
Just wondered if anyone else has cut back?

[Deleted User]

I use my washing up water for my garden, as the washing-up liquid is good for keeping down the greenfly on the roses and far better that using chemicals.Spray the roses with it and it does seem to keep the greenfly down a bit.
I only use enough for a couple of cups at a time when i make a cuppa as well.Not big things but anything that helps I suppose.i live in Kent where we have a great shortage of water so everyone is concious of the need to save it. In Rochester the car-wash place is using recycled water already.

Becles

Come and live in the North East. We've got no water restrictions at all

I'm still being concious though, and trying not to use much. Husband wanted to buy the children a water slide thing that needs a running hose on it, but I said no

charlieheard

QueenB. wrote:

Last week my save-a-flush arrived and took less than 30 seconds to install. But Now i have my OH talking about them at work and his work are actually interested in getting some, personally i can't see why they would not get some, afterall they are free, they will use less water, so should get cheaper water bills, but even if not it would not take more than five minutes to install them in all the toilets. He is talking about it in detail this week at a staff meeting and hopefully the boss will say its a great idea and send away for them.

Its only a small step but a real victory if they agree.

The main problem with all the "put something in the cistern to make it use less" thingies is that you may need to flush twice to get rid of everything.

Someone mentioned interflush earlier. You just bolt it onto the existing hardware in the cistern and it allows you to flush any amount from 15-100% of the cistern volume - you just flush as long as needed and then it stops when you let go. I bought a couple for our house and they were installed in less than 45 minutes - you need to know your way round a drill and srewdriver, but that's it. They should pay for themselves in a few months. :beer:

For a wee, they use even less than a dual-flush, and they can flush the full cistern so they're better than a hippo/frog/brick/whatever. And they have a lifetime guarantee, so they will replace any part that fails ever. :cool:

I first saw them mentioned in Which? magazine, and (as you may have gathered) I can't recommend them enough