Save Water, Save Money, Save The Planet

PipneyJane

Over the last month, the News has been full of stories of the UK facing an impending drought.  Having grown up in Australia - and lived through several droughts plus water restrictions - I thought it might be worth us having a place where all water saving tips were collected.  Here are mine:

• Switch off the tap while you're brushing your teeth.  That saves an average of 7 litres of water.
• Switch off the tap while washing your hands.  Yes, it means you're probably washing your hands in cold water BUT if you do the minimum 20 seconds of rubbing in the soap, you'll still kill the bugs and wash away the grime.
• Use a watering can when watering your garden instead of using the hose.  Takes longer but you'll use far less water and your watering will be more targeted.  If you alternate your carrying arm, you'll also end up with stronger arms and shoulders.
• Position a wide mouthed jar under each tap to catch any drips.  Use the water saved to water plants.
• When filling the sink for washing up, the first litre or so of water out of the hot tap is inevitably cold, so use it to fill a suitably sized jug / watering can / water bottle and use that for watering plants.  Make sure the water is cold before watering!
• Wash the car using a bucket instead of using the hose.
• Keep your shower to 4 minutes or less.  Check your water company's website to see if you can get a free, 4-minute timer.
• Put a bucket or trug in your shower to catch the water and use that to flush your toilet.
• Only run your washing machine for a full load.
• Only run your dishwasher for a full load and run it for the shortest cycle possible.
• Get a water butt or two for the garden.

What are your water saving tips?

- Pip

joedenise

Think you've covered everything there @PipneyJane!  I also wash everything on the shortest cycle at 30 or 40 with just the occasional hotter wash.

subjecttocontract

Are you joking ?
Have you tried to get housekeepers or gardeners who are prepared to do all of that ?
They are employed to keep the house & garden clean & tidy and they do it in the most efficient way that minimises their time & effort. That way I get the biggest bang for my buck. 

PipneyJane

subjecttocontract said:

Are you joking ?
Have you tried to get housekeepers or gardeners who are prepared to do all of that ?
They are employed to keep the house & garden clean & tidy and they do it in the most efficient way that minimises their time & effort. That way I get the biggest bang for my buck. 

They do it in Australia, or you get fined.  

- Pip

subjecttocontract

But I don't live in Australia or live by Australian rules. There isn't a water shortage or supply problem or there would already be a hose pipe ban. My local paper carried an article last week saying NO hose pipe ban is planned.

Nelliegrace

Don’t wash the car. 
Don’t power wash the driive. 
Don’t have teenagers.

subjecttocontract

We use 80 cubic metres of water a year, every year for the past 10 years..... wether there's a hose pipe ban or not.

Brie

Check if your water supplier is offering free water butts for the garden.  Saves money as well as water!!!

subjecttocontract

There's no such thing as a free water butt. Someone must be paying for it.....either the shareholders or the Water customers.

paradigital

subjecttocontract said:

There's no such thing as a free water butt. Someone must be paying for it.....either the shareholders or the Water customers.

Free from the water companies, no, you are right, it’ll be getting paid for somehow.

However, I took a farmer up on the offer of a free 1000 litre IBC that had been used for food-grade product and thoroughly washed out.

Not had to use mains water for the garden since putting it in, fed from the garage roof guttering.

CapricornLass

Its true that there isn't a planned drought order.  However, there are many rivers and reservoirs in the UK which are very low due to the lack of rain, and there might not be a lot of advance notice of a drought order coming into effect, if past years are anything to go by.  Nor is it necessarily nationwide - drought orders may be specific to a particular region of Britain.  Besides, water is a precious resource.  It makes sense to adopt good practices to conserve it, and reduce your usage of it, particularly if you are metered.