Despite the UK taking the first steps to return to normality, staying at home as well as working from home are still being greatly encouraged to limit the spread of Covid-19 and a second wave.
A person on average uses about 179 litres of water per day (South West Water). With people working from home or on furlough and with most children off from school and young adults home from university, this means more toilet flushing, shower using, clothes washing, teeth brushing and cooking. All of these things will have increased the amount of water your household uses!
We have put together 8 tips on how to reduce your water usage…
- Turn off the tap when you brush your teeth and never let taps run needlessly
- Fix any dripping taps and check for leaks in pipes
- Take shorter showers and turn off the water when you are not rinsing
- Ensure your dishwasher or washing machine only turns on for full loads
- Use every drop – you can capture the water under your colander or capture the water whilst you wait for the tap to run hot or cold. This water can be used in the garden
- Capture rainwater – water butts can be installed to drainpipes and used to water plants, clean your car and wash your windows. A water butt can collect around 5,000 litres per year
- Install a water meter – this gives more of an incentive to waste less
- Invest in water-efficient goods when you need to replace household products. This includes water-efficient showerheads, taps, toilets, washing machines and dishwashers
Why Is It Important To Save Water?
Even though water is not in such short supply here in the UK compared to other countries, using less water means you will probably save money if you are on a water meter. Even if you are not on a water meter, conserving water will also help to reduce energy use as cleaning wastewater is an energy-intensive process.
The Met Office has stated that “May 2020 has become the sunniest calendar month on record in the UK. It has been the sunniest Spring on record for the UK and the driest May on record in England.” The summer months are when we are most likely to face water shortages, but having had a very dry spring, this is something that may become more likely.
The Environment Agency has also warned water shortages may become the norm within 20-25 years with summers becoming increasingly drier. It is really important that we all do our bit to conserve water usage and ensure we combat shortages.
We are open 24/7, if you would like to find out more information about our services then please get in touch with us via our contact form or by calling 01323 741818 or 0800 171 2204.