The Great Use Less Water Hunt

jumb1e

While you're waiting for the shower to warm up, run the cold water into a bucket. You can then use this to flush the loo. Saves me carrying it down two flights of stairs to use on the garden!
Also if using cloth nappies either drypail (my personal preference with the number of stairs!) or syphon off old bathwater for soaking.

daisychaingirl

change your loo to a dual flush (3l or 6l for a poo flush) instead of up to 13l for an oold style one and get the whole family to synchronise their toilet activiteis!

Saw the bottom few inches off a downpipe and collect water in buckets - we've topped up the pond with 20 buckets worth last week, and it'll also drown any passing rats who fall in!

Run a hopepipe up to your bathroom window and syphon your bathwater out the window to your plants.

Grass on your irresponsible neighbours - they're being selfish!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

itsfrommark

Build (dig) a pond. The larger the better, it's great for wildlife and will provide hours of relaxation - watching all the water boatmen, dragonflies, tadpoles etc.
Best of all its the biggest resevoir you can create, even beating water butts for vlume of water etc. Just dip into it with your watering can as required, of course returning all the pond snails and newts afterwards!

I've never wanted for water in my garden here in sunny sunny Bournemouth...
Mark

petertwisty

Turn the tap off when you shower! Really!. Similar to brushing your teeth, water is being wasted while you wash so, after initially wetting yourself, turn off the shower until you are ready to rinse clean. You can actually shower with almost no water at all. :cool:

Edinburghlass_2

peter.twist wrote:

Turn the tap off when you shower! Really!. Similar to brushing your teeth, water is being wasted while you wash so, after initially wetting yourself, turn off the shower until you are ready to rinse clean. You can actually shower with almost no water at all. :cool:

Peter, can I ask you to email [EMAIL="abuse@moneysavingexpert.com"]abuse@moneysavingexpert.com[/EMAIL] and they will change your user name for you as its never a good idea to have your email address due to spammers who can and do use email address gathered from forums such as MSE. Thanks and welcome to MSE

Toku

Many years ago, I installed a water recycling system, just using shower and bath water to flush the loo.
It paid for itself in the first year as I'm on a meter, the change was very noticeable.

Nothing sophisticated involved, a collection tub, out through an ordinary pond filter into another tub, both tubs aerated by fish tank pump, then water pumped up by submersible pump activated by float switch in cistern.

Try it, it's worth it for you and the environment, added bonus, by the end of the year, should have the whole lot running on solar power. Photovoltaics.

BabyElephant

If you live in the Anglian Water area then you can e-mail INTSVCS@anglianwater.co.uk with your details and ask them to send you a free Freddie Frog for your toilet cistern. (They don't do hippo's - )

gromituk

bananajet wrote:

As a result of a problem with the main foul sewer in our village, I discovered that there is no "surface water sewer", despite Anglian Water charging residents £30 pa for the removal of rainwater.

I think what's happening here is a combination of there being no surface water drain and your house having soakaways, a requirement of building regs for some time, presumably where there is no surface water drain. Older properties (like mine) drain surface water into the sewer if there is no surface water drain, and a discount can only be obtained if soakaways are dug.

gromituk

itsfrommark wrote:

Build (dig) a pond.

Unfortunately I find the exact opposite with my pond! It can lose 2cm a day in really hot weather, and it needs to be kept at reasonably constant level if there are any marginal plants. But if you are willing to let your pond be completely natural then the level can vary large amounts. You'll still need to divert rainwater into it to fill it though.

Nutty_Netty

hi - i have a combination boiler that heats my water when i want it - good for gas usage but extravagent on water usage as it takes ages to come through hot. After a discussion with the water board who said i would be prosecuted for running this waste water through a hose(hosepipe ban!!) to my water butt i am now collecting the aforementioned water in old milk containers and tipping it by hand into the water butt. A lot more work but makes me feel good - i have also taken to tipping the kettle dregs and rinse out water in there as well - i also collect as much of the water used to peel veg as i can and put that in there as well - i have been truly amazed at the amount collected so far - as i am on a water meter i am hoping for a reduction in my bills as well so its a win win situation.

Further to carolbees post does any one know of any kits that you can buy to convert the bath as she has done or does it mean putting in a new bath plus plumbing??