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Can We Save The World ?

Reduce water use in our homes

•   Have a water meter fitted, a water meter allows you to monitor then reduce water use.
•   Reduce toilet water use, they use about 30% of water used in homes.
•   Don't flush the toilet on every visit, 'if it's yellow let it mellow' at least until a next visit, 'if it's brown flush it down'. By flushing on average every second visit an average home can reduce toilet water use by 30,000 litres per year!
•   If you have a toilet that uses more than 9 litres per flush install a Cistern Displacement Device, or special water saving device in the cistern, such as the inexpensive 'Hog Bag' or HIPPO, these reduce toilet water use per flush by 1 litre, they are available, free, from many water companies.
•   Reduce toilet water use by installing a new low flush toilet, these use either 4 litres on a half flush or 6 litres on a full flush, older toilets used up to 13 litres ands some far more than this. For more information visit water wise .
•   Use less water when you bath, have a short shower instead.
•   Use less water showering.
•   Have fewer showers, keep your bodies protective oils on your skin.
•   Have shorter showers and turn the water off when lathering with soap or shampoo, this will also reduce the energy used to heat your water.
•   Fit a low flow shower head.
•   Use power showers extremely frugally, a power shower running for 5 minutes can use as much water as a bath!
•   Consider replacing your old appliances that use water e.g. washing machines, dishwashers, with newer models. Newer models save both water and energy. Modern washing machines reduce water use by more than half. Modern dish washers use less than half the water that is used when washing dishes by hand. When using a dishwasher don't rinse off dishes first, just scrape off excess food.
•   Don't let the tap run unnecessarily when washing, shaving, washing dishes, and when washing fruit and vegetables. Use a plug in the sink or a bowl rather than washing under the tap over an open plug hole.
•   Fix leaks, one estimate shows that some 8% of water is wasted by leaks. A dripping tap can waste 90 litres per year. Leaks are most common in toilet cisterns and taps. If you have a water meter, you can check for leaks by turning off the water and taking two meter readings an hour apart. If the reading is different, there may be a leak, leaks more often occur in supply pipe work below or adjacent to your premises
•   Most of the suggestions under reduce water heating costs reduce water use.
•   Fill kettles with just enough water for your needs this will also reduce your fuel bills.
•   Recycle water used for washing, use it in the garden, recent research shows it does not harm plants.
•   Install aerators to taps used for washing, these reduce flow to 2 gallons per minute.
•   Install a rainwater storage system. Filtered and stored and pumped rainwater can be used throughout your home, with the exception of cold water taps that provide drinking water, dramatically reducing mains water use. The author has had a rainwater storage system in his home for the past 9 years, it has worked flawlessly, the only maintenance that has been required is to clean the filters.
•   Install a grey water recycling system, this reclaims washing water for use in the toilet and garden irrigation. Grey-water is wastewater from washbasins, showers, baths and from cooling processes. This can be partially treated on site and reused.
•   Ensure that everyone in your home is aware of the need to be water efficient.

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